Thai Basil
1422 E 18th Ave, Denver, CO, 80218
Thai Basil Menu
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Address :
1422 E 18th Ave
Denver, CO, 80218 - Phone (303) 861-1226
- Website https://www.thaibasil.us
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
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Specialities
- Takes Reservations : No
Delivery : Yes
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Dinner
Parking : Street
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Quiet
Alcohol : Beer & Wine Only
Outdoor Seating : Yes
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : No
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : No
WE SERVE THE FOLLOWING STATES
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Jay C.
Great restaurant. Best Thai food in Denver. Best dumplings I've had in my life.
(4)Erin N.
Came here for a Saturday dinner - service was great & the food was too! We will be back!! I had the curry tofu & peanut sauce.
(4)Holly H.
Service is quick, but detached and morose like a 16 year old at the dinner table without their precious phone. The food is awful. Pad Thai was tart, like they had made the sauce with ketchup and then a cup of salt. On my 5th bite I chomped down on a substantially sized egg shell. Unpleasant.
(1)Christina B.
I had ordered for delivery and literally 5 minutes after, I saw I had a coupon. I was told that it was too late and my food was on its way. There's no way that's true seeing as I LITERALLY JUST ORDERED. I mentioned it , and the man on the phone said "do you think I'm lying?" I was absolutely blown away by the immaturity. I live a mile, maybe two down the road. It doesn't take 25 minutes to get here. Obviously he WAS lying about it being "too late". It's not even about that, I didn't care much about the coupon but the way I was treated left an even worse taste in my mouth than this mediocre food. I say go to the new Asian grill down the street.
(2)Sara G.
I love Thai Basil. For this spot, I'm strictly a to-go girl, but that's also because delivery is super fast and they are always friendly. This is a great spot to call in an order on you way home from work when you are too tired to cook - its reasonably priced and you always have enough for leftovers - big portions! My favorites are the potstickers (maybe my favorite potstickers in Denver), and the hot and sour soup. I also love the pad thai with veggies and the pad see lew chicken. If you want a kick, go for the spicy drunken noodle. My husband also loves the curries. This is my favorite delivery spot in Denver. By far. I did give it 5 stars because if you know what you want - quick, well-priced delivery - then Thai Basil is the best.
(5)Brenda L.
I came here because One Fold next door was closed. I came for the lunch & tried the pad thai for under $8 & a Thai tea. I liked that the Thai tea's 1/2 & 1/2 wasn't premixed & I liked the modern bowl that my pad thai came in. The Thai tea was too sweet however. The noodles had sprigs of cilantro on top that were mostly leafless. The pad thai was super saucy but overly sour. I didn't get asked what kind of meat I wanted with my pad thai but I was given shrimp & chicken. I got medium spice which wasn't overly spicy for me but my stomach felt the heat afterward during my car ride home. The decor here is interesting. There's an outdoor space for dining with fake grass & the indoor space is heavily decorated in Thai sculptures, bamboo & stained glass windows. It feels like a Thai church. Other menu items include panang curry, pad see lew (not ew), drunken noodles, sesame chicken & many more.
(2)Jenna N.
I can't help but love Thai Basil. I know it's probably not the most authentic Thai food, but for me it's my favorite comfort food. I think their food is quite delicious and flavorful, and delivery is insanely fast! It's taken only 15-20 minutes at times for my delivery to show up. Compared to other places in Uptown that deliver, it's simply unheard of. My favorites are pad thai with chicken, panang curry (just the right amount of spice for me), and orange beef. Serving sizes are large and I always have leftovers for lunch the next day.
(4)Robin P.
The very definition of average: not too good, not too bad. I don't think I would tell my friends about this place, but Yelpers, here it goes. Hmmm, the wording came out badly on that. Of course, I consider you all my friends. Silly me. I love spice. Spice spice spice, all day long. Which is why I love Thai food because I like to taunt myself with the heat and make myself sweat. Hey, I don't go to the gym, so I have to sweat somehow... This place does not make me sweat. The Pad Thai is flavorful. Big chunks of white meat chicken with a few shrimp thrown in. It is a bit greasy, but that is just Pad Thai for ya. I did however ask for it spicy. I saw the red pepper flakes in my dish, but spicy? Pish posh. I mixed in some habanero sauce to kick up my palette. Made it edible. The green curry was mediocre. Again, I like spice. Where's the spicy curry that I ordered? If I ask for something spicy and I still have to add spice to it, there is a problem. Decent flavor though. Not the best, not the worst. Well my friends (see what I did there? I call you all friends), I don't think I will be back.
(2)Justin B.
Came here for a lunch meeting recently and was not impressed. First off, this really is a Chinese restaurant masquerading as Thai. Sauces are thicker, I don't detect fish sauce or birds eye chiles... No pictures of the Thai royal family on the wall. Didn't seem authentic at all. I ordered Spicy Garlic Shrimp ($8.50 for lunch portion). It was EXTREMELY salty, which really overpowered any other favors present. It wasn't very spicy, either, for something with "spicy" in the title. I asked for chile condiments and was told I could have Sriracha but that dried chile flakes or chile paste was not an option. I love Sriracha but not on Thai food. The fried fried rice did have a nice dense consistency. There was a lot of food for the price, but I don't know that I'd call it a value. Service was a bit surly and hurried. They reached over my table mate several times to hand me something rather than walking around the table to reach me in a less obtrusive manner. Decor was haphazard and starting to show its age. I'd recommend heading elsewhere for your Thai kick, folks.
(2)Amanda N.
The drunken noodles are amazing, as are the potstickers. The service is the reason I'm knocking off two stars. Walked in, stood for about five minutes before being acknowledged. I love the booths they have, they're beautiful and fun. That said, another five+ minutes for water, more for drinks, the server was rushed and inattentive. She would stare at our table while walking by, and then keep going. There were three other tables in the restaurant! C'mon, now! Twenty minutes to order food. Sigh. The food though - yum! Husband had the panang curry, which I liked, he said it was good, but he liked my drunken noodles better - which I agree with! It was a perfect dish. Great portion sizes, too. It's all about service, unfortunately, and this girl just didn't cut it. I will say, prices are fair. For three people, with three entrees, an appetizer, and five cocktails - $75 including tip? That's not bad at all. I'll come back, but at least this time I'll know what to expect on the service front.
(3)Andrew W.
But however when we ordered we asked for 4-5 star hot and delivered without any spice at all? White potato in a red curry? Way more Chinese than Thai!
(1)Stephen K.
I know most people don't come here for what I ended up getting, but I decided on the Vietnamese Slaw salad and Chicken Coconut soup for lunch here with a coworker. The salad was pretty sizable, and had great flavor and texture to it. My go-to thing at Thai places is usually some kind of noodle dish, but I was trying to avoid the dreaded post-lunch carb coma and decided to try something moderately good for my body. The menu desc sounds simple, but it's really worth checking out -- if they're consistent about making it here. The chicken coconut soup was creamy and rich-tasting and very satisfying; wasn't short on chicken amount either. I was amused enough by the entryway Buddha statuette with the surveillance camera perched over its shoulder so I took a pic of it. ;) Service was good, never got to that point where the trigger went off and I was wondering "where is my meal?" Friend liked it too, so...good job Thai Basil; keep it up.
(4)Eva D.
You know the feeling you get when you try to make thai food at home, but the results are wholly underwhelming, due to the pronounced lack of 3-4 key aromatic ingredients ? That's how these imposters get down. Don't go !
(1)Dennis G.
This place is great for what it is...a cheap, quick Asian fusion place. It's not really authentic, but it's not trying to be. Been ordering from here a lot since my fav Denver Chinese place closed down (China Star...RIP!) and have not really been disappointed. The pad thai and drunken noodles are great, as is the chili lime beef and thai basil chicken. My GF gets the curries and I like them too. This place is great for a hungover Sunday delivery option. Not so great to impress on a date or to out-of-towners or anything like that. Tip: Don't bother with their hot and sour soup (not that you should from a Thai place anyways, but still...)
(4)Aaron V.
Especially for the price, Thai Basil is tasty and fast. I've gotten take out here several times, ordered different stuff each time, and it's always reliably delish. If you are looking for good, quick, and well-priced, this is a winner.
(4)Caroline D.
It's quite weird for me to give a Thai restaurant only 3 stars because I am the biggest Thai food fan in the world; however, I left the restaurant thinking that Thai Basil is one of those places that you will forget about in a month or two. Honestly, I did not like the restaurant's design so maybe that's why I was not going to have a good time there, no matter how good or bad the food was. I liked my shrimps with tamarind sauce, spicy scallops and coconut shrimp but they were not good enough to make me want to come back. Service was slow, I wanted to order a second drink but by the time the server approached us again we were done with our food. I was neither disappointed nor impressed but next time I am in a mood for Thai food I will probably try a different restaurant.
(3)Mackenzie S.
Spicy scallops, shrimp with tamarind sauce and coconut shrimp. So delicious and delivered hot and exactly when I asked for it to be delivered. Absolutely 5 stars!
(5)Helen D.
Ordered delivery. Had the thai soup ( good but had larger than bite sized veggie chunks in them... nothing like tom yum if that is what you are expecting), spring rolls (average), & chicken satay (average). Quick delivery :-)
(3)D F.
Absolutely horrific customer service. I will never spend another dime at this place and would make sure friends know to avoid. An item was left off our order (which was ordered as I heard my mother read it off the list and specified the spicy level) . When I called to regarding this, both people I spoke to where more concerned about making sure we knew it was our fault then simply making the order (a dish we were going to pay for as it we weren't charged for it either). We live 2.5 miles away and they refused to deliver. As I asked for them to move past whoever fault it was regarding why the dish was not made and have it made and delivered to us the retort was "Well that may work well for YOU but that doesn't work well for us". To which I replied "What will work best for us to not to ever order from you again." and hung up. This is a LARGE city Thai Basil and one that is growing. It might behoove you to learn some manners and customer service so as you are able to continue to be a business as this city grows. Frankly though, given how nasty you all are, I think it's best for this place to be avoided and hopefully close down to make room for better restaurants with decent hard-working people.
