At first I was a little turned off in the details: my water glass was a little dirty, and the tablecloth had some stains. I am normally a royal pain in the ass when it comes to these things, so I decided to let these details go and concentrate on the food. Boy, was I in for a treat! Everything we ate was fabulous. We started with the fried calamari, and its sweet batter and perfect level of spiciness surprised us. I had the Thai BBQ pork, a portion big enough for three people, while my husband had the duck curry. Both dishes were terrific, flavorful, tasty, ideal level of heat, you name it. We shared the fried bananas dessert, also a winner. The prices were low, for the quality of the food. When we left, we could smell the wonderful aroma of roasting pork from their kitchen. We will be back again! read more

The ambiance was nice, but the service was slow and we also got a dirty water glass. Unfortunately, the restaurant lived up to its name, as the food was way, WAY too sweet. It's a shame because other than that, the food had nice flavors and the ingredients were high quality. There are far better Thai restaurants around, so we probably won't go back. read more

My fat and happy Italian Uncle bought us a feast here one night to remember. I tried a lot of their food and it was all fresh and well cooked enough to be tender and spicy but not too spicy at all really. I didn't go back much over the years at all but the foods friendly ethnic food for sure. read more

Som Tum is supposed to come with shrimp. Every other Thai restaurant I've ever been to includes it in the price. Sweet Basil Thai charges extra for it. Just a con to make more money off people. The food is just ok. Mediocre. The waitress/owner? is RUDE. I said thank you to her multiple times to which she glared at me and said morning in return. Lady thought she was doing me a favor and not the other way around. Therefore, your restaurant is not worth it and I won't be returning. If you want to be ripped off and treated badly go here. read more

I've never had a dish here I didn't like. Also the service is really great and friendly!

The food had so much sugar that I could barely taste anything else. According to the waitress it is already in the "bottled" sauce. What a turnoff to hear they don't make their sauces? It was truly the worst Thai food I have ever had. Very disappointing! read more

I so hoped to enjoy Sweet Basil but the ambiance and service were the most appealing aspects of this restaurant unfortunately. The appetizers of spring rolls and corn cakes my partner and I had were good but the main dish of green curry with grilled vegetables that I had was quite a disappointment. The curry sauce was very salty and lacked the depth of flavor that one comes to expect from Thai cooking. With so many good Thai restaurant in the Bay Area, I will not likely be back to this one. read more

Summary based on 1 dinner: --better Thai food is easily available in Berkeley (Thai Noodle, Green Papaya) or Albany (Ruen Pair) --at least uses kana and not dumb American broccoli --ok service --more expensive than most --not directly a restaurant issue, but there's crappy AT&T service for you iPhone fans --outdoor seating, rare for a Thai place in Berk --white tablecloth place! Nice ambiance. Quiet. Ok date restaurant if you are ok with Americanized food. --No prik nam pla available. My pad see ew, which I generally get when dining solo, was pretty insipid. Even the fake hot sauce they gave me didn't do much for it. read more

I would like to recommend Sweet Basil for small gatherings in their downstairs room,as well as the regular restaurant. We had l6 people and the room felt completely private.The staff helped us plan the menu which was served without rushing us and altogether we were there for 3 hours. They also allowed us to bring our own special cake from an outside bakery for the dessert. The food was delicious and the service was excellent; we didn't feel rushed, but food came without waiting too long. The ambience was just right for that size gathering. I should add we have been eating here for many years and the food is always good. We have told friends who have all enjoyed the food and some have come back, even from a distance. read more

Despite A) not being able to figure out where the entrance was (on the sidewalk, not under the large sign in the patio) B) being seated at the worst table in the house (though it was interesting to hear what the kitchen orders - like pre-peeled garlic!) and C) the relentless Michael Jackson soundtrack softly playing during the duration of our meal (which included an edited version of "Thriller" - come on, Vincent Price rules, why take that out?) my recent meal at Sweet Basil Thai was not unendurable. Nor was it especially memorable for me - I found the spicing one-dimensional and the grilled squash and eggplant to be kind of soggy. My omnivorous sweetheart, however, really enjoyed the vegetable rolls (though we were somehow short a half a roll), and we also split the Drunken Tofu and Grilled Vegetables. It was all tasty enough, if not exceptional, and not too oily, which is frequently a problem, so that's a bonus. And a lot of commas from me! I feel like this is a wishy-washy review. It just wasn't the best Thai food I've had in my life, ever. The staff seems very nice though, and I'd be willing to come back try different dishes. read more

