Basil - Thai Restaurant & Bar Reviews

I eat Thai food often and have been here on a couple occasions. The food is Americanized Thai food that is mediocre at best. Many of the dishes are similar to American Chinese. It's also expensive for Thai food. You would be better off picking one of the great Thai restaurants in the TL.

We had dinner here on a busy Saturday night. We got in early but they were packed by the time we left. Great service, with lots of people attending to our table. Our group of 7 enjoyed everything we ordered. We had a couple of vegetarians and it easy to find options they enjoyed. I would expect Thai Basil to get for more busy in the coming months.

We ate here with a large group. This restaurant is very small. The bartender makes good drinks, but the food was not that great. The spring rolls were very greasy and the chicken satay was average. The pad thai was decent.

We chose this place based on locations and the reviews. When we arrived it was crowded, which is often a good sign. However, the food was nothing special and they pretty much forgot to bring us our drinks until we asked what happened to our drinks. Bottom line is the place/food ok, but not worth an out of the way trip.

Enjoyed my duck. Great dish. Good balance flavors and spice

Favorite Thai place in the City

I got to the restaurant at 9:00pm on a Sunday and got seated right away. I wanted to eat quickly after a tiring day and the service was great. The waitress promptly gave some fried rice crackers that were tasty but a bit oily. For my main course, I asked for advice and ordered the pumpkin curry with pork with a side of white rice. All tasted good but there was two pieces that had quite a bit of fat. Thats my fault for ordering pork though! I would definitely go again to try other dishes.

I work in downtown San Francisco, and I go out to lunch a few times a month. I've been to this restaurant 4-5 times, and each time it was very good. The most recent time I went with a crowd from work, and while the restaurant was crowded, we didn't ever feel crammed in or hurried. I can't speak to how authentic it was, but the items on the menu didn't seem different from menu items I've had in most Thai restaurants here in the States. However, I can say that the standards here for fresh and well-prepared are quite above average. For example, I had a beef dish with green curry - the beef was tender and cooked exactly right. The curry was perfectly spicy, exactly the right texture (creamy smooth and not gloppy or soupy) and - miracle of miracles - not too sweet! In my experience it's a rare Asian restaurant cook who can resist making their curries too sweet (maybe this is an American expectation...maybe it's even authentic Thai - all I know is, it ruins the dish for me). Others in my party had chicken and pork dishes, some with curry , some without, and there's vegetarian entrees, as well. We were a party of eight, with some picky eaters in the bunch, and everyone raved. Service is consistently good here, too. As busy as they seem always to be at lunch, they're efficient, patient with the slowest or most demanding orderers, and friendly without being effusive. I'd recommend this restaurant to anyone, however one caveat - it's on the edge of a fairly dicey area of town. There's some hotels close by; they're mostly the less expensive hotels (by SF standards, LOL)which is why I decided to list this on TripAdvisor - if you're visiting the City by the Bay, and going a less expensive route by staying near Mission between the 5th - 9th street area, this place is a reasonable walk from there and a great find. Prices are moderate to inexpensive - you can do yourself well for between $8 & $12 for lunch.

A group of friends and I decided Thai was the flavor of the night. We were so lucky to have found this restaurant! The service was impeccable, the food (fiery lamb, Brussels sprouts with crispy pork belly) was unique, well proportioned and so incredibly good! I will be back.

We have been here for dinner. The reception was friendly but not warm. The order was taken a lttle without emotions. We did order 2x Tom Ga Kai and springrole and duck red curry. The soup and springrole where very good the duck, we would say, very bad. A lot of fat, the curry with glutamat and no real curry. The service mixed up the sequence of meals, forgot the rice but bring the main with the soup. All in all weak service, even the bill was wrong-OMG. Nice location, good starters and a little overpriced for the bad service. We go again for the soup and salad not expecting any warm service.

Not the best not the worst I have had. I found the food a little bland for Thai. Did not not have that strong flavor I expect from Thai food.

Our friend took us here since he lives close by. Love the simple deco. The staff is great and attentive. The crispy appetizers were free which we call chicharon. Everything we ordered had authentic thai taste. i would go back here again. It's a good thing we arrived early for dinner, the place gets crowded. It was fully packed by the time we left

We had a board meeting dinner there, and Basil was really accommodating, making a menu that all our members could eat :)

Walking the streets near my Hotel I noticed the place. Very attractive menue, very reasonably priced and after checking good Reviews. So I went there: very nice atmosphore, busy, but no booking seemed required. Both starter and main Course was outstanding, enjoyed with fine local beer. Not to forget the excellent service: very friendly, quick, always monitoring if everything is ok. You want to go for a Thai, this one is top class; and I have tried a fair few in my life.

the thai food here is very tasty. the service, quality and ambiance are all consistently reliable

Liked: service, variety,full bar,popular Disliked: nothing.

My favorite Thai n SF.

We were doing business in the neighborhood and happened upon this restaurant. It was a late lunch and the restaurant was not busy. Our meals were prepared to order with fresh ingredients and were delicious. We are not experts, and it was probably an Americanized version of Thai food, but very good. We would return if in the neighborhood, but with the variety of ethnic restaurants available in the city, probably wouldn't make it a special destination.

