Quick. Generous portions. Ample seating space. A great go-to for something filling and easy. Food is super yummy too! A bit on the greasy side though. read more

It is rare for me to get out to eat in Berkeley. When I do, I inevitably end up at Thai Basil. And every time, I cannot resist the spicy basil fish. So I order it every time. But I am disappointed, because the standard of this dish has gone down even though the price goes up. Don't mind paying more (that's expected over time), but the presentation, esthetics, flavor and taste have gone downhill. I ordered it spicy. It had good heat, but the fried pieces of catfish fillet itself were bland. And the sauce needs work. The place is popular and payment is only with cash. When your order is called out, it is packed in carry out containers, even though you are dining in. There is no table service and they are stingy with their napkins. read more

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Came here for a to-go order and a trip to the rose garden. They have the automatic teller machine now so all you do is walk up to the monitor and order your food. We just got the pad see ew and another order from Gypsy's. Overall the wok hay was pretty good on the noodles, however the drawback was that the chicken was kind of dry. There's noticeable flavor but it's not over powering so that was pretty good. The restaurant itself is clean and orderly. Overall I'm looking forward to getting more food and trying other items from here in the future. read more

Been coming to this place for years, hate to say this but quality has been going downhill recently. Got a pad thai today and found two strands of long hair in my food - not the most appealing. They also raised their prices by a lot recently. A regular pad thai is now almost $16, with tax almost $18. Fairly pricey compared to other sit down Thai restaurants. read more

Thai Basil Cuisine - Hair in my pad that - Thai Near Me - Berkeley, California

Ahhh, Thai Basil. Never leave the Berkeley area. Note: cash only. If you're on or near campus, Thai Basil is in a great location for picking up lunch! It's walking distance to campus and located on the south side in an area called the Asian Ghetto. You'll find other restaurants in this area (perfect if you're eating with others who may not have the same craving you do), including Gypsy's, Boba Ninja, and Kingpin donuts. Their portion size is great, particularly for the pineapple fried rice. I've yet to order a dish I don't like (admittedly I love Thai food), though my favorites are definitely the pineapple fried rice and eggplant tofu (YUM). My SO likes their curries and I appreciate that they're substantive and filling. I won't name any names, but I know we've all been to a place with watery curry that leaves you hungry. Anyway, if it's your first time here and you don't have any shellfish allergies, go for the pineapple fried rice! It's big enough to share. A few notes: CASH ONLY Currently NO public restrooms Outdoor seating area (unclear how this will develop with COVID) Available on GrubHub Paid street parking nearby, free if you walk a few blocks down college read more

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Thai Basil has been a longtime favorite for Thai food around the Berkeley campus. Since I was in the area, I figured I'll satisfy my nostalgic cravings for Pad Kee Mow. I came on MLK (Monday night)... it took 5 minutes to be attended to, just to order at the register. Talk about COVID-busy! After ordering, I noticed how packed the place was. Although there's signs that states to stay 6 ft apart, it's hard to, when the crowd is large and the workers are all busy cooking & prepping the orders. I opted to wait outside of the restaurant, yet space was still limited. If you're familiar with Thai Basil, it's located at the far end of the Asian Ghetto, so you're stationed at the back of an even more crowded area. BE PREPARED TO WAIT A WHILE FOR YOUR ORDER. I'm writing this review as I'm waiting, and I'm already regretting this decision of getting takeout here. The food is always great, but the wait time tonight is about 40 minutes for walk-in orders, normally 10-15 minutes at most. I ordered my staple dish, #23, Pad Kee Mow (Drunken Noodles). Literally, tummy grumbling while I'm outside waiting, trying to dodge the crowds of college students yelling over each other through their masks. Definitely not 6 feet apart. Basically, come earlier in the day and avoid prime meal rush hours, to save yourself time and stress. AGAIN, THE FOOD IS GREAT, but with these crowds especially during COVID, think twice before you dive in. Parking is always limited in the area and the place is bustling with college students and homeless people. As soon as I got my dish, I walked it to the car and devoured the entire entree. I was so hungry, I couldn't hold out to eat at home. In the past, whenever I got this dish, I was never able to finish it in one sitting because the proportions are a good size. BUT tonight.... I surprised myself and finished the entire meal within 10 minutes. The noodles were delicious as always. Love the Thai pepper, onions and bell pepper combo. #23 has the perfect balance of spicy and sweetness. read more

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Thai Basil is a solid choice near the UC Berkeley campus. They are very consistent with their food. While I have never dined in and have only placed takeout orders, the restaurant always looks clean. The staff are friendly and the overall ambiance is great. They have a lot of options on their menu, and all of them sound really good. I always opt for the pad see ew with veggies and no egg which is pretty good. The vegetables taste fresh and their sauce is flavorful. The noodles are always cooked perfectly which I appreciate because a lot of places over cook them. I tried the tofu pad thai yesterday which I also enjoyed. The flavors tested better in my left overs after the sauce had time to marinate with the noodles and tofu overnight, so definitely save some for the next day! The spring rolls are another favorite of mine. They are super crispy and the sweet chili sauce that they come with is soooooooooo good!! I would recommend trying this establishment and would recommend the pad see ew over the pad thai! read more

