I was never a big fan of Thai food and I was constantly confused by people's reactions to the mediocre cuisine until I experienced Thai Basil. It's located in the heart of UCB's campus so it is very very affordable. My favorite (and the ONLY dish I ever order) is the basil eggplant chicken. It is the perfect concoction of sweet and salty goodness. The basil sauce is so scrumptious that you can't help but devour all of the white jasmine rice that's served with it. The sauce saturates the eggplant completely and soaks in all the flavor. I always save some for my last bite. My bf was the one who introduced me to this delicious gem. I think the only comparable place would be Osha Thai. Sometimes I excuse myself and say that I'm just wayy too tired to cook just we can go to Thai Basil for some hearty good Thai food. Just thinking about it makes my mouth water! read more

If you live in the dorms on southside, thai basil is a godsend for oily thai food. I loved it. Prices were a lot lower back in the day, but yeah... Whenever I met up with friends at the asian ghetto and we'd all disperse to buy our meals, I always found myself siding with thai basil. It's just so easy to eat and way, way flavorful. I tried too many dishes to remember, but I do remember liking everything. So, you're pretty safe with every dish. Decent thai tea. Lots of employees are teo-chew (YAY). Kind of a long wait if you go during rush hours, which is really annoying if you're a really hungry and cranky college student. read more

It has been nearly two years since I left Berkeley, but nearly every time I'm in town I still come here for an easy meal. For one thing, it's cheap. You'll get a very full meal for under $8. You'll save even more if you go for the lunch specials during the weekdays, but you won't be getting any less in portion. It's really a great thing for college students who want to spend a few bucks for a very flavorful meal. My favorites are the Basil Chili Chicken (#4 on the menu, I believe) and the Pepper Garlic Steak. The Thai Iced Tea here is not to shabby either. The reason I'm only giving it three stars is because the quality of the food has also gone down over the years. Lunch specials were fine when I was a student, but for some reason they now taste like leftovers that weren't microwaved properly. It may just be me. Some of the dishes are also rather salty, and the wait can be a little annoying during peak hours. It's still a good place to visit if you go to school around here; heck, I'm sure I'll be back again some day. read more

The first time I had Thai Basil was when I was a sophomore in high school. I had their Pad Thai and liked it a lot. This place is very convenient if you live on Southside, like I do. You can always count on going in for a quick meal. I have to agree with other Yelp reviewers; rush hour can be very annoying since the lines are long and the wait can be cumbersome. I remember waiting once for about 30 minutes before getting my food. Nowadays, the prices are higher, the portions are smaller, and the quality of food seems to be going downhill. Back about 3 years ago, it used to be better. It just seems like a fast-food joint now. Don't get me wrong, you can still get good quality Thai food here, but if you're in the Berkeley area, there are definitely other places worth trying. Personal favorite dishes include: Pad Thai (of course), Pad Kee Mao, and Satay chicken (just don't get this particular dish to-go because the peanut sauce can be quite messy). I've never had their Thai Tea before but I heard it's okay, not too amazing or anything. read more

I've been here twice and it's one of my favorite places to eat when I'm on the south side of the UC Berkeley Campus. It's a pretty small place and there's usually quite a few people in there (which is a good sign), but I've never had to wait too long for my food. And if the seats inside are all taken, there's several tables and benches outside. The first time I came here, I had the vegetarian pad thai, which was quite tasty. With all the Thai places in Berkeley, I'm sure there's places that make it better, but I didn't have any complaints. The second time I came here, I had the vegetarian thai basil eggplant, which was delicious. I highly recommend this dish. And it's a very large serving, so if you're not too hungry, you'll likely have leftovers to take home with you. I definitely recommend trying this place. read more

When the boyfriend asked to have Steve's BBQ again (read my review), I passed & went next door for some Thai since he won't eat it with me. I ordered my usual - Pad Kee Mow with chicken. The portion is pretty big but there is plenty of chicken so it's not just a plate of noodles with a couple pieces of meat on top like I've had @ other places. What I like most about the dish though, is the good amount of spice. I've had Pad Kee Mows @ other places before & none of them have been spicy; & it is supposed to be spicy! So thank you, Thai Basil, for doing it right. Every time I've been here it's been busy. Even still, service is usually pretty quick & I think that it is even quicker if you get your order to-go. This place is definitely much less glamorous than som other Thai restaurants in the nearby area. But if you don't care about that stuff, then you should give this little hole-in-the-wall a try. read more