Great fresh tasty food, cool but not pretentious atmosphere, great neighborhood thai joint with a modern touch

I was looking for a Thai place I had seen in the Moscone neighborhood and did a 10-best-SOMA-Thai search. Basil came up near the top, and I had another business to visit in the same area. (Turned out to be just across the street!) So a bit of pot luck, but I hit the jackpot with Basil Thai. The beer selection is small but they did have a Stone IPA, so this craft beer fan was satisfied. The menu looked appetizing, with a lot of items marked "Mild not available." I went for the Jungle Beef though and found it initially hot but settling down to a jalapeño level heat. And it was delicious! (I try to avoid the excessively hot dishes because they leave me unable to taste the goodness of the other ingredients.) A cucumber salad was a cool and tasty contrast to the main entreé. The only thing I'd warn against is the sticky-rice which came as a lump too hard to even break up easily with a fork. I had to soak it in the sauce of the entreé. But I can't complain about the taste. I enjoyed everything. In fact, it was good enough that when my wife joined me after my week-long business conference, I brought her here. (She is one who will only order mild Thai. She ordered Nuer Takai and was quite pleased with it. We also had the fried bananas for dessert, and that was a treat!)

We used to live around the block, so getting to stop by and grab some take out on the weekend was a genuine treat. My recommendations are the Basil Salad, the neur yang, the pineapple fried rice and the mu yang. My absolute favorite, though, is the kang kua mu--coconut braised pork shoulder and kabocha pumpkin in tangy red curry. This one is something you have to try. I've ordered similarly described dishes at other thai restaurants, but there is no substitute for Basil's version. This is one of those dishes I wake up in the middle of the night craving. The pork is braised to a ridiculous tenderness and not a drop of the sauce goes to waste. I might avoid it for a romantic dinner due to the volume the noise can get to in this relatively small restaurant, but I go as often as I can.

I had the prawn, scallop, squid and mussels green curry. Both the scallop and squid were very chewy poorly cooked or frozen? There was supposed to be eggplant inside while I had none. Honestly the Japanese place next door is far better.

After our long day touring the city of San Francisco, we have decided to eat at this place (because it was the only place near our hotel that open late). We went in for our late dinner and the parking was hard to find. We had to park kind of far and the walking from our car to the restaurant was a bit scary since it's in the downtown. The service and the atmosphere of the restaurant was good. The food was just so so. And the prices were a bit too high. I probably won't go back to this place to eat again.

Really enjoyed our meal at this restaurant. Was recommended to us by a local and we are glad we took his advice. Service was good and the food was certainly above average. Well worth a visit

I produce a New Year's Eve show at the Concourse Exhibition Center, and we have been coming here for our pre-show dinner for the past several years because the food is that good. As far as Thai restaurants go, Basil Thai has a really diverse menu, and the cocktails are excellent! I tend to eat here whenever I'm in the neighborhood.

We visited Basil Thai early on a very rainy night. We were the first ones there for dinner at 5:30, but by the time we left, the place was packed. The service was excellent, quick, accurate and efficient. The food was warm and tasty. We asked our server for recommendations, and she told us what were the most popular dishes. We started with the tofu and vegetable roll, and loved it, even though my son doesn't usually like tofu. The crab fried rice was superb, as was the grilled skirt steak with peanut sauce, both recommended by the server. We also had the crispy sliced chicken with green beans, which was good. For dessert, I asked for just a dish of coconut ice cream (on the menu it is combined with other things, but I just wanted the ice cream) This was the best coconut ice cream I have had since I was a teen in Hawaii. It was made with fresh coconut and coconut milk: rich, creamy and delicious! My friend ordered the Oleang Sai, which was an icy dessert, which we weren't wild about. We ordered 2 individual herbal teas, but when my son asked for a cup, with which to share our tea, they were going to charge him for it, so he passed.

Romantic Date spot. Great food, starting with the appetizer and it just keeps going and going. Really great, fresh tastes. There are a few Thai places in town, but this might be the one you save for the important date.

Absolutely Delicious!! I had the Catfish and Fresh Veg Roll. Great Service. Folsom is Restaurant Row. Across the street is Burma restaurant, there's also the 5 Star Sushi here and Indian Food.

This restaurant is often busy and crowded but it is well worth it. The food and drinks are excellent.

Love the foid. Nice and clean look. Lovely menue and good service. What not to like? If you are near by - I recommend this place. You will not be let by. Solo - nice places at the bar

Huge menu with tons of creative options. I eat a lot of Thai food and there were many items I hadn't seen before, which was exciting. I have had better tom kha soup before but it was still really good. I will definitely go back to try more items. I was disappointed when I ordered a beer at exactly 6pm (happy hour ends at 6) and they said I was too late. I would have ordered it earlier but the server didn't come over until it was too late. Other than that, the service was really great with lots of staff on hand to make sure we didn't wait long for anything.

I don't know if I would go out of my way to come here but being that I live near by I come quite often and am never disappointed. The yellow curry chicken is yummy and I really like their chicken satay.

Had dinner, craving some pad kee mao (drunken noodles). This location was within walking distance to my hotel, so I took a chance. The noodles were a tad too greasy for me. The meat wasn't very good either. I was very hungry so I finished the plate, but after I walked out, I realized that it wasn't a very good meal. The thai ice tea was probably the best part of the meal. Service was very good, but the meal was just OK.