(1)Rob W.
I have been a patron of this place for at least 6 years. I am a young business professional that lives in the downtown Denver area. I dont cook much so I get take out a lot. An usually once a month at Thai Basil. On my last visit I asked for Soy Sauce and Sriracha for my togo order. The guy at the front desk told me it was going to cost an additional 75 cents. Thats a bunch of bull since I have never been charged this in the past and it would have been free if I would have eaten inside the restaurant. I will not return anymore unless I get a response from the staff.
(1)Nomad T.
Glad we went despite the Yelp reviews. Warning, though: The fantastic beer specials are a MYTH. I asked, there were no specials. We got the panang curry and pad Thai, and two (full priced) beers. Both were good, food was fresh, well presented. I've been to Thailand and Thai restaurants all over the country. Wasn't mind blowing, but definitely passing score for a neighborhood Thai place. Price was decent -- $25.90 after tax. Will return.
(4)Becca D.
So over the years the food has remained pretty good - it's still authentic, affordable, and the portions are generous. However, the service has gone down hill. It's Saturday night and it was pretty dead in there. Maybe it's because you don't receive the attention and gratitude (for dining in their restaurant/spending money) you're hoping for when dining in a nicer restaurant. Our waitress didn't fully understand what we were asking for, and only stopped at the table once after we ordered, until we were done with our meal. And strangely, the manager walked by our table several times, yet never stopped to great is, check on our meal satisfaction, or even fill our waters when they were empty. (I actually got up from the table and went to the waiter station to get a refill). The manager did apologize for this though. Anyway, it's an average dining experience, and nothing more.
(3)Dylan D.
I should've posted this sooner but didn't. I ordered pad Thai chicken with shrimp on the Sunday before Labor Day and was sick with food poisoning for two days after, very badly, even taking a day off from work. I'm not 100% positive it was the food from thai basil but the timing makes it very likely it was. This has been my only bad experience here. Just thought the restaurant may like to know.
(1)Marla C.
Food was ok, not great. But the service was awful. Surprised how rude they were really, won't order from there again.
(2)Jeff H.
I just had Thai Basil on 18th Street cater a lunch for 30 people today. I was a bit nervous because I love Thai food and was not sure how it would go over for a general audience. I was impressed not only by the quality and quantity of food but also the delivery/service was outstanding. The food was delivered exactly on time, as ordered and the group LOVED the food. I ordered somewhat conservatively but the Panang Curry (yes, curry for a general group) and even the Thai Eggplant were hits. The Sesame Chicken was the first to run out - should have doubled that one. I do this meeting about once a month and I have to say that they really did a great job - especially since I only ordered the day before! Some serving utensils would have made it absolutely perfect I was easily able to scrounge those up so it was not the end of the world. Just would have been a nice touch. They are definitely on my regular rotation now.
(5)Karan S.
Visits: 12+ times Duration: Over 2 years (2011-2013) No. of Diners: from a party of 3 to our biggest 25 people Value: Good Food: Excellent Ambience: Very Good Customer Service: Good Recommended :-)
(4)Kevin K.
Not really worth it at all... I'm sure there's much better Thai places around town if you look. Chicken wings were nice and crispy but why were they only dunked in sauce just to the tip? Drunken noodles tasted like burning plastic. Bangkok chicken basil wasn't bad. I know the waitress doesn't speak very much English but at least she could have smiled...
(2)David M.
Hot spicy food stimulates the endophin center of your brain and makes you smile. Maybe that's why I'm giving Thai Basil 3 stars instead of 2. (So why's it say 2 stars? Read on). The lunch of drunken noodles that I had was OK, but not a full 3 star "A OK." Maybe a "C+ OK." I ordered it with shrimp that costs you a buck more than with chicken or tofu. Too few shrimp. Too bland a taste for drunken noodles. = Too disappointing, when I'd looked forward to a really good version of the dish, given that they'd previously won some kind of award for their food. Little depth of flavor and merely alright noodles make not a winner. Bottom line: The Thai Cart Lady and The Thai Monkey Club have wayyyyyy better drunken noodles. Hmmmmm. The endorphin rush is now over so I'm changing the rating back to what it legitimately should be: 2 stars. Sorry, Thai Basil. That brain drug thang will only get ya so far.
(2)Alissa R.
i work just a block away from this Thai Basil, and find myself ordering from there every other week or so. I usually crave the "vietnamese-style" rice noodle bowl and always request it spicy. I have had problems with it actually coming "spicy"- sometimes given an explanation over the phone that "they don't do that dish spicy" even though i have had it that way dozens of times. and one other qualm, i have tried all of the soups there, and they all super disappoint the palate. seriously. the won ton soup is by far the best, but that's only because the actual LACK in flavor. the base for green curry is tasty, but they pile in way too many bell peppers, onions, and sour bamboo.(love peppers and onion but what about some real veggies, mushrooms? eggplant? snap peas?) all in all, its enjoyably edible on a sub-par level, but every dish just seems to be missing something.....
(3)Mary Anne M.
Have ordered here at least 3 times in past few months. This review is sum of all visits. Ordered different entrees with different levels of spice varying from mild to Thai spicy. Each time, no heat variation was even detectable and it wasn't just me (I'm 1/2 Thai so might be biased), even my 7 year old couldn't tell. Delivery was quick. Appetizers were what you'd expect for fast food delivery. Asian style pork chop was basically two layers of fried panko bread crumbs, couldn't really find the pork. Cost is reasonable. Will likely order again but I'll avoid the pork chop and be much more specific about heat.
(3)Nicole W.
FYI - there is parking the back! We went here on the recommendation of a couple of good friends. First time we ate in, and those chairs are super low compared to the table! Second time we did take out, and that worked well! I did different eggplant dishes both time and wasn't super thrilled. But the mushrooms used in those dishes are absolutely amazing!! Crab rangoons - mmmm! Real-ish crab in there! Yummy! Staff is usually running around doing everything and anything! And yes, you can get left alone at the front waiting for a table or pick up - but know that they are coming! I'll be back to try the rest of the options on the menu!
(4)Jacob M.
I've been ordering from the Thai basil on alameda for years and the food is always excellent. This is the second time I have ordered from the 18th street location and both times have been terrible. The food arrives in under 20 min. And tastes obviously microwaved. Why am I paying this much for food that is so obviously reheated? This time the tequila lime beef is a partially raw, grey, slimey mess. Did the cooks try and cook the whole dish in the microwave? How could you possibly make this and deliver to my door in 20 min? Disgusting. Do yourself a favor and order from the alameda location.
(1)Ivy D.
OK, I admit I wasn't happy before I even started my meal. I mean why would you deliver food to a hotel guest and not provide utensils. Sorry, I don't pack utensils when I travel. In any case, I wasn't impressed with my food. I've had great, good, and mediocre Thai food, but this was less than mediocre. The Thai spicy soup was a little bit spicy, but barely warm and bland. The crispy egg rolls were bleh. The drunken noodles dish was barely ok compared to the rest. None of the food tasted authentic.
(2)john W.
How it is we've lived downtown for 4 years now and haven't been eating at Thai Basil weekly, i dunno. But that's in the past!! I branched out and tried something new (normally I go Pad Thai) and man, was that the right choice, it was awesome. Can't wait to go back
(4)Mark T.
Thai Basil is yet another example of restaurants that attempt to offer more than one Asian cuisine. I think the concept abhorrent. Imagine going to a European restaurant that offered schnitzel, farfalle pasta, and coq au vin. I went there thinking it was a Thai restaurant but there on the menu were edamame, hot & sour soup, kung pao chicken, and Vietnamese spring rolls. Oh well. When I go to a Thai restaurant for the first time, I typically order standards: a starter of the Tom Yum Gai (spicy chicken soup) and then Pad thai. They had no Tom Yum Gai on the menu; the Pad Thai was mediocre. Service was equally so. First we were offered a table next to the door (it was a cold night: I don't think so), then after I ordered a beer we were informed that there was a beer special. Et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. Conclusion: I see no point in going back.
(2)Our Y.
Bad food. Went twice and both times quality was subpar. Tried 4 dishes and all were bad.
(2)Jacob C.
I've only been in Thai Basil once to pick up a carry-out order and it actually looks pretty nice in there. Someday, I'll have to dine in the actual restaurant, but I mostly get it delivered (which takes about the amount of time you'd expect 40-45 mins). Their Thai-Fried rice is awesome and a steal considering the enormous portion you get.
(4)Lauren C.
I don't like a lot of thai food but I love this place. When I lived around the corner I got the chicken satay an embarrassing amount of times per month. I believe the takeout minimum is $15 so I'd throw in some edamame or miso to tip it over the edge. Delivery was/is always quick and have not found chicken satay I like better in the area yet.
(4)Nivin Q.
Good Pad Thai, Drunken Noodles, and Panang! The Indonesian Chicken salad with peanut sauce is exquisite, and super fresh! I dine here at least once a week, and not just because it's a minute away from work--though that does make it quite convenient for a mile long lunch order with my co-workers! The service is great, and the waiting staff is sweet, even as I've inconvenienced them with special requists (I like it Thai spicy, regardless of the consequences) and multiple forms of payment. The food is very flavorful, but often doused in sauce (which is fabulous if you like extra sauce, not too great if you don't). Overall, good food, and I'm definitely a fan.
(4)Marty M.
Not good. Both the pad see ew and pad thai were poor. The pad see ew noodles were cheap egg noodles not the standard wide noodle. Sauces on both dishes were too salty and just off.