Service was great and very nice setting. Quiet and intimate. Very good calamari appetizer- and the sauce it comes with is amazing. The pad thai came out steamy hot (perfect!) I asked for it medium spicy and it was exactly what I wanted. Portion size was just right. My husband got the pad see yew and he loved it. Has a bit of a smokey taste to it. Don't forget your thai tea! read more

This place lacks flavor... a sin for Thai food. They didn't even ask me if I wanted it spicey. When the bill came, they charged us Plus 20% for having eight people, but really, we were six plus two newborns that didn't eat. Hmmm, I would be hard pressed to pick this place. read more

I don't know why this place doesn't have more than 3.5 stars... because it's actually really good. I'm picky when it comes to Thai cuisine, it's just one of those things I really enjoy and cannot get enough of, but I do know the difference between the good and the bad. For instance, I've had terrible noodles in my pad see ew before. They were overly cooked, gummy and oddly flavored; that's not what I've had at Sweet Basil Thai. Their pad see ew is fantastic. It's always perfectly cooked, the chinese broccoli has the perfect amount of bitterness too it and the seasoning is never overly sweet. I'm also a huge fan of the calamari and maybe that's because it IS a tiny bit sweet. Have you had minorly sugary calamari before? I haven't, but paired with the spicy dipping sauce it's a great combo. Honestly, nothing I've had has ever tasted bad and ever since moving to Albany, I've been quite a regular on the take-out front. Prices are a little bit more than your average hole in the wall Thai shop, but that seems pretty standard considering is right off of Solano avenue. Another note, they're really quick when it comes to ordering. My husband orders the food while I'm on my way home from work and within 15 minutes it's ready. Gotta love it! read more

Ordered via Uber Eats. Paid $35 for their roti appetizer and eggplant with salmon. The portions were unbelievably small. I literately got ONE roti for the cost of $10. WTF??? The salmon size was less than a pound. Super pissed and currently trying to get my money back from Uber Eats. read more

Good food, awesome happy hour. $3 beers and $5 small plates are a steal! The food here is consistently good (I love the duck curry) and *very* tasty. The place has a nice intimate atmosphere, although an awkward split level layout where you actually have to go outside or through the kitchen to transition between levels. Sadly they're often not busy enough to run both sides, but on weekends and nights people like to eat out this place fills up a little more. Basically good, solid Thai food, intimate atmosphere, and decent service at a good price. read more

When I passed by it down Solano at first, it caught my eye because it was situated in a cute house and looked actually quite classy from the outside. After going down the street, we decided to go to Sweet Basil. I'm a huge fan of pad-see-ew and eat it at nearly every Thai restaurant I go to, so this one was no exception. I walked in and realized the place was a third of the size I imagined it to be. It's a really intimate setting, and by intimate, I mean you're about a foot and a half away from the table next to you. I actually bumped the purse of the customer sitting next to me quite a few times during my meal. It doesn't help that I hear pretty much everyone's conversation. The food was good. It was just good. It wasn't spectacular and the best pad-see-ew I've tasted, but it was good. We also ordered the fried dumplings. The sauce was amazing, and the dumplings I'd recommend for an appetizer. With two dishes and an appetizer, the meal came out to be just under $35 after tip. I probably won't be begging anyone anytime soon to bring me here again. I'd say there are better places downtown, but it's worth the visit. read more