This restaurant was a pleasant surprise for us. We did not expect anything and we were so happy to have found this place. The food was not expensive, even for diner. The food was really good. The place was full at 8pm during the week and the interior was nicely decorated with good music. The service was ok, the waiters were all pretty busy but took time to see if everything was ok. Perfect for an evening with friends or a couple's night out.

Though we picked up to go food because we were at UCSF, my fiance and I were very pleased to find that our food was so perfectly spiced and created with ingredients so obviously well sourced. Nice, Fresh, Yummness! The atmosphere looked modern and inviting. We plan to dine here again only next time have it there.

Not bad.

I chose this place for dinner while visiting friends who live in SF. They had never been there, but I knew they would like it. We had such a delicious dinner with excellent service. Every dish was a delight... and at such reasonable prices. We arrived a bit early, but this place was packed before we left. Can't wait for my next meal here.

Found the place on trip advisor as I was staying in the Civic Center area. All the recent reviews proved to be accurate. The staff were friendly and the food tasty. Would come back again if I stay in the neighborhood in the future.

The food is excellent and the portions are very large. If you order medium spicy, you get very spicy food according to European standards. The restaurant is very well attended.

This was our last dinner before leaving for home, and I was certainly looking forward to it based on the reviews. The evening started out with prompt and attentive service. We ordered our favorite appetizer, Spicy Fish Cakes. For our main course, my wife selected the Grilled Sea Bass Fillet. I had the Thai Pineapple Fried Rice, substituting chicken for the prawns. The appetizer was delicious and had me in full anticipation for the main course. Wow, what a let down. While my wife's dish was very nice, mine was very poor. The chicken had no seasoning and had no taste. I actually had to use my wife's green curry sauce to make the chicken palatable. Very disappointed, especially as I had barely eaten all day, anticipating gorging on quality Thai food. As it turned it out, it was just sustenance as I was starving and I have a strict policy about returning food at a restaurant. At the end of the day I could not give a lower rating as my wife's dish was very nice, as were the Spicy Thai Fish Cakes.

I have always liked Osha when it comes to Thai food --- until I found Basil in San Francisco. The place is very cozy and looks fancy when you go inside. It is very calming. Not only they have the charm of a nice place but also posses great service from the staff, and most especially, the best Thai food you can ever taste in the city. It is a little hidden within the Folsom area, a little hard to find, but perfect once you get there. Everything is just so good, I can't even pick which ones to recommend. The servings are big you can share it to another person! I wish I have found this wonderful place a long time ago. Nevertheless, I am glad I found it. It's like a hidden paradise for Thai food.

1 dollar raw oysters were huge and delicious. Very fresh and served with a green chile salsa. Great service , drunken beef very tender and flavorful. Pad se ew is a little boring , egg plant dish was very good. Tom ka gai flavorful. Service is attentive

In town for a conference and didn’t arrive in time for the welcome dinner. The hotel recommended Basil as a nearby choice. I had the kang talay with sticky rice and a cool cucumber salad and a basil cocktail - all delicious. I was alone and sat at the bar and had friendly and attentive service.

We are regulars here, and often order for it to be delivered (the whopping half block we are away). It's a great spot for dinner and drinks, but even better to have on a Thursday night at home. This is one of our favorites.

Had a night in the neighbourhood, and did decide to get into this shop. Had a very nice “Thai beef with peanut” – not sure how authentic this was, but tasted wonderful. Nice smiling (young and pretty) waitress, smiles all around and you felt welcome, although it was also obvious that this is a mix of dining and fast food place. I got satisfied with a excellent meal, and would consider (if in the neighbourhood) to return back to the place.

I really enjoyed the Penang- Keffir beef dish at lunch. I had it for lunch 2 times that week. Really yummy. Quick service.

Three of us went with big appetites and ordered 3 apps, a salad, and 2 mains. Most of it was vegetarian and it was all great. Our starters were large proportioned: corn fritters, sweet potatoes, papaya salad, and fresh rolls. Since we arrived during "happy hour" before 6:30pm, the price was reduced to $6 each. Amazing. For mains, I highly recommend the vegetarian kabocha squash dish. With a couple of drinks, our total bill was $80 - great price. The only problem was the service. Interestingly, they were WAY too attentive to a point of interrupting conversation. It felt like we were being rushed through our food by our server and 2-3 other servers who all seemed to be an obvious conspiracy to get us out of the restaurant. We are nice, clean, non-disruptive guests so my only guess for their behavior is that they wanted to turn over the tables quickly. It was a minor annoyance and we would go back for the food again and again.

We've been going here atleast once a month for about 2 years now. Love the food and the staff!

We came here on recommendation by a few locals. The food and service were excellent. The portions are HUGE and the price is relatively low, making it a good value. The atmosphere is nice for couples. The restaurant is a quiet hole in the wall in the midst of the Mission district, meaning you have to go through some sketchy areas to get to it.

A group of friends and I met here after not seeing each other for a few months. We got the whole upstairs and were treated very well. The food was delicious and I will definitely be back. I think the location is hard to get to or find if you aren't a native of the bay or SF. Excellent cocktails.