(1)W B.
It was good. I love Thai food though. Had spring rolls and Drunken Noodles. Loved the spring rolls and peanut sauce (wish it was spicier), the drunken noodles were good. Lots of chicken and it all had a good flavor. It was very slow to serve.
(3)Cheyne M.
Average. Not sure this is a "true" Thai restaurant - more Asian Fusion or Chinese. The food was better than expected, but definitely not authentic Thai. And what's up with the bizarrely high tables? I'm 6'2" and I felt like a midget! Definitely takes away from the dining experience. Also, the wait staff didn't seem very knowledgeable (people sitting next to me had to explain what a "Vodka Cranberry" was, and then I know they ordered a plate of spring rolls that were never delivered -- and we were basically the only ones there!). Overall, good - not bad - but if you want above average Thai, go somewhere else. If you're new to Thai food and want food options besides Thai, then this is the place for you. It's your grandparents Thai restaurant -- at least mine ;)
(3)Ann A.
I go in here for (2) things on the menu: The sesame chicken (not exactly Thai) and the chicken coconut soup. From all the Asian I've eaten in this metro area, they do the VERY BEST on both. Seriously. (I used to come in for the Thai Spring rolls, which they do quite well, too....but I sure miss the cilantro they used to have in 'em...) We get outstanding service each time we're in. Its clean and pleasant dining.
(4)Anna D.
This place has really gone downhill. Today we ordered from them for the first time in a couple of years, and it was a really weird experience. Our lo mein was actually spaghetti noodles (seriously, no joke) with some kind of bland sauce, and our sesame tofu tasted sweet and weird and ketchupy and kind of fell apart when I tried to eat it. It's got to be pretty bad for me not to eat until I'm full, but I just couldn't do it. It seems as though they are trying to cut corners and the food is suffering because of it.
(1)Claire J.
I'm only giving one star because my husband loves their Panang Curry, but if giving zero stars was an option, I would. I have tried, many times, to like Thai Basil. The only reason I keep trying is because my husband loves their Panang, and ordering take-out from 2 different restaurants is silly. We have never dined-in, btw. We always order takeout. Their Pad-See-Lew is boring and dry, and it's usually my favorite dish at just about any other Thai/Malaysian restaurant. Same with their Pad-Thai. They have a lot of Chinese dishes on the menu for a Thai restaurant, and so last time, I tried the Szechuan Chicken. It was inedible. I mean, horrible. It's hard to describe... it certainly didn't taste like any Szechuan sauce I'd ever had. It had no taste.... yet what little taste there was was so unappetizing. The veggies were slimy, the mushroom pieces were huge and kind of grossed me out, and the chicken tasted freezer-burned. I tried picking out the chicken and doctoring that with stuff in my fridge, and even that didn't help. I gave up, and declared that was the last time I'd ever eat their food. What a waste. While my husband happily chowed on his Panang, I had to settle for a grilled cheese sandwich, and we wasted 10 bucks on my entree.
(1)Matt B.
Love their red and green curries! One of my favorite places to pick-up to take home. Healthy portions for their price ($8-9), great flavor. Vegetables are little weak.
(4)Jisha J.
I always judge Thai places based on their Pad Thai. It's my favorite Thai dish, so of course I have to get it any time I go to a Thai restaurant. I did not like the Pad Thai here at Thai Basil. It was overly sweet and their chicken pieces were very dry. This place is very close to my latest rotation and so of course I was excited to try it. Everyone loves Thai Basil supposedly, but I think it's because it's close and a good alternative to Subway or Quiznos. I went here another time this past week and got some fried rice. It was nothing special, and so my opinion really did not change. The restaurant itself is small and cozy. It is a nice place to have a quiet lunch with a friend or coworker. The staff is nice and polite. Overall, I probably wouldn't be frequenting this place again if it's by my choice. I've had better Thai food elsewhere.
(2)Robert L.
Ordered curry lime beef, a little to lightly seasoned but good. Rice was perfect and so was the crab and cheese wontons. My partner got sesame chicken and it was delicious.
(4)Blotch S.
I've been here a few times, and usually get the Spicy Eggplant for lunch. For around $6, it really can't be beat. It's delicious and a ton of food (usually it'll stretch for lunch and then dinner left-overs.) However, as many other people have pointed out, it's not exactly what I'd call authentic Thai. I've also been left to wait an awkward amount of time before someone would acknowledge us to be seated. Once at a table, however, the service has always been friendly and prompt.
(3)Ali W.
Is this a Thai place or a Chinese place? What kind of Thai place serves wonton soup, kung pao chicken, and Szechuan chicken? The last time I checked, Szechuan was still in China. Sure the portions are pretty large, but the food really isn't that great. It's like some (Chinese!) chef just put a bunch of stuff in a wok and haphazardly fried it. For lunch, entrees are served with fried rice; for dinner, entrees are served with white rice. You know what that means, right? They re-fry last night's white rice for lunch. I have ordered take-out from this place a few times 'cuz it's cheap, and what annoys me the most is that they repeatedly give me more menus. I specifically tell them I already have one stuck to my fridge from the last take-out, but they look at me funny and say, "But I already stapled this one to your bag." So...take it off. 'Cuz I sure will when I get home. At least I recycle. 1 star off: obviously not Earth-friendly 1 star off: obviously not Thai 1 star off: obviously would not get many stars from me
(2)Adrienne L.
Though I usually like my pad thai 10x spicer, I've become a big fan of Thai Basil. They deliver fast (even on a Friday night!), accommodate all of my weird food quirks and are endlessly friendly. It's also a great deal; I think I pay around $8 for an entree that easily makes two meals. You can't beat that. OK well you can, but it's McDonald's and not Thai food.
(4)Mitsuko I.
I think Thai Basil is really overrated. I went with a group of friends, and my friend and I decided to share green curry. We both are Asians, but we are not super picky. We sometimes eat at Asian "fusion" restaurants, and although they are not authentic, some food taste good. The curry was horrible - two of us did not finish it because it tasted really bad. The vegetables were undercooked, and more than anything, it tasted like sugar, not coconut milk. I've lived in Southeast Asia and have been to Thailand many times. I know this is not how green curry tastes like... So since then I've never gone back. I just cook green curry myself instead and I know it tastes much better. Please do not think Thai Basil is authentic. It is far from it!
(1)Ava K.
I did not like the food here at all. I thought it was mediocre Thai food at best. I had the Pad Thai, Red Curry, and Thai iced tea. Not enough flavor at all! Needless to say, I won't be going back.
(1)Alex W.
I really like this place, it's down the street from me, well priced, and I eat there constantly, the food is always good. I've had 'meh' service a couple times, but only on off hours since they are open all the time. The only thing I wish they had was online ordering.
(5)Micah R.
Food gets 2 stars - nothing to write home about. Beer gets 5 stars - 25-50cents per beer with purchase of an entree! Average = 3 stars - weighted analysis is both accurate and flexible
(3)Jeff S.
I got take out from this location earlier this week, they took my order and were at my front door in 11 minutes! Super quick, i want even ready for them. Food is great, large portions, enough for lunch the next day. I highly recommend their delivery service, more expensive than a cheap Chinese food delivery place, but also way better, expect $10-14 per person, plus tip.
(4)Kelsey S.
Decent thai food (although more of a mix of chinese and thai than really authentic thai food), relatively cheap prices. I personally prefer the place for take-out. If you live in the neighborhood, keep an eye out in your mailbox as they sometimes send out their menus and they have coupons on them for free appetizers. Parking in the back, quiet inside, and quick service. If you're looking for a new takeout place, give it a try!
(3)Nick J.
I'm a fan, particularly of Thai Basil's lunch special. You get a lot of food. I almost always order the same thing, the thai curry lime beef. Yum. Lots of curry lime beef with mainly bell peppers and some other veggies served with rice and an egg roll, all for $6.75. I haven't tried a majority of the menu, which people seem to have mixed feelings about. But the service is always good when dining in. Although, the tables are way too high for the chairs which makes eating there slightly uncomfortable at times. Still, the food is good, the service is friendly and the lunch special is a bargain.
(4)Wes B.
We tried Thai Basil tonight for and have to say Meh. The service was very nice but not as attentive as I would have preferred. The thai spring rolls that we got for appetizers were excellent especially with the peanut sauce. However, the entrees were honestly pretty bland. I ordered my thai basil chicken thai hot and I didn't even detect that the dish was spicy. I was never checked on once my entree was out; which is sad because I love a good spicy thai dish. It's ok but its not worth going out of your way.
(3)Caleb C.
Stopped in here for carryout last week. Wanted to get some wonton soup to cure the common cold. The woman who greeted me appeared to not be having a good day. Have eaten Thai food here before and experience was great! This time . . . not so great!. The wonton soup tasted burnt . . . . like they had scrapped the bottom of a burned wok to add flavor. Couldn't eat more than one spoon full.
(1)Newsha N.
I've been going here for a few years, and I always order something different, and I have yet to be let down. Now I realize, it's not authentic, but it tastes good. They have a few healthy dishes on the menu, and you can request brown rice. In addition, I like spicy food, and there are a few dishes on their menu that I consider spicy enough to make me cry. What can I say, I like to cry while I eat. This place is also great for low key dates, or dates with people you're not sure you want to see again (hah--I know I'm bad). No need to get super dressed up, and hey, if you're make up isn't perfect, it's dark, so he wont notice.
(4)Alexandra F.
I went here with a friend that I had not seen in a while, and I barely touched my Pud Thai. Like Shiho, it was greasy, and a bit slimy and I was a disappointed. Luckily, I had ordered a side of chicken skewers, which were fine as long as I dripped them in the peanut sauce. Of course, they never give you enough chicken and I pretended like I was full so I didn't have to be embarrassing to my friend and return my dish. * Star one for the nice decor, which is hip ** Oh what a nut star two is for the peanut sauce, which was good, but I guess anything with peanut butter and sugar will be tasty *** Nice to see you again star three is for being a good central location to meet my friend for a quick bite This place must be as boring as this review... Will somebody shake me awake please! Hello?