Some popular dishes: Pad See Ew, Pad Thai, Pineapple Fried Rice, Combination Fried Rice, Pineapple Curry Chicken, and Basil Chili Chicken. But they also have this numberless dish called Pra Rad Prik which consists of fried fish with a delicious sauce over it, served with rice. Would recommend trying it. One of the yummier restaurants in Asian Ghetto, but just mediocre for Thai food. It sucks because they're cash only now, and the wait for food tests your patience when hungry. read more

Love it! I come here many times during the semester. The food's always nice and hot when you get it and the food prep time is short. Great portions for cheap. I suggest the vegetarian curries...the ones marked with a pepper are actually spicy. (I crave spicy). You can't go wrong choosing one. read more

This might be a bit of a shocker for some people but after living in Berkeley for 4 years and becoming addicted to Thai food I really have NOT been able to find a place that can match Thai Basil's Pad Kee Mao! I have tried everything from hip places in San Francisco (Osha Thai) to expensive 5 star restaurants in San Diego to similar hole-in-the-walls in Sacramento but I really cannot get my hands on a more delicious Pad Kee Mao (and trust me I have TRIED). For $7.65 this place is UNBEATABLE! Props to mom and pop for maintaining such a delicious restaurant to serve the severely beaten and often hungry students of UC Berkeley!! Now that I have graduated from Cal, Every time I go to the Bay Area or pass anywhere remotely close to Berkeley, I have to stop buy and get 4 orders of Pad Kee Mao for my entire family (who also vouches for their amazingness). My only wish is that they can deliver 90 miles to Sacramento :( read more

Great food, decent price. Seating area is kinda small. The only reason I gave them 4 stars? One time they took 53 minutes to make my food (ok, I approximated)... FIFTY THREE!!! What were they thinking? Though this has only happened once, it was enough for me to take off a star... Keep in mind that the place only takes Cash. read more

Mmmm! I love their pad mod kaew, extra spicy! Absolutely delish. it's a large portion, and for $7.50, it's not that bad of a deal. The only downside, however, was that this place only takes cash. Boo. I'll still give it five stars. read more

Run of the mill inexpensive Thai food. Nothing spectacularly memorable, but a good and filling meal for students at an affordable price is always good. The portions are decent, I usually can eat half for lunch and half for dinner. Some dishes are excessively more oily than others (the Chicken Eggplant Basil was swimming in red oil). The pictures on the wall of each dish is great for being adventurous and branching out from your favorite pad thai that you've had a dozen times already ;] tip: cash only read more

If I was rating this place based on my experience, I'd give it a 2 stars. My first time here, and my most memorable thing about it was how LONNGGG I had to wait for my order. I would say it took about a good 45 minutes before my number was called. It was understandable though, it's a small place with just a few workers and the place was packed with college students even on a Monday night. I had the chicken with eggplant. You can't really go wrong with eggplant, it was delicious. Chicken wasn't too dry, which is always a plus. For the quality of the food and the price, which is pretty decent for what you get. I think it deserves 4 stars. Maybe 3.75? it's nothing spectacular, but without the wait, I'd definitely come back. read more

Thai Basil has been a favorite of mine since coming to Berkeley 3 years ago, and I still come here with regularity. I usually order Basil Chili Chicken with an egg, which is enough to last you two meals. I used to order Pad Kee Mao but how it tastes is very variable depending on whether or not they are rushed to send out food quickly. When I'm craving something creamy I go with the Red Curry Chicken, which is particularly good because I also love bamboo shoots. Thai Basil definitely provides you with a wide range of options depending on what you're craving, and the amount of food they give you is definitely respectable. read more

Service: Order at cashier. Open pretty late. Try to avoid the crowds because you can wait up to 20 minutes for that Pad Thai. When no one is waiting, the food should come out in 10. Food is priced so that its easy to give back change with the tax. Not much seating. Food: GET THE TEA! I love the tea. Sometimes, I come here just because the complimentary tea is soo good. I've tried their Pad Thai and Pad See-ew. Pretty filling portions. Consistent quality. I definitely get jealous looks when I open this baby up at the SLC. Atmosphere: Grab and go. Small cafeteria like area to enjoy your food. Good for to-go. read more