Not bad, can be less greasier

Best pad thai and pad see ewe. Great food. Don't miss their happy hour. The apps are all really good. Including their fried spring rolls. So crunchy. Good curries especially the duck curry. You can't have a bad meal here.

We arrived at 5:30 in time to enjoy the happy hour special, where selected dishes is half priced. We sampled so many different appetizers, along with seafood noodle, and padthai, etc. It was tasty, delicious, and the restaurant filled up so quickly. Looks like this restaurant has a good following crowd, and with delicious food, good service, and fair priced meal, we definitely will return again.

Off the beaten path. Nice and clean and airy inside. We stopped for lunch and had a great meal. Waitstaff were attentive. Sometimes a little too attentive with the water and wanting to remove our plates before we were finished. The place wasn't busy, so we couldn't understand the rush! The Thom car guy was fantastic. I can't recall the name of my dish but it had shrimp, red peppers, rice and a nice spicy sauce. Fresh veggies, great seafood and a great price. Had a nice bar too.

Fantastic food, great happy hour, great ambiance. A little hard to find parking but it's SF =) The happy hour specials are really good for a restaurant of this quality - cheap eats and good drinks.

Came here on the recommendation of a friend. Very glad we did! The area did not seem very touristy. A very hip, young, and bohemian clientele was inside. The restaurant looked rather new, very clean, modern design. A reasonably busy bar scene. The service was professional and friendly. Did not wait long to get food. The food was terrific. The spicy mango salad was fantastic, and I believe very authentic. Another great starter was the corn fritters with a side of refreshing cucumber salad: a very pleasant surprise, surprisingly light and delicious. The main courses were great as well. The beef dishes are known to be good, and the one that was had (one of the wok dishes) was no exception. I also very much enjoyed the pad see ew made with pork: very tasty, maybe slightly heavy on the sauce, and a very large portion size. A perfect dessert ending: sticky rice with mango. One of my favorite desserts. Brought me back to my time in Thailand. Prices were reasonable for the quality of food and portion sizes. I definitely recommend this restaurant. Nice place, great food, good service, reasonable prices and portion sizes.

Small place and packed when we went there. A bit loud because of all of the people. Ordered the spring rolls, coconut soup, braised beef, spicy chicken. All of the food was good, but the coconut soup was delicious. So much so that I tipped back the bowl to get every last drop.

I came here for lunch with a couple of friends - first time here for all of us. The menu is varied, and we chose one starter and three other dishes to share. I never expect particularly authentic Thai food at local restaurants (though sometimes I'm surprised), and the food at Basil Thai was certainly tasty but lacking some of the spice I would have expected. We ordered corn fritters for starters, and then roasted duck in red curry; gai lan, bell peppers, and crispy pork belly; and pad thai. The menu had some interesting ingredient combinations but again, much of it seemed more Americanized Thai than even I'm used to. If you like more spice, I suppose you could ask your server to kick up the heat in the dishes but since this was our first experiences here we didn't think to do that. In the end, the food was certainly tasty and we all enjoyed it, so I think it's deserving of four stars as long as you're not set on finding more authentic Thai food.

We had a conference/networking dinner here, and they did NOT disappoint with the portions or service. I just wasn't overly impressed with the food. We have a Thai place in Jonesboro, Arkansas, that is top notch, and it's the standard by which I measure all other Thai restaurants.

After a couple of days in San Francisco we were eager to have something away from the beat and the tourist path. We have two gluten-free vegetarians in our party, and someone who is allergic to nuts. They are prepared for all allergy sensitivities, and have a gluten-free menu. It was possibly the best Thai food we have had outside of Thailand. The green curry was easily the most amazing dish. Total find!!! So cravable.

Very organized and well managed interior and seat setting. Good food choice. The Pan-fried Indian bread ($7.95) with eggplant, bell peppers, and basil with green curry (keow wan roti) is really unique and comforting. Service seems to follow well trained routine. Dress up a bit to fit in properly.

I seldom eat EVERYTHING. I invariably take something home, leave some rice or something. Not tonight! The appetizers and the sauces were outstanding. We shared appetizers, I had the Puff Pastry Of Curried Diced Duck And Sweet Potato (curry Puffs) which were very tasty and the chicken satay was nice quality meat and the the sauce completely yummy. I had the Japanese scallops which included asparagus and an amazing sauce. The brown rice was even fantastic. I will definitely go back there!

Amazing Thai food, nice atmosphere! Reasonable prices, fast wait staff. Perfectly balanced plates, good portions and lots of options. something for everyone!

Damn, was picking up two curries and they forgot the rice. When I picked up some rice next door I could enjoy a very good curry.

I went with classic spring rolls and eggplant "rolled" around a spicy chicken filling. The spring rolls were very good; the stuffed eggplant was well executed, but on the bland and goopy side. That being said, the fried bananas and fresh coconut ice cream for dessert was pretty amazing. It's a good place, but I think there are more "authentic" places around.

I will start with the food...yummy!!! We enjoyed the chicken satay ~ peanut sauce was wonderful!! We also had the pad Thai and prawns with tamarind sauce - very authentic... We tried the Brussels sprouts but they were a bit spicy for my taste, so I wouldn't order them again (personal taste). If you go, and you should, just be prepared for it to be very loud ~ this would be my only negative and when we return, we will ask to be seated in the very front of the restaurant! Enjoy!