(3)Nick R.
Myself and my girlfriend have ordered delivery from here a couple times. The delivery is always fast and the prices aren't too bad....but the food is pretty bad. This past time she had ordered one of the sweeter curries, which was pretty decent. I had pad thai, which was AWFUL. It tasted like noodles with sweet and sour sauce, nothing close to what it should have been. You'd think that a place with "Thai" in the name would be able to make a halfway decent pad thai, but no. I'd say avoid this place and hit up Tommy's.
(2)Jeff C.
I have gotten delivery from this place a few years ago when I worked in the area and thought it was good. I also drive by it all the time and think that it looks like a cool place. So today I went in for dinner for the first time here. I like the establishment. It is a small, quaint and charming place. Feels more "authentic" to me than the chain Thai restaurants--yes I am aware this is a chain, but does not seem like it to me. I was here pretty early for dinner, so the service was good. I started off with chicken coconut soup. It was good and rich but did not seem as complex as other chicken coconut soup I have had before. It was raining/snowing so it was a good choice today. For dinner I had the Panang and I thought it was good. It started off with a sweetness to it, but finished with a mildly spicy taste. I had the beef and it was very tender and had a surprisingly good amount of beef in it. I was full at the end, but could have eaten the remainder of the broth like soup. I recommend coming here and I think it is a nice change from crowded, large similar type restaurants that have no ambiance.
(4)Sarah P.
Just "okay." The food is hit or miss - some dishes are great, fresh, well balanced. Others are just a greasy pile of noodles. The portions are big and the prices are modest.
(3)Chris T.
There aren't enough words to describe how amazing this place is. The Chicken Curry with Peanut Sauce, the Thai Basil Chicken, the Shrimp Rolls, the Thai Iced Teas... I stop here when I'm in town because its right next to Presbyterian St Luke's Hospital (where I work), but even if it weren't, I would trek over 100 miles to sit in the lovely oversized-run down chairs and eat until I feel like I'm going to burst. Oh blessed owners of this fine establishment. You have introduced this pathetic excuse for a city to the finest cuisine this side of the Arizona border. Keep up the amazing, authentic, and absolute yumness that is your food!
(4)Shannon W.
This is for first-time delivery only. I was invited to a Yelp event tonight, where I was certain to meet my fledgling phone-voice crush, Scott P (ah, hell, let's prolong the blush, see my Enzo's review). Alas, I am currently switching between the couch and my desk, pecking away on my computer keyboard to satisfy someone else's workplace fire drill. So I thought about ordering in some chinese food from my old stalwart, Wok Uptown. But I was craving something with a different taste profile, and decided it would be Thai. Or, as I have never been to Thailand but imagine that somehow I do, in fact, know from Thai, I was going to order "Thai"-ish food. I looked up reviews on Yelp (duhr) and decided to take a chance on it. Cue the music. If you change your mind, I'm the first in line Honey I'm still free Take a chance on me If you need me, let me know, gonna be around If you've got no place to go, if you're feeling down If you're all alone when the pretty birds have flown Honey I'm still free Take a chance on me Gonna do my very best and it ain't no lie If you put me to the test, if you let me try Take a chance on me (takeachancetakeachancetakeachance) Take a chance on me Well, so, not totally impressive. I got the sesame tofu and Thai Fried Rice, which has a few shrimp thrown in there. Granted, it was negative two out, but I do still have to mention the food arrived not quite warm. After a quick jizz in the micro, it was more than edible. Well, after I deviened my own shrimp, GROSS. Also note, this appears to be one of those place where the makers just Do.Not.Believe. that whitey can stand the heat. Even though I asked for menu items already marked as 'spicy' to be even hotter. I may order from there again as part of my b-string rotation.
(2)Robert A.
In the evening hours between 6-10, Thai Basil has 25¢ domestic and 50¢ import beers. Based on that one previous and petty sentence, I should've been able to give this place 5 stars, yet i gave it four. You ask, " Robert, why shy it a star?" A.) It took this place too long to tell me that instead of having the food delivered to my house, i could've been there drinking their severely reduced-priced beer. That is, if only I had been eating AT Thai Basil and paying forward all the delivery tips toward a really cheap import , or two, or three (but not four--limit 3), while i waited for my food, then perhaps i would've liked the food better. Convenience can be a bitch like that. B.) My taste buds have masochistic tendencies. They're kinda' like a freaky porn star. Like, when it comes to eating curry I want my taste buds to be beat into submission; gang-raped by spicy intricacies and left wanting more (or, at least telling myself I could handle more). Thai basil don't put out like that. In fact, i might dare to go as far as say their curries are actually a bit unflavorful. But hey, the pork lo mein is nice and greasy and tasty and goes great with a 50¢ Kirin. And the tofu pad thai is pretty decent, too.
(4)Josh V.
Walked in here at lunch, had to wait in the non air-conditioned waiting area on a hot day. No one decided to acknowledge our presence for 10 minutes, I assume because of the slight crowd and the 3 person line. This was unacceptable especially for an Asian place, so we left and went down the street to Wok. I will not be returning.
(1)Megan W.
There are those scrumptious foods that you crave and nothing but said food will do. Thai Basil's chicken Panang is one of those foods for me. Everything I have had here has been really tasty, but the panang is... well the best. I have it delivered. Quite frequently. The delivery is fast and the deliverers aren't even scary!! WOAH! But seriously, the food is great, the service is fast and friendly. Plus there is always enough panang for at least 2 meals!! MMM!
(4)Kerith F.
My office ordered 10 lunches, which I neatly typed out for their convenience which I faxed over, only to find out it doesn't work. Might wanna fix that. So I called to place the order. The gentleman read it back to me so we can place names on each order. It was read back correctly and a total was given to me. Upon delivery, we realized they forgot an order. I called so that this could be fixed and "Shawn" said I never ordered it. I explained to him that whoever read the order back correctly, and the total included it. He said he would bring it to our office, but whenever they could get it to us as they are 'really busy' (office being less than 2 blocks away). I asked to speak to a manager and he insisted they don't have on their today. I told them this was unacceptable and that their mess-up needs to be remedied as we are having an ofice lunch. They did bring the food over promptly, however, "Shawn" and his willingness to fix the problem IS a problem. Overall, service, meh...mediocre at best. We will be taking our orders somewhere else from now on.
(2)Annette R.
Ok, so there's only one bad thing about this place, let's get it out of the way right off the bat; Both times I have been there, there's been numerous piles of vomit outside. I suspect this is due to their 25 and 50 cent beer specials and not the food. Having said that, I will definitely return. I have an odd relationship with thai food. I have been to thailand and loved the food, upon my return to the US, I found that I hated everything labeled thai food that I could find here. It made no sense to me as I loved all of the ingredients that went into it. I kept on trying, determined to find SOMETHING that I would love again. Thai Basil is that place. Is it authentic? No, not really, but the flavors are all there and in really delicious proportions. This place has a great menu full of chinese, thai and even some vietnamese favorites, so there is something for everyone. The servings are MASSIVE and everything has been amazing so far. The soups are all to-die-for good, full of fantastically fresh veggies and just the right amount of spices. If you're not sure what to get, try the hong kong noodles, you get a little bit of everything, shrimp, chicken, beef and a bunch of different veggies all on top of noodles that are crispy on the outside and soft in the middle, SO good. The restaurant itself is well decorated and the servers are not overly friendly but nice enough and get the job done. I am desperately hoping that they deliver to me as then I can avoid the vomit altogether.
(4)Christina B.
Pad Thai is the BEST! I have had it other places and it is always dry with little flavor but here it is perfect.
(5)Miguel S.
Really good food and super fresh. Waitress was very nice and didn't bother me. The Orange Chicken was soooo good after a long hard day at work.
(4)Holly K.
This is my favorite Thai restaurant. I love most dishes and my #1 choice is the Panang. The best panang I have had. Each location of Thai Basil differs in preparation. Some locations I like a lot, and some not so much. I would give them 4 plus stars if they were consistent.
(3)Alicia P.
In the past few years my opinion of Thai Basil (any location in Denver-area) has declined. The last two times I've ordered the Tofu Pad Thai (home delivery) I've gotten sick. I use to love the pineapple curry with Tofu but they changed the recipe a while ago and I feel like the quality has gone down. I still crave it once and a while but I ignore the cravings now and go to Swing Thai instead.
(2)Molly P.
Thai Basil will always be a favorite. Fresh, healthy and fast.
(5)Ike N.
Great food! great service! a nice experience !!!
(5)Rico S.
I herd this place had good sesame chicken. I ordered it they delivered it under thirty minutes, they used all white chicken breast, the delivery man was friendly! I am sold they place may not be the best asian joint i have had but they are surely above 85% of the places i have visited in Denver.
(4)Cristina G.
Ok so I could have loved it but the pieces of tofu were huge and way too many. i did really like the fact that there was red onion on my pad thai! I have never had red onion on my pad thai and it was sooooo good.The dish itself was very watery though. I think I will have it again though but it is a question since the tofu was really overwhelming. There was more tofu than noodles in the dish. My husband got the thai fried rice without shrimp and tofu instead. He really really liked his and all the veggies that came with it.
(3)Lauren R.