My boyfriend decided to be suave and tell them we like our food spicy hot. We ordered the chicken satay, pad seew, and their beef curry with pumpkin. The food was delicious - in fact I'd go back, but they took him seriously and made our food soo spicy that my face turned red. I can take the heat but I've never had thai food this spicy. It was to the point where I was sweating, removing layers, downing water & rice, and apparently red in the face. The waitress came out to check on us, and looked at me strangely and asked if I was ok. I said yes, not knowing how red my face was. She kept staring at me and walked away. She came back with a cup & saucer filled w/ soy milk and told me it will help. LOL...my face was still red after a 45 min drive home. Overall, authentic, good thai food and they will not hesitate in turning it up if you tell them to. read more

like monsters, the dark, the basement (basically the entire goosebumps series), I once had an unerring fear of Thai food.....ok, back off - I'm from Pennsylvania. However, having dated a thai girl, I've now conquered the phobia through a protracted SEasia-food campaign. But it might have been easier if I had come to Sweet Basil right off the bat. The place feels very homely, probably because it looks like it used to be one. Which means you might have a bit of a wait on a busy night. Had a good chicken curry and seafood dish. Asked for mild -- which was just the right level for me. Might go hot next time if I'm feeling bold. read more

I think the food was pretty mediocre and the price isn't that great for the portion sizes either. We got a green eggplant curry (pak yank) and some fried appetizer. I usually always remember what I ate at places, but this was a rather unmemorable experience. read more

I came here on recommendation from a bunch of friends, and it was pretty good. For starters we shared some spring rolls which were good. I ordered the Pad See Ew (chicken and broccoli type stir fry) and it was good, but not amazing. My friend ordered some sort of stirfry with a peanut sauce which was really yummy. For dessert we shared fried banana with ice cream which was amazing! The dessert was a little expensive ($6 or $7), but then again, it was large enough for 4 of us ladies to share. The prices are fair... my entree was only $10 so I can't complain. Service was also good. Also, I found free parking on a Saturday along the residential street that the restaurant is on...bonus. Overall, it was a great meal and I would definitely come back and try something else! read more

2.5 stars. Great atmosphere, kind staff, and good salad rolls (fresh). However, my main dish, pad kee mao, was lacking in the flavor department. The dish was very bland and didn't have much flavor. It was just a pile of sauteed noodles, veggies and chicken. And for the price, it was a bit disappointing. read more

Quiet, dim, candlelit dinner; very different from most Thai restaurants I have been to. The portion sizes were perfect, and the drink menu had a good variety of beer and wine. I had the Pad Tofu with brown rice (served in the shape of a heart), which was excellent. The place is very compact, and has about 8 tables altogether. I went on a Sunday for a pretty late dinner and it was empty. Overall, good vibe. I would def. go back. read more

Those who dislike the typical grimier Thai places will love the decor and service at this joint!! The food is solid too- I had the chance to try their fresh rolls, pad Thai and hot chicken basil. Among the mild, hot and very hot options, we chose the very hot, which could further be "Thai"spicy or "American" spicy. Don't let that naming fool you... The American spicy we got was pretty hot! Anyhow, only one star less because the small restaurant has limited space and didn't open up their patio for some reason. The service was a bit slow too. Sometimes hard to get the waitress' attention. The indoor lights were heavily skewed towards the left side of the room, but that could just be nick picky of me. Overall, solid 4.5, and a place that would welcome kids too! read more

Very disappointed with the service I received today my food was served cold. The waitress was disrespectful because I asked her to warm it up. She brought it back and had the nerve to asked me if I can eat fast because she's closing in 30 minutes when it took them 35 minutes to bring my food. I will not be back. In response to your comment untrue, check your cameras you should be able to see your waitress yelling at me telling me to eat fast and stop texting my client. Your food was delivered cold and it wasn't the first time. I brought one of my clients there for dinner last week and part of the food was cold and instead of sending it back I took it to go. I can have my client leave a review as well. Wow! How professional to call a customer a liar? Is this how you run a business? When you haven't satisfied your customers you call them liars? As far as your cameras are concerned pull up the last few months and see how much business I brought into your establishment. I think what you need to improve your service is for some personal food shoppers to visit let's see if they can receive hot food. read more