I'm a big fan of their Pad Kee Mao! The restaurant is located close to campus, and the portions are pretty big. The employees are also really friendly and sweet. Definitely recommend visiting this restaurant. read more

I don't know why this place have low ratings but the employees are really at full speed to make your food and employees they are really friendly :) We ordered pineapple rice and pad thai food was really good! However pricey but from the amount of it and it could feed 3 people! Thank you for feeding me! read more

Thai Basil Cuisine - 21. Pad Thai Chicken & Prawns - Thai Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Came here for lunch in between classes. I wasn't expecting much, but I was pleasantly surprised! I got the basil chili chicken with a fried egg on top. The flavor was great, and the portion was huge. More than enough for 2 people to share or to have for 2 separate meals. I do think it's a bit on the pricey side, I think I paid close to $20 for my dish. Overall, I do think it was tasty and worth it. read more

Thai Basil Cuisine - Thai Near Me - Berkeley, California

This restaurant only takes cash, so come prepared! My go to order is the Pad Thai with shrimp and it is a LOT for one person. If you do choose to order for yourself you will definitely have enough for lunch the next day. The shrimp however is quite dry and the noodles are not very firm. For the price, you do get a good amount of food and the quality is good - but nothing great. The restaurant is located inside of Asian Ghetto towards the back, with yellow walls and often crowded table spacing. It is not the best to sit down and eat in the restaurant, but rather to get the food for takeout. If you are looking for great Thai food around Berkeley, there are much better options such as: Imm Thai and Rachas. read more

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

The best Thai food in Berkeley and surrounding areas. The service is always very fast and efficient. I recommend calling ahead as they are always busy and parking is very challenging. read more

It's nice to see Thai basil still open. The prices have gone higher to keep up with inflation and competition. The dishes are around $17 average. The food is delicious but I had to give three stars because the portion of food is smaller than before and they used to have self serve cups by the water but you now have to ask in the front after you get your order. You can order on the kiosk now so it's no longer cash only as they now accept credit card as payment. They don't have air conditioning either so it's really hot. I think they only serve food in to go containers so even though my family and I dined in, we had to eat from the to go containers without serving utensils, making it tougher to share our dishes. I enjoy the food, but with the prices, I'd opt for a nicer sit down restaurant if I dine in. read more

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Wouldn't recommend- profiled, called a scammer, and threatened (I can't put exactly what the lady up front told me as Yelp censorship has not been allowing my family and I to leave a review of our experience). I went here with family this past week while visiting my sister. I am not from the Berkley area and was only coming to visit my sister. We get there, order our meal, and a few minutes later I get a message saying my food was ready. I go up to the counter and see four boxes and thought it was our party's orders. Immediately afterwards a woman up front begins yelling and realizing I made a mistake I put them right back on the counter and was very quick to explain that I thought they were ours. I then show her the message saying my order was ready and was trying to explain the miscommunication. I was aware that I made a mistake grabbing them- but it's the reaction that followed after that took me aback. She proceeds to call me a scammer immediately... even though I was standing there, not moving, and not running away with the boxes- just trying to explain the miscommunication . She then proceeds to threaten me and unfortunately I can't put it here because yelp censorship won't let me- but it was a threat. After a while of trying to explain- she then asks for my name and number....but this is after calling me a scammer and threatening me. The reaction was beyond disrespectful and I don't know how you could threaten a customer with physical assault even though again- I was not running away with the boxes and trying to explain the miscommunication. Also very quick to assume I was a scammer- even though I was right there showing her my order number and the message I received. I really don't recommend this spot- and my family and I won't be coming again. read more

Favorite dishes are the chicken eggplant and yellow curry! FLAVORFUL! When picking up orders the cooks are welcoming and kind

My favorite Thai place ever! I miss this place reminds me of college! Man sometimes I want to visit Berkeley just so I can have this food again. As a Berkeley student this was my Friday night treat read more

I was in the area and called to place the order. I showed up almost 10 minutes later and when I told the cashier that I had called in an order for pineapple fried rice, she recounted parts of our phone conversation. I pulled out my cash to pay, but something about the way she was interacting with me said that I needed to double check before paying. Me: Is it ready? Cashier: No, not yet. Me: Has the order been started? Cashier: No, I didn't start it yet. Me: Why not? Cashier: I didn't start it because I didn't know if you actually wanted it. I have never had a restaurant employee not take me seriously when calling in an order. Do people call in orders just for fun? Someone else raised the point that the cashier forgot to place the order and was trying to cover it up by blaming it on me. Whatever the reason, the customer service is too incompetent here for me to actually want their food. read more