Now, Im going to review the other one on Alameda and give it another star for the slightly better service, and let it be known that I do think Thai Basil has the best Thai in town (with the exception of TOTTS sesame chicken) but sweet mother of god in heaven, are they blind there or what? I dont want to feel like a dick when I ask you for the hundreth time where my drink is, or if I can have another fork. I dont want to feel like Im hurting you, which is the way you make me feel. It aint personal, baby. Just bring me my fucking fork and drink so we can get on with this party and break up nice. The food and the atmosphere are fantastic, I could live on their Shrimp with Tomato Sauce alone. Their plate presentation is appetizing and generous, and the rice is always shaped in the form of hearts, or stars. This is a plus for my crafty ass. But the service stinks. Plain and simple. You will walk into this place and there will be only two tables filled, yet the waitstaff is dashing madly all over the place, lighting candles for tables that I can only assume family ghosts are sitting at, as they are empty, yet still getting served quicker than I, and pointedly ingnoring you until you have to get nasty. The point of my rant? Get it to go, or get delivery. The mindfuck of trying to actually eat here is far from worth it. Oh, and PS? The Pad Thai sucks. That is the one and only thing I recommend you go to Tommys Thai for.
(3)Rip W.
A bunch of conflicting reviews for this one! My vote - great stuff. This is one of the Thai joints in Denver that actually listens to you when you ask for extra hot and spicy. Now granted, I am stuck on 2 dishes - chicken Pad Thai and Sesame tofu - but they have been excellent every time I order them and they are almost always hot enough to make my eyelids sweat as long as I remember to reiterate the request. I have never had a problem with the service, but I have only eaten in once. But I have had the take-out probably 15 times in the past month. If I eat here too many more times I am going to have to switch from calling it "Thai Food" to just calling it "Food".
(4)Sarah F.
This food was really weird and very overpriced. I could tolerate it more if it were about 1/2 what it cost because it tastes like it was heavily flavored with shortcut seasoning. $5 for 6 wontons? Thats almost $1 per wonton! I ordered the Vietnamese eggrolls and they were so weird and gross. I dont know why Metro Denver Asian restaurants can't take a clue from the ever-crowded Asain restaurants on Federal blvd. On Feds you can get the freshest, tastiest Asian fast. In central Denver its always weird. WTF??? Both this and the other location are the same as far as I can tell. The people are nice but the food is lacking.
(2)Hannah P.
This place is pretty bad. I live only a few blocks away so I wanted this place to be good... but it's NOT. The noodles I had were WAY undercooked and there was a lot of sauce and it had no flavor. The only okay aspect of the meal was the spring roll. Even though this place is right down the street I will not be going back.
(2)Ian V.
LOVE the Sesame Chicken. Whenever I go to a chinese restaurant, I order the sesame chicken...it's kind of my way to gauge the quality of the restaurant. Well, the sesame chicken at Thai Basil is superb! Great for lunch, with an eggroll and for less than $7!
(5)Marisa M.
Really good Thai food is not an easy thing to come by in Denver and Thai Basil is definitely one of the best that I have found. While their Pad Thai and Pad Se Lew are both pretty good, their Drunken Noodles are awesome. They also make a great Thai Egg Roll and Thai Spring Roll. On top of all that, they deliver super fast and are really reasonably priced. Thai Basil is definitely one of my go to spots for when my Thai food craving hits.
(4)Brandon A.
Whenever I want to get order out this is my first choice. I love how there never stingy with there meet and portions. My girlfriend and I always enjoy eating here. It's fast and always fresh.
(5)Jon H.
One visit. The Phad Thai was a little too sweet for my liking. The service is amazingly fast, the food hot, the atmosphere ok. The chairs seemed a little short for the tables and the Asian gentleman, who I assumed was the manager, should learn to smile. Not as good as J's Noodles but about the same level as Chada Thai.
(3)Edward T.
Got some pad thai and tom yum soup for take out. The pad thai was ok, a little sweet for my tatstes. However the shrimp in both dishes were inedible. They smelled like NYC's chinatown in august. Might be willing to try other dishes but avoiding the seafood for now.
(2)Patrick H.
My wife and I went there yesterday for an early dinner and shared the Pad Thai and Pad Se Lew. Both were good but the Pad Thai seemed a bit soggy. The service was attentive and atmosphere was cozy.
(3)Kelly D.
Let's get a couple of things straight. First of all, Thai Basil doesn't resemble anything close to Thai food. Second of all, just because you throw basil or coconut milk in a dish does not make it Thai. Granted, I am very particular of Thai food (after visiting Thailand, I am pretty hard to please admittedly) I have given Thai Basil a fair shake, but after my last visit I think I'm done. I have never been remotely impressed about any of the dishes I have had. In fact the only feeling I have about their food is regret over the money I just shelled out, and the calories I just consumed for something I really didn't enjoy. My last visit was what really did me in. I ordered the Spicy Ginger Shrimp, which sounded great. Fresh ginger, shrimp and jalapenos. Seemed promising. What was delivered was a big brown mess filled with vegetables that were not included in the description and it somehow looked identical to my Mom's chicken dish. The ginger (which was the selling point) was not in fact fresh, but pickled. Kind of a big difference. It tasted pretty much like it looked: thick and brown with a hint of pickled ginger. At least the egg roll was good, but really, how hard is it to make an egg roll? As if that wasn't enough, I found a hair a few bites in. I informed the server, and without saying a word grabbed my plate and disappeared. She returned about 10 minutes later bearing a new dish. Well, that's fine if it was good the first time around, but it wasn't. I was kind of annoyed that I wasn't even asked if I wanted them to remake it (I didn't). Overall, my lunch date with my mom was kind of tainted by the experience, and I left hungry, crabby, and carrying a to-go bag full of food I had no interest in. It's overpriced, and the dishes all run together with mediocre flavors that are muddled and nondescript. It's definitely not good Thai food, and worse than that, it's not even decent Chinese food.
(1)Shannon G.
Prices are great here and definitely a good atmosphere for a dinner with friends. The meals are big, prices are good, and they have a special for $0.25 beers as long as you order an entree! There may be other better thai places in town, but I haven't found any of them yet and it definitely meets all of my requirements!
(4)Heidi T.
I eat here at least once a week. I always get the Thai Basil Chicken and am satisfied every time.
(4)Phil M.
Best green curry I ever slurped down in under 30 min.
(4)Kathy T.
Great lunch! I was impressed with the fast food service and great food for the price. Two of us ate for around $12 bucks! Yum! We had the eggplant basil and vegie basil and it was delish! The service was a bit confusing when we first got into the place because it looked like they were a bit short staffed for the weekend.
(4)Jennifer C.
The manager at the Uptown location couldn't be any more rude or worse about etiquette and customer service. We ordered delivery and felt rushed off the phone through our order (which has occurred often when calling up there). This time, as soon as we got off the phone we had a feeling he didn't get the request right. Sure enough, the wrong size was brought to us so we called up there and were given to the manager. The situation was calmly explained yet the manager proceeded to tell us we were wrong and offered no "sorry about that, we'll bring the remaining portion of what you wanted". We would've been willing to pay for the increased size from the small to the large. When we asked for a return then on our order, the manager actually yelled "then I want my food back!". He can have his food and we did give it back when the delivery driver brought us our refund receipt. Seriously?? Is this what food service has come too? We are talking about a few extra dollars and another delivery trip to keep a long-time frequent customer happy. Thai Basil has my business no more.
(1)Claudia B.
I always order the Green Curry. It's amazing. I highly recommend ordering it. Also, I think their Thai Iced Tea is my favorite in Denver. I don't know what they do differently to it, but it is delish. Too bad you get a tiny, metal mug of it and not a HUGE, tall glass. 1 star for the delicious curry dishes (I like all of them), 1 star for the Thai Iced Tea, 1 star for the sweet decor, but I am leaving out 2 stars for the hordes of people who infest this place on weeknights and weekends.
(3)David M.
Horrible excuse for Thai food. Dressed up chinese food. Ordered green curry which is the simplest Thai dish on record and it was disgusting. Undercooked veggies and chicken was questionable. I feel sorry for everyone living in Denver if they think that this is real Thai food. I wish that everyone here gets blessed up with some real Thai food to make up for the imposters..
(1)Cristen B.
Ate dinner here last night with a friend, was a little apprehensive because of the other reviews. I thought it was pretty darn good! My friend has orange beef and I had chicken/veggies in a spicy garlic sauce. The veggies were extremely fresh and cooked perfectly. They have a decent wine selection and I think you can actually BYO? Crab Rangoon is also pretty good, more cheesy than craby, which was pretty tasty. I would eat there again.
(4)Daniel K.
I really enjoy this Thai Basil. The food is good, my favorites being the Sesame Tofu and Drunken Noodles, and the atmosphere at the location on 18th Ave is very comfortable.
(4)catherine d.
Beautifully thoughtful cooking, the orange beef is a masterpiece unlike any other (canned) fired Asian restaurant, each time we go we order something new and share. The decor is nothing, the tables are too high, the waitress is sometimes boarder line rude, but, the food is outstanding and not expensive. It's a find in Denver!
(4)Ted T.
We order delivery from Thai Basil about 1-2x a month and we do because once you have the Drunken Noodles either with beef, shrimp or a combo, you will be hooked. Also, the delivery time is always faster than any "Chinese" place I've been too.
(4)Clint J.
I have a love/hate relationship with Thai Basil. Why are you so fickle, mocking me so? I want to like this place. Good location, nice decor, food is usually quite good . . . provided you are at a table . . . if you dare order takeout all bets are off. Seriously, I think they have a mutant relative locked in a back room preparing the takeout orders from leftovers and trash. Dinner at the restaurant and what they bring to you in a paper bag are completely different. Wilted greens with slime on them can be overlooked once or twice, but when it happens constantly you know the mutant pulled those greens out of the trash bin. I love the potstickers here . . . when their regular chefs fry them up in the wok and bring them to the table. They are delicious. Do NOT ever order potstickers to be delivered. Apparently, the mutant cannot be trusted with hot oil and open flames, and he will use a light bulb powered EZ Bake Oven to fry them up. TWICE I did receive undercooked potstickers from delivery, and you really do not want to experience a mouthful of raw ground pork. Food at the restaurant is usually quite good, although the nasty old lady glaring at us isn't very endearing. Do not order delivery from Thai Basil . . . or suffer the wrath of the mutant!!! You have been duly warned.