The past three times I've ordered in advance over the phone and had them tell me it would be a 10-15min wait, I ended up spending an additional 15-20min waiting on-site as they didn't even start my order till I got there. I honestly don't see the point of even offering the option of ordering over the phone. Food is mediocre and much oilier than any other Thai place I've tried. However, it is one of the better options at Asian ghetto. read more

Attention Thai lovers: great cheap food place here! I had the #22 Pad Ew Chicken, it was SO tasty and filling, and for $8 which is more than reasonable. Don't let yourself be repelled by Cheap-looking Asian Ghetto and indulge in some good pineapple fried rice or B-B-Q grilled chicken. Better for takeout though. read more

Before cal foot ball game, we stopped by this place to have a lunch. It was pretty long line and hard to find a seat. But luckily, we had a table to dine in. Ordered three dishes, came out one by one. Taking really long time to get foods. Also, why it was cash only. Place was not clean at all. Everything was self service. Just cheap, generous portion and ok food taste. Will not go back. read more

Decent Thai food, really nothing special though. At least the ingredients are fresh enough and they are vegan-friendly. The curry still leaves me longing for some of that much sought culinary *experience* that we all crave when we walk into a Thai restaurant. read more

This place is HELLA good! They have a million different dishes and lots of vegetarian options. The pad thai and cashew tofu are AWESOME! It's also very affordable with good portions. If you don't like this place it's probably because you don't have a tongue. read more

Thai basil is my favorite place to get pad see ew (~$7). I've tried it at other thai places in the area - tuk tuk thai, berkeley thai house, cha am - but I can't get enough of their pad see ew at Thai Basil. All of the other food is alright, it's pretty greasy and unhealthy for you in general, but if you don't care and are looking for a fast and moderately priced thai restaurant, go here. read more

Dude, Thai Basil is pretty good! I had low expectations for this place when the bf first took me here, but after coming here a good 4-5 times, I have not been disappointed! I recommend the Pad Thai (generic I know, but hey it's good) and the curries. The Basil chicken is also great. The reason why I especially love the Pad Thai here is because they have tofu, prawns, AND chicken all together! At all the other Thai restaurants I've been to you usually only have one choice to choose from. The prices are really reasonable too! Perfect for a college student's budget ;). The only downside is the long lines and wait time so go early to avoid the crowds! read more

I understand the reasons for coming here during late night affairs in college. It gets old fast though... +Quick food - Pad thai, noodles, and other rice dishes are way too oily n' greasy - Place is not well kept Final Call: Those into Americanized Thai will enjoy the grub here. -------------------- Munched on: 1. Pineapple fried rice - Not enough pineapple, overkill on grease 2. Pad Thai (veggie and chicken) - What happened to the veggies and chicken?? read more

Hands down, my favorite place in Berkeley! Great Thai food, big portions, cheap prices - this place is a winner. I have eaten here so many times while I was a student at Berkeley and keep coming back even now when I crave Thai food. All of my friends love this place too and I've never met a Berkeley student who hasn't eaten here :) My favorite dish is the basil eggplant chicken, although I've never tried a bad dish here. The atmosphere is not the greatest, it's a very casual place, but the food is great and you can always do take out. read more

I've come here a few times, and I've tried their pad thai at least 3 times. I think 3 tries is plenty; I am convinced that they don't cook it in the traditional way, or at least not in the way I grew up eating it. The owners/cooks might be from a different region of Thailand, so they cook it their way ---- too sweet, if you ask me. Their mango and sticky rice is good though. read more

This is pretty much my favorite thai place that i've tried in Berkeley in the past few months. I love: Pra rama chicken Veggie and non veg Pad Thai Spicy thai basil catfish (fave) chicken skewers read more

Pad kee mew! I love those wide, flat noodles..the texture is nice and chewy. I've had their pad thai which wasn't so great.. I didn't particularly like the flavor.. Their other rice dishes tend to have a bunch of rice and a little bit of the main course, but I've tried the eggplant tofu which was pretty flavorful, but quite oily. Well, all their dishes are pretty oily, but I guess.. oily food tastes good.. For me, I would recommend the pad see ew or pad kee mew. I don't think you can really go wrong there. I've also had their basil fried rice which is pretty good too. read more

This is my 3rd time trying Thai Basil. The good thing for this place is open late. I went there last Friday, it's packed, and the wait for the food is about 20 minutes. I ordered Basil Chicken with fried egg, which is ok for me. The other dish I ordered is "Kao Moo Dang" BBQ Pork with fried egg over rice.. That's really nasty. The my bbq pork is swimming in the red sauce. And it's so sweet, my pork is very little, but hella sauce on top of my rice. Don't order this plate!! There is no waiter service, and the restaurant is too crowded, and noisy, and dirty, no condiment. read more