Thai food is fresh, full of flavor and light so if you looking for genuine/real Thai food, this is not a place to go. Food served there is a fusion of a hipster dream with illusional Thai influence which made me wonder if the cook have ever tasted real Thai food. The food is good and interesting BUT average for the price, even after ordering the spicy version I wondered if the cilli had seen that kitchen. Food was just under seasoned and too oily, the only true dish which is worth the visit was thai tea. The service quick and good. If you into contemporary hipsterified asian food, visit the place and judge by your self.

I was impressed by this restaurant. The menu was extensive making it a challenge what to order but I was not disappointed. The food was big on flavour and big on portions too. I had the Panang short ribs with a bowl of brown rice and was too stuffed for dessert. I did have an IPA beer that went really well with the curry and followed with a great cup of coffee. My friend had Thai chicken salad as well as a Tsingtao beer. He went for dessert and enjoyed it as well. Service was very fast and very polite. Definitely would return to try some of the other tempting items.

This Basil Thai restaurant is a hidden gem. This is my every two week stop when I fly into South San Francisco. It opens at 11:30am. It fills quickly so get there to grab a table. Menu provides great lunch specials, soups, noddle and rice dishes. The Thai tea is to die for! I try something different each visit and have never been disappointed. Braised short ribs on top of carrots, bell peppers, zucchini with a panang curry sauce -with a medium spice was very good. Chicken with eggplant dish in yellow curry sauce - not spicy. Both dishes accompanied a bowl of brown rice at an additional cost. The pad see ew dish is great and the crispy vegetable egg rolls are great! Can't wait to visit again.

We were a group of 6 friends out for a nice meal. The service staff was great. The food was delicious and the drinks were well made. We did have some left overs, which made for a nice lunch the next day. I had not been back for a couple of years but glad that I did.

Basil Thai is always a nice place to retreat to have some savory Thai food and some drinks and relax. This is exactly what I did with two friends recently and we really enjoyed ourselves. The ambience is conducive to relaxation as well as having a conversation. There is a bustle, however, as the staff bring out the various dishes. There is plenty to choose from for the omnivores as well as the vegetarians. They also have a full bar and serve beer and wine. Street parking is hit or miss in the area but the restaurant is not far from BART or MUNI. I highly recommend Basil Thai for a good meal.

I found myself back, a bit reluctantly, in SOMA for a mediocre meal. The Golden Pouches Of Crab And Pork were tasteless, Flame Grilled Pork shoulder had canned pineapple and the seafood in my curry was not fresh. However I completely enjoyed my (small) Rum Thai cocktail. A word of caution to diners: the cleanliness of the restrooms in restaurants are equal to the kitchen. A scary thought.

Good Thai Food!

I went here with a friend who didn't want to eat anything too spicy. We had basil panstickers with a gingery soy dipping sauce. The wrappers were perfectly cooked, chewy and a little crispy. The inside didn't hold together perfectly but very tasty. Green curry with seafood: all the the seafood was perfectly cooked if you like it tender (some people might consider that underdone, not me). The sticky rice didn't seem very well prepared, it had a kind of harder crust on the outside as opposed to just sticky goodness you get in northern Thailand. Pad thai was pretty good, not the best I've ever had but the noodles seemed fresh and chewy. I think that needed more tamarind sauce and that little plate of spicy condiments you get in Thailand. I'd go back here again, everything on the menu made my mouth water although it's kind of hard to read because you need to read every sentence to understand what it is (the names of the dishes come at the end in parentheses). Service was very quick and perfect.

I've eaten here several times and am always pleased with the result. The menu is extensive and the ambiance relaxed. The currys are delicious and the wait staff prompt and courteous, willing to explain the menu without hesitation. Recommended if you happen to be in the SOMA area at lunch time.

Great service and solid Thai food. The kitchen is open until 10pm, so make sure your order gets in. The price is very reasonable and portions are large.

I had a curry duck with lots of coconut milk in it, it spoilt everything, My wife had a wok dish with shrimps and scallops, same souce as my dish - it did not state any of this on the menue. This is far from being real Thai food. Expensive too. The tip recommendation on the bottom of the bill with calculations for 15%, 18% and 20% was explained by the staff to be the service charge.

It's a great hideaway -- with wonderful food and very gracious staff. Assortment of small plate items, salads, soups, as well as well-portioned entrees (for one or to share -- as the Asian custom). Save room for dessert . . . local delights of banana, mango, and sweet rice. Great for an intimate dinner or to celebrate life (a party).

Based on my experience I doubt there is better Thai to be had in SF, the food I had was excellent at the Thai Basil. Nice portions and well priced items make a great value. The grilled eggplant salad was tangy good, the Pad Thai sticky, hot, and executed well. Enjoyed the crispy vegetable rolls and curry puffs. I will be going back to this place.

Great place to eat Thai food in soma. Food is good and service is fine. They have a great selection of Thai specialties even if a few are missing. A bit overpriced.