(2)Nicholas O.
I've only ever ordered delivery so I can only comment from that perspective, but the food here is pretty good. It's not overly priced, the portions ar eenough for two meals apiece, and the delivery is prompt. I am personally partial to the Panang Curry and the Basil Chicken which bears their namesake. Don't order to wings, though--a weak attempt, pouring the sauce on at the very last minute over an otherwise plain wing.
(3)Kristi M.
i thought the restaurant was great - granted, it's not "totally" thai, instead mixed with my chinese favorites like their REALLY delicious crab cheese wanton (best i've had out here) and wonderful potstickers. i thought the service was great, price was excellent ($17 bottle of wine) and the food was really, really good. we will definately be back.
(4)Shiho F.
I was so excited to finally try this place but it is so overrated. So what if the decor is chic and traditional. My Pad Thai was one big ball of grease. I ordered Half Chicken-Half Tofu Pad Thai and I will never do it again.
(1)Laura B.
Okay, so this restaurant is more a blend between Chinese and Thai food. That being said, the food is delicious. I have been eating there for almost a year and never yet had a meal that I did not like. The apetizers alone can be very filling. They are also fast. Your food comes quickly, and the servers are always attentive. All in all, an excellent place to eat.
(4)Sara G.
I love Thai Basil. For this spot, I'm strictly a to-go girl, but that's also because delivery is super fast and they are always friendly. This is a great spot to call in an order on you way home from work when you are too tired to cook - its reasonably priced and you always have enough for leftovers - big portions! My favorites are the potstickers (maybe my favorite potstickers in Denver), and the hot and sour soup. I also love the pad thai with veggies and the pad see lew chicken. If you want a kick, go for the spicy drunken noodle. My husband also loves the curries. This is my favorite delivery spot in Denver. By far. I did give it 5 stars because if you know what you want - quick, well-priced delivery - then Thai Basil is the best.
(5)Brenda L.
I came here because One Fold next door was closed. I came for the lunch & tried the pad thai for under $8 & a Thai tea. I liked that the Thai tea's 1/2 & 1/2 wasn't premixed & I liked the modern bowl that my pad thai came in. The Thai tea was too sweet however. The noodles had sprigs of cilantro on top that were mostly leafless. The pad thai was super saucy but overly sour. I didn't get asked what kind of meat I wanted with my pad thai but I was given shrimp & chicken. I got medium spice which wasn't overly spicy for me but my stomach felt the heat afterward during my car ride home. The decor here is interesting. There's an outdoor space for dining with fake grass & the indoor space is heavily decorated in Thai sculptures, bamboo & stained glass windows. It feels like a Thai church. Other menu items include panang curry, pad see lew (not ew), drunken noodles, sesame chicken & many more.
(2)Jenna N.
I can't help but love Thai Basil. I know it's probably not the most authentic Thai food, but for me it's my favorite comfort food. I think their food is quite delicious and flavorful, and delivery is insanely fast! It's taken only 15-20 minutes at times for my delivery to show up. Compared to other places in Uptown that deliver, it's simply unheard of. My favorites are pad thai with chicken, panang curry (just the right amount of spice for me), and orange beef. Serving sizes are large and I always have leftovers for lunch the next day.
(4)Robin P.
The very definition of average: not too good, not too bad. I don't think I would tell my friends about this place, but Yelpers, here it goes. Hmmm, the wording came out badly on that. Of course, I consider you all my friends. Silly me. I love spice. Spice spice spice, all day long. Which is why I love Thai food because I like to taunt myself with the heat and make myself sweat. Hey, I don't go to the gym, so I have to sweat somehow... This place does not make me sweat. The Pad Thai is flavorful. Big chunks of white meat chicken with a few shrimp thrown in. It is a bit greasy, but that is just Pad Thai for ya. I did however ask for it spicy. I saw the red pepper flakes in my dish, but spicy? Pish posh. I mixed in some habanero sauce to kick up my palette. Made it edible. The green curry was mediocre. Again, I like spice. Where's the spicy curry that I ordered? If I ask for something spicy and I still have to add spice to it, there is a problem. Decent flavor though. Not the best, not the worst. Well my friends (see what I did there? I call you all friends), I don't think I will be back.
(2)Justin B.
Came here for a lunch meeting recently and was not impressed. First off, this really is a Chinese restaurant masquerading as Thai. Sauces are thicker, I don't detect fish sauce or birds eye chiles... No pictures of the Thai royal family on the wall. Didn't seem authentic at all. I ordered Spicy Garlic Shrimp ($8.50 for lunch portion). It was EXTREMELY salty, which really overpowered any other favors present. It wasn't very spicy, either, for something with "spicy" in the title. I asked for chile condiments and was told I could have Sriracha but that dried chile flakes or chile paste was not an option. I love Sriracha but not on Thai food. The fried fried rice did have a nice dense consistency. There was a lot of food for the price, but I don't know that I'd call it a value. Service was a bit surly and hurried. They reached over my table mate several times to hand me something rather than walking around the table to reach me in a less obtrusive manner. Decor was haphazard and starting to show its age. I'd recommend heading elsewhere for your Thai kick, folks.
(2)Christina B.
I had ordered for delivery and literally 5 minutes after, I saw I had a coupon. I was told that it was too late and my food was on its way. There's no way that's true seeing as I LITERALLY JUST ORDERED. I mentioned it , and the man on the phone said "do you think I'm lying?" I was absolutely blown away by the immaturity. I live a mile, maybe two down the road. It doesn't take 25 minutes to get here. Obviously he WAS lying about it being "too late". It's not even about that, I didn't care much about the coupon but the way I was treated left an even worse taste in my mouth than this mediocre food. I say go to the new Asian grill down the street.
(2)Amanda N.
The drunken noodles are amazing, as are the potstickers. The service is the reason I'm knocking off two stars. Walked in, stood for about five minutes before being acknowledged. I love the booths they have, they're beautiful and fun. That said, another five+ minutes for water, more for drinks, the server was rushed and inattentive. She would stare at our table while walking by, and then keep going. There were three other tables in the restaurant! C'mon, now! Twenty minutes to order food. Sigh. The food though - yum! Husband had the panang curry, which I liked, he said it was good, but he liked my drunken noodles better - which I agree with! It was a perfect dish. Great portion sizes, too. It's all about service, unfortunately, and this girl just didn't cut it. I will say, prices are fair. For three people, with three entrees, an appetizer, and five cocktails - $75 including tip? That's not bad at all. I'll come back, but at least this time I'll know what to expect on the service front.
(3)Andrew W.
But however when we ordered we asked for 4-5 star hot and delivered without any spice at all? White potato in a red curry? Way more Chinese than Thai!
(1)Eva D.
You know the feeling you get when you try to make thai food at home, but the results are wholly underwhelming, due to the pronounced lack of 3-4 key aromatic ingredients ? That's how these imposters get down. Don't go !
(1)Stephen K.
I know most people don't come here for what I ended up getting, but I decided on the Vietnamese Slaw salad and Chicken Coconut soup for lunch here with a coworker. The salad was pretty sizable, and had great flavor and texture to it. My go-to thing at Thai places is usually some kind of noodle dish, but I was trying to avoid the dreaded post-lunch carb coma and decided to try something moderately good for my body. The menu desc sounds simple, but it's really worth checking out -- if they're consistent about making it here. The chicken coconut soup was creamy and rich-tasting and very satisfying; wasn't short on chicken amount either. I was amused enough by the entryway Buddha statuette with the surveillance camera perched over its shoulder so I took a pic of it. ;) Service was good, never got to that point where the trigger went off and I was wondering "where is my meal?" Friend liked it too, so...good job Thai Basil; keep it up.
(4)Holly H.
Service is quick, but detached and morose like a 16 year old at the dinner table without their precious phone. The food is awful. Pad Thai was tart, like they had made the sauce with ketchup and then a cup of salt. On my 5th bite I chomped down on a substantially sized egg shell. Unpleasant.
(1)Erin N.
Came here for a Saturday dinner - service was great & the food was too! We will be back!! I had the curry tofu & peanut sauce.
(4)Dennis G.
This place is great for what it is...a cheap, quick Asian fusion place. It's not really authentic, but it's not trying to be. Been ordering from here a lot since my fav Denver Chinese place closed down (China Star...RIP!) and have not really been disappointed. The pad thai and drunken noodles are great, as is the chili lime beef and thai basil chicken. My GF gets the curries and I like them too. This place is great for a hungover Sunday delivery option. Not so great to impress on a date or to out-of-towners or anything like that. Tip: Don't bother with their hot and sour soup (not that you should from a Thai place anyways, but still...)
(4)Becca D.
So over the years the food has remained pretty good - it's still authentic, affordable, and the portions are generous. However, the service has gone down hill. It's Saturday night and it was pretty dead in there. Maybe it's because you don't receive the attention and gratitude (for dining in their restaurant/spending money) you're hoping for when dining in a nicer restaurant. Our waitress didn't fully understand what we were asking for, and only stopped at the table once after we ordered, until we were done with our meal. And strangely, the manager walked by our table several times, yet never stopped to great is, check on our meal satisfaction, or even fill our waters when they were empty. (I actually got up from the table and went to the waiter station to get a refill). The manager did apologize for this though. Anyway, it's an average dining experience, and nothing more.
(3)Aaron V.
Especially for the price, Thai Basil is tasty and fast. I've gotten take out here several times, ordered different stuff each time, and it's always reliably delish. If you are looking for good, quick, and well-priced, this is a winner.