Of all the Thai spots in berkeley this will always be the best. Located in asian ghetto, Thai basil has been a staple for cal student hang outs long before I started school here. The prices are average (for the Bay Area) but the food is great. Line goes super quick and they make the food fast as well. Everyone's go to is the chicken pad see ew. Greasy, sweet, salty, and perfectly cooked. read more

Thai Basil Cuisine - 22. Pad See Ew Chicken Noodle - Thai Near Me - Berkeley, California

3.5 stars Located in the Asian ghetto, this buzzing Thai place is a classic and a favorite of Berkeley students. The food is cheap and decent for the price (averaging ~$12 post-tax for the standard dish). My go-tos are the the basil eggplant w/ chicken (my favorite dish from here) and to a lesser extent, the pad see ew (which is OK). The basil eggplant dish is on the slightly oily side, but when mixed w/ rice, it's very flavorful and you kinda ignore that oily taste. I've tried other dishes over the past years, and they've all been OK. Previously cash only, now you can order w/ a credit card at the self-checkout. Food is finished relatively quickly without a problem. read more

Thai Basil Cuisine - Thai Near Me - Berkeley, California

Thai basil fried rice is the best vs other spots. Also the drunken noodles is really good as well. Both were very flavorful! No wonder my friend goes out of his way just for this! read more

I'm usually a huge sucker for Thai food, but unfortunately am not a huge fan of Thai Basil. The food's okay and does the trick for when you're hammered, but some downsides keep my search ongoing for a Thai place in Berkeley that lives up to my high expectations. The good: the food is fast and cheap. Even when it's really busy, the more popular dishes take only about 10 minutes to be made out by a fast and efficient team of workers in the kitchen. From what I've seen from the outside, they are more than capable of operating at full throttle and cranking out one dish after another. I don't know what they do with the preparation, but their food always has a sort of smoky flavor that is really good. Their meat falls a little bit short, though. The chicken and beef I got were overcooked and dry, in both the pad see ew and rice plate dishes. The pad see ew was your run of the mill cheap pad see ew, and the rice plate felt like a bunch of pieces of meat put next to lukewarm rice. The plate had way more rice than was necessary (even for me, a huge rice enthusiast that already has a high desired rice to meat ratio) and very little meat in comparison. Again, Thai Basil isn't bad, but don't go in expecting the best Thai food you've ever eaten - or anything above your plain old average greasy Thai takeout, for that matter. You'll be disappointed. read more

Thai Basil Cuisine - Pad see ew with chicken - Thai Near Me - Berkeley, California

Thai Basil Cuisine is hidden away in the Durant food court area. The parking here is horrible, especially on weekends and weeknights - everyone is doubled parked right in the front. They have an ordering kiosk to order, or you can order online to go for a faster process. I was not feeling well one night and I was in the area, I was craving any kind of soup and this was the only spot that has something soupy in the area. I ordered a mild combination noodle soup. It had too much of a kick to it that it kind of burned my throat. It reminded me of like a spicy pho, but it was $18 for a small portion. read more

I had take out Pad see ew and it was so good. The noodles were perfect, lotsa of meat, could use a bit more veggies. I chaffed a little at the price, $18.00 w/o tip but then I saw the very generous portion. A great value and my new "go to" spot for Pad see ew. read more

Super fresh prepared immediately so hot on the plate. I had the pad Thai with tofu and it was just right. Noodles not over cooked. Tofu very good and still had some crispness to it. Nice veggies also crisp. $10 bucks each so I consider it a bargain. Basic decor but clean. Legit. read more

Thai Basil Cuisine - Rose enjoying a late lunch at Thai Basil. Fresh and hot! Delicious tofu. - Thai Near Me - Berkeley, California

This is my all time favorite restaurant in the whole bay area. The ambiance is perfect, the service is amazing (i go there so often, they recognize me). Order the pad see ew or pad thai!!! I love you Thai Basil read more

Great food. I got the pad see ew with chicken and it was delicious. chicken satay was also good. Food was out quick, great staff. would 100% visit again. read more

Thai Basil is one of my two go to Thai restaurants in the area. If I want Thai that is quick and fresh, Thai Basil is the place! My go to is the vegetarian pad Kee mow with tofu, bean sprouts, green bell pepper, and spice. If you order an item that comes with rice and you're eating in, be prepared for a lot of white steamed rice! Another favorite would be their mango with sticky rice. When the mango is in season, it's a nice treat. It's a bit on the pricey side but since I'm already there, I figure why not. Walk in, place your order, pay with cash (yes, it's cash only), receive a slip of paper with your number, wait for your number to be called, relinquish your paper for your food. Most of the time, I have my food in under 10 minutes. They do charge $0.10 for a plastic bag so if I know I'm going, I tend to reuse one of the ones I've purchased from them before. read more