Aww...why is everyone so mean to Thai Basil? They make a great Pad Kee Mao here. All the spicy dishes here are great. Good portions for a great price. read more

This place is my boyfriend and I's go-to spot for late night Thai food. Nestled in the Asian Ghetto, there are various restaurants open late at night, along with this establishment. It is a simple restaurant with a to-go/fast-food type feel, however there are places to sit. We've been here twice already and both times I've ordered the Pad Thai. It is delicious for what it is and for being available late at night. My boyfriend ordered the Thai Noodle Boat soup (I think that's what it was called) the first time and he hated it. I tasted it myself and it wasn't too bad. I would definitely recommend this place to those who are late night eaters. read more

The pad thai was very good. The only problem was the small space filled with lots of people. A good place for take outs! =D read more

It's nice that you can see the chefs make your meal on the spot. This place is always super busy, so expect to wait at least twenty minutes. I ordered the pad thai before, but it wasn't too memorable. The second time, I ordered the green curry with pork which came with A LOT OF RICE. Like, enough rice for the dinner and the next morning. The curry itself was tasty and fragrant, and not too spicy (I chose mild). I have to admit, it was a bit on the greasy side because the curry sauce had a layer of oil on top the next day. Oh, and free thai tea! Doesn't come with milk but you can add sugar. It smells so wonderful. read more

Pros: -Great for Vegetarians -HUGE Menu Variety -Good Price -Authentic Cons: -Cash Only -Lack of Seating -Poor Service -Long Wait time -Crowded -Smelly -If you're allergic to seafood, dont eat here. Pans get reused, and sanitiaton is a bit of a flag. Overall I LOVE Thai Basil! read more

Perfectly adequate food. Decent price. It's Thai food that tastes like Thai food. It won't blow your mind but there are some things that are pretty great perks. Personally, I order the pineapple curry with beef - there aren't typically pineapple chunks in it but if you ask they'll do it for you. It comes with a nice heavy serving of steamed white rice - it's nice when places don't get skimpy with that. Finally, their hot sauce - it's pretty damn good. Again, nothing too spectacular but some quality spice to put on their quality curry with enough rice. They are definitely hitting all the necessary points: clean, tasty food, good portions, good price, quick service. read more

Everything I order here fills me up and is delicious to the point of me wanting to give the old people who run the joint a hug. Curry = bomb. Chicken = savory. Tofu = like eggs but better! Eggs = like eggs but better too. ONE ISSUE.... CASH ONRY! Darn you... oh well, guess I have to jog to the ATM and spend an extra $3 to pull out a $twenty. On a serious point..., you gotta love Berkeley read more

Quality: The Pad Thai is superb! So are most of the curry dishes. The sauce's flavors dig deep into the noodles and rice. Fantastic flavor explains the Best of Berkeley awards they proudly adorn the walls with. Quantity: Low quantities of meat (about 4oz total for a noodle/rice dish) but a good quantity of noodles.For $6-7, it's a fine place to grab some thai and fill up. Meat Quantity Radar: LOW For $6-7, I expect more meat. That's quite fine; 4 oz is plenty for most people. Just not for me. read more

Solid thai food on a student budget. I'm a big fan of there pineapple chicken curry which is always able to satisfy my hunger and then some. The food is good on a 7-8 dollar budget. The service is kind of mean...they aren't that friendly usually although it depends on who's working. One of my regular spots to get food when I want meal point food. read more

THE FISH. GET THE FISHHHH (pla rad prik) I cannot scream this any bigger.. Oh wait GET FISH OKAY? Anyway one point off for cash only and curry is... Well not too bad but I've tasted better. Plus it wasn't curry it was more of soup....... Okay. FISHHHH PLA RAD PRIK OKAY read more

Solid college town food. I love the cute old man who sits at the cashier, he's gruff and adorable at the same time. Even though I'm not in school anymore, I sometimes still make the drive over here for take out. My faves are pad thai, pad see ew, basil fried rice, and the eggplant catfish. read more

again, another potentially overlooked stroke of genius because of the low rating. thai basil is another spot i frequented a lot throughout college that has kept its dishes timeless. their pad thai is delicious and you will definitely not find another spot that can make it like they do anywhere else! read more