(4)Caroline D.
It's quite weird for me to give a Thai restaurant only 3 stars because I am the biggest Thai food fan in the world; however, I left the restaurant thinking that Thai Basil is one of those places that you will forget about in a month or two. Honestly, I did not like the restaurant's design so maybe that's why I was not going to have a good time there, no matter how good or bad the food was. I liked my shrimps with tamarind sauce, spicy scallops and coconut shrimp but they were not good enough to make me want to come back. Service was slow, I wanted to order a second drink but by the time the server approached us again we were done with our food. I was neither disappointed nor impressed but next time I am in a mood for Thai food I will probably try a different restaurant.
(3)Mackenzie S.
Spicy scallops, shrimp with tamarind sauce and coconut shrimp. So delicious and delivered hot and exactly when I asked for it to be delivered. Absolutely 5 stars!
(5)Helen D.
Ordered delivery. Had the thai soup ( good but had larger than bite sized veggie chunks in them... nothing like tom yum if that is what you are expecting), spring rolls (average), & chicken satay (average). Quick delivery :-)
(3)D F.
Absolutely horrific customer service. I will never spend another dime at this place and would make sure friends know to avoid. An item was left off our order (which was ordered as I heard my mother read it off the list and specified the spicy level) . When I called to regarding this, both people I spoke to where more concerned about making sure we knew it was our fault then simply making the order (a dish we were going to pay for as it we weren't charged for it either). We live 2.5 miles away and they refused to deliver. As I asked for them to move past whoever fault it was regarding why the dish was not made and have it made and delivered to us the retort was "Well that may work well for YOU but that doesn't work well for us". To which I replied "What will work best for us to not to ever order from you again." and hung up. This is a LARGE city Thai Basil and one that is growing. It might behoove you to learn some manners and customer service so as you are able to continue to be a business as this city grows. Frankly though, given how nasty you all are, I think it's best for this place to be avoided and hopefully close down to make room for better restaurants with decent hard-working people.
(1)Rob W.
I have been a patron of this place for at least 6 years. I am a young business professional that lives in the downtown Denver area. I dont cook much so I get take out a lot. An usually once a month at Thai Basil. On my last visit I asked for Soy Sauce and Sriracha for my togo order. The guy at the front desk told me it was going to cost an additional 75 cents. Thats a bunch of bull since I have never been charged this in the past and it would have been free if I would have eaten inside the restaurant. I will not return anymore unless I get a response from the staff.
(1)Nomad T.
Glad we went despite the Yelp reviews. Warning, though: The fantastic beer specials are a MYTH. I asked, there were no specials. We got the panang curry and pad Thai, and two (full priced) beers. Both were good, food was fresh, well presented. I've been to Thailand and Thai restaurants all over the country. Wasn't mind blowing, but definitely passing score for a neighborhood Thai place. Price was decent -- $25.90 after tax. Will return.
(4)Dylan D.
I should've posted this sooner but didn't. I ordered pad Thai chicken with shrimp on the Sunday before Labor Day and was sick with food poisoning for two days after, very badly, even taking a day off from work. I'm not 100% positive it was the food from thai basil but the timing makes it very likely it was. This has been my only bad experience here. Just thought the restaurant may like to know.
(1)Marla C.
Food was ok, not great. But the service was awful. Surprised how rude they were really, won't order from there again.
(2)Jeff H.
I just had Thai Basil on 18th Street cater a lunch for 30 people today. I was a bit nervous because I love Thai food and was not sure how it would go over for a general audience. I was impressed not only by the quality and quantity of food but also the delivery/service was outstanding. The food was delivered exactly on time, as ordered and the group LOVED the food. I ordered somewhat conservatively but the Panang Curry (yes, curry for a general group) and even the Thai Eggplant were hits. The Sesame Chicken was the first to run out - should have doubled that one. I do this meeting about once a month and I have to say that they really did a great job - especially since I only ordered the day before! Some serving utensils would have made it absolutely perfect I was easily able to scrounge those up so it was not the end of the world. Just would have been a nice touch. They are definitely on my regular rotation now.
(5)Karan S.
Visits: 12+ times Duration: Over 2 years (2011-2013) No. of Diners: from a party of 3 to our biggest 25 people Value: Good Food: Excellent Ambience: Very Good Customer Service: Good Recommended :-)
(4)Kevin K.
Not really worth it at all... I'm sure there's much better Thai places around town if you look. Chicken wings were nice and crispy but why were they only dunked in sauce just to the tip? Drunken noodles tasted like burning plastic. Bangkok chicken basil wasn't bad. I know the waitress doesn't speak very much English but at least she could have smiled...
(2)David M.
Hot spicy food stimulates the endophin center of your brain and makes you smile. Maybe that's why I'm giving Thai Basil 3 stars instead of 2. (So why's it say 2 stars? Read on). The lunch of drunken noodles that I had was OK, but not a full 3 star "A OK." Maybe a "C+ OK." I ordered it with shrimp that costs you a buck more than with chicken or tofu. Too few shrimp. Too bland a taste for drunken noodles. = Too disappointing, when I'd looked forward to a really good version of the dish, given that they'd previously won some kind of award for their food. Little depth of flavor and merely alright noodles make not a winner. Bottom line: The Thai Cart Lady and The Thai Monkey Club have wayyyyyy better drunken noodles. Hmmmmm. The endorphin rush is now over so I'm changing the rating back to what it legitimately should be: 2 stars. Sorry, Thai Basil. That brain drug thang will only get ya so far.
(2)Alissa R.
i work just a block away from this Thai Basil, and find myself ordering from there every other week or so. I usually crave the "vietnamese-style" rice noodle bowl and always request it spicy. I have had problems with it actually coming "spicy"- sometimes given an explanation over the phone that "they don't do that dish spicy" even though i have had it that way dozens of times. and one other qualm, i have tried all of the soups there, and they all super disappoint the palate. seriously. the won ton soup is by far the best, but that's only because the actual LACK in flavor. the base for green curry is tasty, but they pile in way too many bell peppers, onions, and sour bamboo.(love peppers and onion but what about some real veggies, mushrooms? eggplant? snap peas?) all in all, its enjoyably edible on a sub-par level, but every dish just seems to be missing something.....
(3)Mary Anne M.
Have ordered here at least 3 times in past few months. This review is sum of all visits. Ordered different entrees with different levels of spice varying from mild to Thai spicy. Each time, no heat variation was even detectable and it wasn't just me (I'm 1/2 Thai so might be biased), even my 7 year old couldn't tell. Delivery was quick. Appetizers were what you'd expect for fast food delivery. Asian style pork chop was basically two layers of fried panko bread crumbs, couldn't really find the pork. Cost is reasonable. Will likely order again but I'll avoid the pork chop and be much more specific about heat.
(3)Nicole W.
FYI - there is parking the back! We went here on the recommendation of a couple of good friends. First time we ate in, and those chairs are super low compared to the table! Second time we did take out, and that worked well! I did different eggplant dishes both time and wasn't super thrilled. But the mushrooms used in those dishes are absolutely amazing!! Crab rangoons - mmmm! Real-ish crab in there! Yummy! Staff is usually running around doing everything and anything! And yes, you can get left alone at the front waiting for a table or pick up - but know that they are coming! I'll be back to try the rest of the options on the menu!
(4)Jacob M.
I've been ordering from the Thai basil on alameda for years and the food is always excellent. This is the second time I have ordered from the 18th street location and both times have been terrible. The food arrives in under 20 min. And tastes obviously microwaved. Why am I paying this much for food that is so obviously reheated? This time the tequila lime beef is a partially raw, grey, slimey mess. Did the cooks try and cook the whole dish in the microwave? How could you possibly make this and deliver to my door in 20 min? Disgusting. Do yourself a favor and order from the alameda location.
(1)Ivy D.
OK, I admit I wasn't happy before I even started my meal. I mean why would you deliver food to a hotel guest and not provide utensils. Sorry, I don't pack utensils when I travel. In any case, I wasn't impressed with my food. I've had great, good, and mediocre Thai food, but this was less than mediocre. The Thai spicy soup was a little bit spicy, but barely warm and bland. The crispy egg rolls were bleh. The drunken noodles dish was barely ok compared to the rest. None of the food tasted authentic.
(2)john W.
How it is we've lived downtown for 4 years now and haven't been eating at Thai Basil weekly, i dunno. But that's in the past!! I branched out and tried something new (normally I go Pad Thai) and man, was that the right choice, it was awesome. Can't wait to go back
(4)Wes B.
We tried Thai Basil tonight for and have to say Meh. The service was very nice but not as attentive as I would have preferred. The thai spring rolls that we got for appetizers were excellent especially with the peanut sauce. However, the entrees were honestly pretty bland. I ordered my thai basil chicken thai hot and I didn't even detect that the dish was spicy. I was never checked on once my entree was out; which is sad because I love a good spicy thai dish. It's ok but its not worth going out of your way.
(3)Mark T.
Thai Basil is yet another example of restaurants that attempt to offer more than one Asian cuisine. I think the concept abhorrent. Imagine going to a European restaurant that offered schnitzel, farfalle pasta, and coq au vin. I went there thinking it was a Thai restaurant but there on the menu were edamame, hot & sour soup, kung pao chicken, and Vietnamese spring rolls. Oh well. When I go to a Thai restaurant for the first time, I typically order standards: a starter of the Tom Yum Gai (spicy chicken soup) and then Pad thai. They had no Tom Yum Gai on the menu; the Pad Thai was mediocre. Service was equally so. First we were offered a table next to the door (it was a cold night: I don't think so), then after I ordered a beer we were informed that there was a beer special. Et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. Conclusion: I see no point in going back.
(2)Our Y.
Bad food. Went twice and both times quality was subpar. Tried 4 dishes and all were bad.