Definitely do make a reservation on the weekends. We had a reservation for a party of 8 at 6 pm on a Saturday and the restaurant wasn't full at all. Within an hour, the place was packed and people were waiting in the waiting area. What we ordered included the fried calamari, pan fried Indian bread with green curry, puff pastry, stir fried garlic noodles, yellow curry chicken, roasted duck, minced chicken, and scallops. With the exception of the calamari, all of the dishes had its own unique flavor, which was very good. Nothing special on the calamari though. Portion sizes were typical Thai, which were enough to share with 8 people with no leftovers. Service was decent. I would recommend this restaurant.

Found the place by advice from TripAdvisor. Great, fresh food, nice service. Only 'but' is the noise level in the restaurant. If your looking for intimate conversation, this is probably not the place.

First went to this restaurant because it was the nearest to my hotel; went again a few nights later having enjoyed it the first time round! Food was very pleasant, and service good - I felt that the prices represented good value for money when compared with others in San Francisco. The restaurant seemed to have a good number of customers, even on a Sunday night in December. All in all, certainly a place I would revisit if I were to find myself nearby again.

The best Thai restaurant in SF ! Authentic taste... romantic & chic place. Best for dinner for two or hang out with friends. Great collection of wine ! Drop by when you're in SF.

We stumbled across this place when we were looking for some food after stopping at city beer store. The atmosphere is charming and the food is excellent. My partner and I had different dishes and we finished every crum of food. The staff is very attentive.

I'm frequently distressed by the absence of good Thai options in San Francisco. I used to be a big fan of Marnee Thai when I lived in the sunset and I still like their food but they had recently had some health department issues. There is a good Thai restaurant in the Castro across the street from the Castro theater. Thai places have popped up all over the Mission and I have to say the 2-3 I have tried have been a let down. Marnee Thai is actually my favorite Thai place in SF, slightly edging out the place in the Castro. They feature all the typical Thai favorites. I typically for the green curries but their Pad Thai is also great as is the Tom Yum soup.

We were staying in the area at a B&B. What a nice surprise to find such a nice restaurant so near by. The food was excellent, my wife had pad Thai and I had very tasty Asian sea bass in a green curry sauce. The servings were large so we will have enough for lunch tomorrow. In addition there is a fine selection of beer and wine as well as cocktails. Oh, I almost forgot to mention that the prices are very fair. When we are in the area we will make sure to visit again.

Hands down. The. Best. Thai. In. SF. That’s right, I said it. Despite tons of options for Southeast Asian food in the city, Basil still takes the top spot for best Thai food I’ve had in the three years here. The Panang Curry with braised short rib is absolutely everything. Without a doubt, order this dish. The velvety coconut curry sauce coats incredibly tender, high quality pieces of beef. We literally almost licked the plate, it was that good! The pad thai was a great second plate, though I do wish the shrimp came tail-free (just a personal preference). We enjoyed all of the cocktails, with my personal favorite being the BKK Negroni. All-in-all, we were extremely happy with everything we had! The one drawback is that the service, though warm and friendly, just frankly seems green. Despite several tables still open, the service was spotty and slow — we had drinks forgotten and entrees arrive sporadically between one another. The entire dining experience took about 45 mins longer than it needed to, but the saving grace was that the food was freaking phenomenal. The staff wasn’t rude or anything — quite the opposite — but really needs to tighten up their ship to take this from four stars to a home run 5 outta 5.

We had the Sirloin and the duck in red curry with rice and it all tastet very good. Good seasoning and not too spicy. The waiter was very good too. We spent $56 for two people with one starter, beer and white wine and even with taxes and gratuity. We came a little before 6 pm and there were happy hour on snacks and drinks. Cozy restaurant, cheap and great food!

Came here on whim. Got there at about 6:30 PM on a Thursday Night. Restaurant is rather nice size and well decorated. It looked somewhat empty when we arrived. There were diners at the back, which was fairly filled up. Restaurant was full when we left. I guess they prefer to seat and start serving from the back to forward. Full bar which was nice. Menu is extensive with many plates to choose from.. We ended up ordering drinks and appetizers. Drinks were about average in price. Appetizers were delicious and filling. Price on the upper end. We had the Pan Fried Dumplings and the Chicken Satay Skewers. For the main course. Green Curry, Minced chicken stir-fried with eggplant, bell peppers, basil, and Thai bird’s eye chili, Spicy wide rice noodles, skirt steak, onions, carrots, & egg stir-fried with basil, garlic & chili and sides of Brown and White Rice. All were excellent. **Caution** The Spicy Wide Noodle was SPICY for my taste but, my wife a daughter loved it. Overall, good experience. If I'm in the area, I might drop by again. The only thing holding me back, would be the price. "King of Thai" makes the same entree's, just as good and at a cheaper price. Your pretty much paying for ambiance and full bar.

Visited the restaurant for the first time a couple weeks back. Great space from a design perspective. Restaurant on two floors ( bar and more general seating downstairs/ seating upstairs ). Coming from Europe I had high expectations of these loft style designs and having entered was pleasantly surprised. Then...the best part - the food. We were a group of four and to be fair ordered the best part of a good selection of the menu across the starters and mains. No one ended up with space for deserts. The quality of the food was amazing and when considering the prices we are paying this was top notch food and great value prices. The best to date here in the city. We ate mainly Beef and Chicken mains and not one of the group were disappointed. More likely the food ended up being conversation killers :) The only let down in my view were the drinks. was not that impressed with the wine list and some of the cocktails were so so...but all in all we went for the food and I would not score them down on that basis.