Some things are excellent, and some things were ok. In general the portions are smaller than what you might expect at a typical restaurant. But I thought the prices were suitable. Wonderfully Excellent: A spicy noodle dish with beef (tender meat and tasty noodles), light and not greasy crispy fried bananas and yummy coconut ice cream, mango and coconut rice. The fried rice, pea shoots, fried dumplings, and corn cakes were fine. The duck with lychee was good, though more of the tasty duck would have been nice, and the lychee was a little weird. Don't bother: Thai Iced Tea, Bland Pumpkin Curry (the one at Danang is much better). The service was very nice, and my water never was empty, even though I drink a lot of water. read more

The menu at first had me thinking, "I want to get out of here." I want details about the meat, the sauce and the vegetables on there but you don't see that right off. But we stayed and I'm glad we did. The flavor and presentation of the food was as classy as I'd want for a $12-14 plate. Try the eggplant pastry for an appetizer--very good--and I liked my red curry with pumpkin dish on brown rice. There was enough served that I had to take some home. I'm still on a mission to find food this good for much cheaper around here somewhere, though. read more

So delicious! Very impressed with this find on Solano Ave. Went here on a double date... we shared most of our plates but here's a taste of what we ordered: Small plates: Kao Pode Tod (corn cakes) and Kieow Tod (dumplings). Both were scrumptious. The corn cakes were a nice change to the usual satay and rolls. 2 small plates were easily shared between the four of us. Main plates: Thai Style Fried Rice with Crab (special), Kang Kua Moo (red curry with pork) and Pad Normai (asparagus and bamboo shoots). All 3 were delicious and I especially liked the red curry. The pork truly is tender and the sauce is spicy enough to please everyone's taste buds. The Pad Normai was a little heavy on the bamboo shoots and more on the dry side but was a good compliment of veggies to the mainly meaty curry. The rice was delicious with hefty pieces of crab. We were all full from our dishes with some to spare as leftovers. Didn't divulge into the wine/beer menu but we did have the lemongrass and Thai iced teas. Both were exceptional. I'd highly trying the lemongrass tea if you want something light and refreshing! Service is on point, location is easy to find with ample side street parking. I'd highly recommend checking it out. read more

Just ate there for the first time a few hours ago. It is extremely solid Thai food, perhaps some of the best that I've had in some time. I love that it's a small little place, and they had some of the best wait service I've ever experienced (my water never got below half empty... wonderful!). The portions are reasonably sized, especially our pad ke mao. I'll definitely be going back again! read more

Went for lunch on a Friday. Warm, intimate atmosphere. Mostly business lunches. There was one waitress serving the entire room, so water was a little hard to come by, but she was otherwise very efficient. Beware of spiciness if you're not a huge fan: I ordered my dish (tofu-vegetable) medium and my mouth was on FIRE! Otherwise tasty. read more

Worst Thai food I've ever had. I was shocked. I'd have expected something like this in a Little Rock strip mall or on an airplane. It isn't authentic, it isn't flavorful, it isn't interesting on any level. Well, no, the level of anger you feel when you get the check is pretty interesting actually. The worst part? I took an 87 year old friend of mine there for his first Thai food since he was in Thailand during his Navy years. He was so excited and had so many fond memories. But Sweet Basil shot them to hell! read more

This place... Ok, someone needs to come in and lay some finish down on the wood seats along the right hand side of the place when you walk in. Otherwise, it's small, cozy, a bit maybe too cozy, but the food is usually pretty good. I've been here in the day and the decor / tinyness never bothered me, but for a date place, it kind of sucks. I had the calamari which some people have said is great on here, only to find the shit covered in sugar! It was gross, and though rubbing it out a bit helped, it still ruined perfectly fine calamari. Sugar, I mean, WTF?? Otherwise, the food is usually pretty good, I will say. Not sure I'm too psyched to go again, but would if someone else was paying or insisted. read more