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My wife and I ordered two curry dishes from here. Both were chicken curries, with different sauces. Overall they were okay, but the chicken was extremely tough and dry... For meat drenched in sauce, it is surprising that so little of it gets into the meat. It was like chewing on chicken jerky bits smothered in delicious sauce with a few huge chicks of carrot/potato tossed in. I would urge you to consider going vegetarian here. The veggies in our curries were amazing, but the meat was a big detraction. TL;DR: Good sauce, bad chicken. read more

Thai Basil Cuisine - Yellow curry - Thai Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Cheap and delish! Theres a reason this place has been around for so long. It's a good place for a quick bite.

I've personally never had bad Thai food in Berkeley. I think each restaurant here is delicious and consistent. However, I think Thai Basil has the best value in terms of price, portion, and convenience. It's super close to campus and anything I order here always turns into 2 meals for me. The owners/workers are very kind and deserving of everyone's business! I used to come right when they opened and their kids would be inside the restaurant doing homework, playing, or eating food, which I always thought was so cute. I'm not sure if they're still a cash only location, so be prepared for that just in case. They do have an ATM inside but I'm sure it charges a fee so plan ahead of time. read more

Classic go-to place! Great for when you're crying after a midterm and great portion sizes :) read more

Thai Basil Cuisine - Pineapple fried rice yum - Thai Near Me - Berkeley, California

Food was very good and had good portions. Definitely recommend. One of the best I've been to .

I had a quick dinner with my companion before a show at Zellerbach Hall. Tasty green chilli and basil eggplant tofu. The food was great; nothing to complain. We understand this is more a self-serve hole in the wall, but it'd be nice if the tables are wiped every time a customer has eaten at it. Some of the tables were not clean. read more

Wow, just wow. Flavorful with lots if simplicity in the ingredients. Definitely coming back

the food was great my friends and I really enjoyed our meal. great customer service, they offer Thai tea. It's just a bit pricey since we're teens. Thai basil has a great welcoming environment. read more

Thai Basil Cuisine - My friend and I got a vegetarian and chicken Pad Kee mow - Thai Near Me - Berkeley, California

There's so many Thai restaurants in Berkeley that the food of a Thai restaurant has to be really good to make them worth coming back to. The food here was nice, but in my opinion, it wasn't the best. Also, it's pretty inconvenient that they only take cash and most of the items are over $10. I got the spicy basil catfish because I really like catfish at Thai restaurants. It was ok but the basil flavor wasn't as strong as I would have like it to be. There was a good amount of catfish and eggplant, which I love, and the spiciness tasted like hot chili oil and peppercorns like Szechuan food. I wish though that the catfish would be a bit crispier. I think that the sauce might have soaked into the breading of the catfish and turned it a bit soggy. read more

My friends who went to UC Berkeley always talked highly about this Thai place, especially the pla rad prik (deep fried fish with special sauce). We always wanted to go but discouraged by the hard parking. Well, we took advantage of this quarantine situation and ordered to go from Thai Basil, we got the pla rad prik (of course) and the pad thai. The portions were big and the prices were affordable. Both dishes were delicious, the special garlic sauce on the fish was so good! Definitely recommended! But, dont forget to bring cash! read more

Thai Basil Cuisine - Pad thai and pla rad prik (fish with special sauce) - Thai Near Me - Berkeley, California

CASH ONLY Food: I got the pineapple curry chicken and it was pretty filling. It looks small when you first get it but it fills you up quickly. The chicken was dry but edible and the soup was thick and creamy. The soup contained large chunks of pineapple, green pepper, and chicken. They give you a large amount of rice to eat with your curry and there is a water station to the far left (of the entrance near the mirrors on the wall). Overall, the food was decent but nothing spectacular. 6/10 Ambience: it's located in Asian ghetto so definitely not a place to go on a nice date but you do you LOL it's good for big groups as they have a lot of tables you can combine Service: typical service where you pay at the cashier and they call your number to get your food. After your done eating, you place your dirty dishes in their dirty dish cart. read more

Thai Basil Cuisine - Thai Near Me - Berkeley, California

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this place is amazing the food is 1000000000/10 would def come back cuz pookies this is good service is great, love them the ambiance is so calming and I feel like home read more

Thai Basil Cuisine - Yummyyyy - Thai Near Me - Berkeley, California

Thai Basil may still hold a nostalgic memory for me but the restaurant is price jacking so hard. A pad thai that used to $7-9 when I was in college is now around $16 base price. Any substitutions of changing something from say chicken to pork which used to be of no charge is now additional $2-3. I fear this may be the beginning of the end for Thai Basil at Durant Food Court. read more