Basil is not far from the hotel we stayed at in San Francisco. We talked about going for most of our week long visit and finally go there on the second to last night. We were so glad that we did. The menu was extensive. My wife had something with duck and I had lamb, and we split an appetizer. I don't remember the names of the dishes. After dinner we had coffee and dessert. The food was all delicious and the service was very good. The only very slightly negative comment is that it was very loud inside, but the decor was really lovely.

It has a nice interior and a very friendly staff, but the delight is the food. The appetizers are good, and the portions are large. We had heard that the desserts were good, but had no room after our dinners. I tried the spicy Pad Thai, as suggested in the menu, and it was Spicy! I like spicy foods, so I was fine with it. But others may find it too hot.

Hadn't been for a couple years since covid limited travel. A great food experience-the Coconut pork was out of this world!! Service is always the best-can't wait to come back.

Had the Tom Yum with prawns soup ... extra spicy and DELICIOUS! Very flavorful. Although, the red curry with duck seemed a little odd in terms of flavors. We requested "extra spicy" and they delivered it ... it was challenging and yummy. Great service.

The service here was pretty prompt and efficient -- almost too efficient. The appetizer and the firecalamari were ok; but not particularly memorable. However, the salmon curry had fish that really really tasted fishy. I suppose we should have sent it back -- i'll let you know in the morning.

We came here on a Wednesday night and it was packed! Definitely do reservations if you can. I got the chicken with cashews, zucchini and peppers. Delicious. My girlfriend got seafood in a green curry. Also amazing. Staff was really nice despite hustling.

Food is not the most authentic but if you just want a tasty meal this is perfect. The setting was casual, calm and perfect for an evening with friends. The waiters were very helpful and always ready to help. It was a very good evening

I was in SF for business recently, and had wandered off in search of lunch. I never reached my initial destination because I did not fully comprehend actual distance when looking at the map. So after walking for 20 minutes and realizing I was only halfway to where I wanted to go, I stopped where I was and looked up. And I saw this sign "Basil." And the restaurant was crowded and smelled so good. Bingo! My friend and I went in, got a table, and ordered lunch. I had a pumpkin curry with pork. Awesome! Could've eaten a second portion! Waitress was friendly. I very much enjoyed my meal here. Perhaps this was no accident and it was exactly where I needed to be!

Easy to find, great Thai food, and quick service. However, it is loud and crowded (it's a crowded city so I shouldn't be surprised). Would recommend. Prices are good for San Francisco too. Plan on $10-$15 per person for dinner, pre tax, tips, and drinks.

Nice place, with wonderful food. Every time I visit San Francisco I come back and so far it's has been a delicious decision.

So many Thai restaurants in SOMA but this one stands out...the flavors are intense. Catfish, calamari, duck curry, sticky rice, all amazing!

Your opinion may be more accurate than mine. I am not able to eat many Thai foods because of allergies. I must say that everything looks good and what I tried had a wonderful aroma and delightful aftertaste, indeed.

This restaurant is nestled in a vibrant part of SF, the food is good and portions are large. The service really needs to improve as we had to flag down the waiter every time we ordered.

We had a family group of six people for dinner. We were all here in the city for a memorial service, and wanted to have dinner so that we could share our thoughts. Well, we had dinner. But it was virtually impossible to talk because this restaurant was so incredibly noisy. The food was good, although a bit pricy and with adequate, but not generous, servings. Service was fine. But the noise! Street parking in the area proved to be adequate, even on a Friday night. The take-away lesson: Stick with times when the restaurant isn't busy, and avoid the place if you don't want to shout to be heard, and want to exchange more than pleasantries.

I can't say enough good about this restaurant. Truly spectacular with some of the best Roti I have tasted and phenomenal spring rolls. Vegetarian friendly! I would go back in a heartbeat.

Party of 9 adults went on a Friday night. Good thing we had a reservation so we were seated right away. Our server gave us ample time to review the menu. We ordered family style the following items: fried calamari, paupia sod, crab fried rice, pad thai, mu yang, neur yang, chicken curry, and a few beers. We were given complimentary shrimp chips as we waited for the food to arrive. Our server was very attentive. He made sure our water glasses were periodically refilled. He checked in on us a couple of times or so to ensure everything was okay. I tried most of the food we ordered. All of the dishes I tried were excellent. The best part is we only spent less than $25 per head (including tip).

We love Thai food and this was a great find in SOMA only a few blocks from the Orpheum Theater. The service was quick and the food was delicious. A bit pricey as far a Thai goes, but not so much for San Francisco.

Nice place and the food is Thai but very Americanised. We were literally in and out in 1 hour and we had 4 dishes, 5 beers and 3 glasses of wine. It was very disappointing that we could not be allowed to sit and enjoy our good. The room could have been Chinese or any other Asian anonymous restaurant. The food was competent but so bland you had no idea if you had chicken or prawns. But this may be what sells!

Finger licking delicious thai food of Sfo. The place is good for family dinner. The decorum of the place is maintained and staff is helpful. There are even many good options for vegetarians. Though we not tried much options in Thai food earlier but here we tried all veg options , great taste

Consistently good!