I really liked the food here. It was flavorful and I would go back again. I forget which night we went - it was very quiet, only a couple of other tables occupied. As far as Thai Food is concerned, I cook some myself and enjoy eating other "interpretations" - as far as statements saying it was bland, etc, you can ask for things to be spicier if you like. The ingredients were fresh and well prepared. We had one vegetarian and one chicken dish, both were excellent in my opinion. Service was good. I would definitely go back and have recommended to a number of people! Prices are reasonable. read more

Went here for dinner last night. It was great. We ordered Keow Wan Roti for an appetizer, which was really yummy, and was only $5 for happy hour. My friend ordered a vegetarian dish and I ordered a spicy noodle with chicken dish (can't remember the exact name). Mine wasn't spicy, which was okay because I asked for some chilies which they gladly gave to me. Even though the place is really small, the service was great, the food was yum, and we paid only $30 for two people and that included an appetizer and wine! read more

Omg I think I found my favorite local Thai place! I can't believe I've never come here before, but this was an awesome experience with great food! The server was probably the nicest server I've seen in a while, very willing to let us sit outside with our dog even though it was almost closing time and he had to walk farther to serve us.. Even brought my puppy water.. He was very friendly and helpful, thank you! The food was really good too.. The soup that came with our meal was the perfect appetizer, and my favorite was the grilled eggplant salad, it is to die for, made spicy upon request, it was actually spicy and delicious! I'm definitely coming back here, and often! read more

One hour wait to pick up pad see ew. I mean, I get that it's Covid but how is this possible??

Shady business practice. Ordered on the phone after going through their online menu. When I reached to pick up food the price was completely different. That's not a good business practice. read more

I've come here multiple times for lunch and I have to say the flavors are good, but it lacks a little finesse. I tried their pad see ew the first time and the drunken beef the second time. I order pad see ew a lot, so I feel like I have a nice wide base of comparison. I thought it was delicious. The broccoli was still crunchy, the beef was tender, and the sauce-y goodness was delicious. The drunken beef was also delicious, although I have to say the large chunks of inedible lemongrass was offputting. It's pretty unpleasant having to pull partially chewed things back out of your mouth. The flavors were excellent though. The service both times was very attentive. read more

Yummy place to get fresh and tasty Thai. We've walked, driven and biked past Sweet Basil Thai many times and have never stopped in. Finally having a hankering for Thai, we decided to give it a shot. It's a beautiful place with a variety of seating and despite the white table cloths, the prices are reasonable. The food is fresh and delicious, and the size of the courses were just right (not too huge, but we definitely had some leftovers) - we had spring rolls, honey glazed pork and delicious spicy wide noodles! We will be back! read more

I don't have a lot of experience with Thai food, nor do I possess the understanding of authenticity regarding foods from Asia, but what I do know - this place tastes great! Seriously, by the end of this meal I had completely rediscovered the dimensions of my stomach (I didn't know I could hold that much food!) For starters, we (party of 7) ordered two pots of Thai hot & sour soup. It was fantastic, but not for people with low tolerance spicy foods. We also had deep fried turnip cakes and Indian flat-bread, both of which were delicious. Entrees, this is where they kind of faltered. I ordered the wide rice noodles with chicken, which was only so-so. But beyond that, I found a hair in my dish (big no-no). We ordered sticky rice for all, and my friend some plastic (saran wrap maybe?) in one of the rice patties. But I think everyone well enjoyed their meal, which earns back the star I definitely would have taken off for the hair and plastic in the rice. Deserts were delicious! My friend ordered the mango and sticky rice which he said was awesome, and my other friend, after saying he wasn't hungry anymore, ended up asking for our "spare" fried bananas (I gave him one, but quickly polished off the others). Also shout-out to our server! He was great the whole time, and gave us extremely friendly service, which really enhanced the experience. (Nothing ruins a good meal like a bad waiter). In conclusion: Awesome meal, awesome service, awesome restaurant! read more

Sweet Basil Thai - Thai Near Me - Berkeley, California

Horrible service... Perhaps intentionally unpleasant. But also very very slow... Dishes come out one by one, 15-20min in between... Food is tasty, but nothing to write home about... Not special at all.... Prices are high. read more