If you are looking for good Thai food to-go, Basil is a terrific option. We ordered the Tom Ka Gai and Pad See Ew and they were both DELISH. Highly recommend!

I really wanted to like this Thai restaurant, but found the food to be very ordinary. Appetizers: --Crispy wrapped whole tiger prawns were small, not like prawns, but very tasty. --Thai spiced fish cakes: Greasy, chewy, not very flavorful Entrees: --Crispy sliced chicken, w/string beans and peppers: Soggy, ordinary, lacking flavor --Stir fried chicken breast w/cashew nuts: Not much flavor. Very ordinary --Pad Thai w/shrimp: Good They have a small, but very good selection of draft beers. The service was very attentive. I would not go back.

With family of 4 we enjoyed several very authentic Thai dishes as was served quickly and enough food on the plates. Service was quick and pleasant making this a good experience.

Came here years ago and remember it tasting so much better. It was just ok. Will try somewhere new next time.

The guy at the front desk of our hotel recommended Basil. We weren't in the mood for Thai. But decided to try it anyway. Glad we did. The food was awesome, inexpensive (by comparison to other SF dinner options) and the service was great. Started off with the Vege rolls...tasty and enough to share with 2 people. My wife had Pad Thai and I had Pad Kee Mao. Both were awesome. The Pad Kee Mao was spicy (in a good way). And the fact that they had Fat Tire beer on tap was a bonus. In fact, we went back later that weekend for an early happy hour.

We went there for lunch on a Tuesday afternoon and almost all tables were full. It had more than half Asian people, which is typically a good sign for an Asian restaurant. The food was very good and reasonably priced... About $9-$12 per lunch entree and the portions were generous. If in the area and looking for a decent sit down Asian meal, this place is a really good choice.

Tried this restaurant based on TripAdvisor reviews, before going to the Orpheum Theater for a show. We were not disappointed! Although located in a commercial part of town, the restaurant, the decor, and the food are not to be missed! A secret place I'm reluctant to reveal, but we loved the food. Then walk four blocks up Eighth Street to get to the Orpheum.

but I've been to a dozen or so Thai places in this country. This is my fav. Dishes I've not seen elsewhere, seemingly skillfully prepared and carefully presented. Attentive, courteous service. Clientele a bit ritzy. Some suits at the bar were talking bonuses. A turnip main course dish was a winner.

I was neither amazed, nor disappointed by this Thai place. The food is good, but it feels like any other Thai place. It's not spectacular, but you'll eat well.

We've been here in vacations and arrive today, so we were really tired and just want a place nearby... luckily there was Basil!! We ordered papaya salad and pad Thai to share (we were 2), and it was perfect! So delicious, well prepared and nicely presented. The place also was really beautiful with warm light and super nice staff. I'm allergic to spicy food and there was no problem to prepare the dishes without it. I would definitely come back the next time I'm in SFO.

It may not be in the best area of town, but it certainly does deliver great Thai cuisine. We went with friends from SF and they very much enjoy Thai. I was a little concerned as this was my pick and didn't know if it would work for their expectations. It did. Great service, great food, even good wine, made for a very fun night. Call first for a reservation, very busy when we were there.

Glad we made the effort to go to Basils! Vegetable spring rolls were good and green curry fish was perfect! Well done Basils, keep it up!

Appetizers are good but menu is not clear that sweet potatoes are fried. But peanut sauce is too liquidy with thin sauce not peanuty. Papeya salad good with a little heat Try the green curry. Spicy and flavorful with eggplant staffed With chicken. Down lighting above tables is harsh. Decorative pendants above lights are romantically attractive

The portions are great. Food is so tasty, the curry and appetizers made me so freaking happy as I had been looking for a good Thai restaurant and only had tried OSHA but this place takes the gold medal for me in terms of ambience, taste, price and portions. Go with friends or family and order dtom is gai, chicken or fish curry and mango sticky rice for dessert

Firstly the ambience of the restaurant is very welcoming with candles and low lighting. Good choice of wines & beers. Choice of dishes is fantastic and the starters are to die for. I recommend the satay chicken skewers as the sauce was so tasty! Service is efficient and friendly and prices are very reasonable. Will return one day soon hopefully!

Most things that you order are best described as a rice combo. They range in price from 11 to 15 bucks. The menu is confusing and a bit too "packed" with the numerous (but similar) options. Give yourself some extra time to choose. For 17, you can get a combo item with appetizer (egg rolls). But they ask you to choose from a bunch of stuff in phonetic Thai, so if you're not very familiar with Thai food get ready to waste even more time trying to cross-reference all the names. Service was very professional, but not what I would call friendly. Food was quick to arrive. When the food came, it was okay. Like most other reviewers here, "just okay". I'd recommend that if you are feeling hungry for Thai and this is where you end up, just go with the Pad Thai or the Pad See Ew. On the plus side, they were able to quickly accommodate a large group for lunch. However, this was probably due to the fact that they didn't have a very solid lunch crowd.

Tasty Thai

Close to 7th st and the Best Western, trip advisor "near me now" helped us find this place! Good size portions with great taste! Prices were appropriate & bartender was helpful for "out-of-towners" with the menu selections!