(2)Jacob C.
I've only been in Thai Basil once to pick up a carry-out order and it actually looks pretty nice in there. Someday, I'll have to dine in the actual restaurant, but I mostly get it delivered (which takes about the amount of time you'd expect 40-45 mins). Their Thai-Fried rice is awesome and a steal considering the enormous portion you get.
(4)Lauren C.
I don't like a lot of thai food but I love this place. When I lived around the corner I got the chicken satay an embarrassing amount of times per month. I believe the takeout minimum is $15 so I'd throw in some edamame or miso to tip it over the edge. Delivery was/is always quick and have not found chicken satay I like better in the area yet.
(4)Nivin Q.
Good Pad Thai, Drunken Noodles, and Panang! The Indonesian Chicken salad with peanut sauce is exquisite, and super fresh! I dine here at least once a week, and not just because it's a minute away from work--though that does make it quite convenient for a mile long lunch order with my co-workers! The service is great, and the waiting staff is sweet, even as I've inconvenienced them with special requists (I like it Thai spicy, regardless of the consequences) and multiple forms of payment. The food is very flavorful, but often doused in sauce (which is fabulous if you like extra sauce, not too great if you don't). Overall, good food, and I'm definitely a fan.
(4)Marty M.
Not good. Both the pad see ew and pad thai were poor. The pad see ew noodles were cheap egg noodles not the standard wide noodle. Sauces on both dishes were too salty and just off.
(1)W B.
It was good. I love Thai food though. Had spring rolls and Drunken Noodles. Loved the spring rolls and peanut sauce (wish it was spicier), the drunken noodles were good. Lots of chicken and it all had a good flavor. It was very slow to serve.
(3)Cheyne M.
Average. Not sure this is a "true" Thai restaurant - more Asian Fusion or Chinese. The food was better than expected, but definitely not authentic Thai. And what's up with the bizarrely high tables? I'm 6'2" and I felt like a midget! Definitely takes away from the dining experience. Also, the wait staff didn't seem very knowledgeable (people sitting next to me had to explain what a "Vodka Cranberry" was, and then I know they ordered a plate of spring rolls that were never delivered -- and we were basically the only ones there!). Overall, good - not bad - but if you want above average Thai, go somewhere else. If you're new to Thai food and want food options besides Thai, then this is the place for you. It's your grandparents Thai restaurant -- at least mine ;)
(3)Ann A.
I go in here for (2) things on the menu: The sesame chicken (not exactly Thai) and the chicken coconut soup. From all the Asian I've eaten in this metro area, they do the VERY BEST on both. Seriously. (I used to come in for the Thai Spring rolls, which they do quite well, too....but I sure miss the cilantro they used to have in 'em...) We get outstanding service each time we're in. Its clean and pleasant dining.
(4)Anna D.
This place has really gone downhill. Today we ordered from them for the first time in a couple of years, and it was a really weird experience. Our lo mein was actually spaghetti noodles (seriously, no joke) with some kind of bland sauce, and our sesame tofu tasted sweet and weird and ketchupy and kind of fell apart when I tried to eat it. It's got to be pretty bad for me not to eat until I'm full, but I just couldn't do it. It seems as though they are trying to cut corners and the food is suffering because of it.
(1)Claire J.
I'm only giving one star because my husband loves their Panang Curry, but if giving zero stars was an option, I would. I have tried, many times, to like Thai Basil. The only reason I keep trying is because my husband loves their Panang, and ordering take-out from 2 different restaurants is silly. We have never dined-in, btw. We always order takeout. Their Pad-See-Lew is boring and dry, and it's usually my favorite dish at just about any other Thai/Malaysian restaurant. Same with their Pad-Thai. They have a lot of Chinese dishes on the menu for a Thai restaurant, and so last time, I tried the Szechuan Chicken. It was inedible. I mean, horrible. It's hard to describe... it certainly didn't taste like any Szechuan sauce I'd ever had. It had no taste.... yet what little taste there was was so unappetizing. The veggies were slimy, the mushroom pieces were huge and kind of grossed me out, and the chicken tasted freezer-burned. I tried picking out the chicken and doctoring that with stuff in my fridge, and even that didn't help. I gave up, and declared that was the last time I'd ever eat their food. What a waste. While my husband happily chowed on his Panang, I had to settle for a grilled cheese sandwich, and we wasted 10 bucks on my entree.
(1)Matt B.
Love their red and green curries! One of my favorite places to pick-up to take home. Healthy portions for their price ($8-9), great flavor. Vegetables are little weak.
(4)Jisha J.
I always judge Thai places based on their Pad Thai. It's my favorite Thai dish, so of course I have to get it any time I go to a Thai restaurant. I did not like the Pad Thai here at Thai Basil. It was overly sweet and their chicken pieces were very dry. This place is very close to my latest rotation and so of course I was excited to try it. Everyone loves Thai Basil supposedly, but I think it's because it's close and a good alternative to Subway or Quiznos. I went here another time this past week and got some fried rice. It was nothing special, and so my opinion really did not change. The restaurant itself is small and cozy. It is a nice place to have a quiet lunch with a friend or coworker. The staff is nice and polite. Overall, I probably wouldn't be frequenting this place again if it's by my choice. I've had better Thai food elsewhere.
(2)Robert L.
Ordered curry lime beef, a little to lightly seasoned but good. Rice was perfect and so was the crab and cheese wontons. My partner got sesame chicken and it was delicious.
(4)Blotch S.
I've been here a few times, and usually get the Spicy Eggplant for lunch. For around $6, it really can't be beat. It's delicious and a ton of food (usually it'll stretch for lunch and then dinner left-overs.) However, as many other people have pointed out, it's not exactly what I'd call authentic Thai. I've also been left to wait an awkward amount of time before someone would acknowledge us to be seated. Once at a table, however, the service has always been friendly and prompt.
(3)Ali W.
Is this a Thai place or a Chinese place? What kind of Thai place serves wonton soup, kung pao chicken, and Szechuan chicken? The last time I checked, Szechuan was still in China. Sure the portions are pretty large, but the food really isn't that great. It's like some (Chinese!) chef just put a bunch of stuff in a wok and haphazardly fried it. For lunch, entrees are served with fried rice; for dinner, entrees are served with white rice. You know what that means, right? They re-fry last night's white rice for lunch. I have ordered take-out from this place a few times 'cuz it's cheap, and what annoys me the most is that they repeatedly give me more menus. I specifically tell them I already have one stuck to my fridge from the last take-out, but they look at me funny and say, "But I already stapled this one to your bag." So...take it off. 'Cuz I sure will when I get home. At least I recycle. 1 star off: obviously not Earth-friendly 1 star off: obviously not Thai 1 star off: obviously would not get many stars from me
(2)Adrienne L.
Though I usually like my pad thai 10x spicer, I've become a big fan of Thai Basil. They deliver fast (even on a Friday night!), accommodate all of my weird food quirks and are endlessly friendly. It's also a great deal; I think I pay around $8 for an entree that easily makes two meals. You can't beat that. OK well you can, but it's McDonald's and not Thai food.
(4)Mitsuko I.
I think Thai Basil is really overrated. I went with a group of friends, and my friend and I decided to share green curry. We both are Asians, but we are not super picky. We sometimes eat at Asian "fusion" restaurants, and although they are not authentic, some food taste good. The curry was horrible - two of us did not finish it because it tasted really bad. The vegetables were undercooked, and more than anything, it tasted like sugar, not coconut milk. I've lived in Southeast Asia and have been to Thailand many times. I know this is not how green curry tastes like... So since then I've never gone back. I just cook green curry myself instead and I know it tastes much better. Please do not think Thai Basil is authentic. It is far from it!
(1)Ava K.
I did not like the food here at all. I thought it was mediocre Thai food at best. I had the Pad Thai, Red Curry, and Thai iced tea. Not enough flavor at all! Needless to say, I won't be going back.
(1)Alex W.
I really like this place, it's down the street from me, well priced, and I eat there constantly, the food is always good. I've had 'meh' service a couple times, but only on off hours since they are open all the time. The only thing I wish they had was online ordering.
(5)Micah R.
Food gets 2 stars - nothing to write home about. Beer gets 5 stars - 25-50cents per beer with purchase of an entree! Average = 3 stars - weighted analysis is both accurate and flexible
(3)Jeff S.
I got take out from this location earlier this week, they took my order and were at my front door in 11 minutes! Super quick, i want even ready for them. Food is great, large portions, enough for lunch the next day. I highly recommend their delivery service, more expensive than a cheap Chinese food delivery place, but also way better, expect $10-14 per person, plus tip.
(4)Kelsey S.
Decent thai food (although more of a mix of chinese and thai than really authentic thai food), relatively cheap prices. I personally prefer the place for take-out. If you live in the neighborhood, keep an eye out in your mailbox as they sometimes send out their menus and they have coupons on them for free appetizers. Parking in the back, quiet inside, and quick service. If you're looking for a new takeout place, give it a try!
(3)Nick J.
I'm a fan, particularly of Thai Basil's lunch special. You get a lot of food. I almost always order the same thing, the thai curry lime beef. Yum. Lots of curry lime beef with mainly bell peppers and some other veggies served with rice and an egg roll, all for $6.75. I haven't tried a majority of the menu, which people seem to have mixed feelings about. But the service is always good when dining in. Although, the tables are way too high for the chairs which makes eating there slightly uncomfortable at times. Still, the food is good, the service is friendly and the lunch special is a bargain.
(4)Caleb C.
Stopped in here for carryout last week. Wanted to get some wonton soup to cure the common cold. The woman who greeted me appeared to not be having a good day. Have eaten Thai food here before and experience was great! This time . . . not so great!. The wonton soup tasted burnt . . . . like they had scrapped the bottom of a burned wok to add flavor. Couldn't eat more than one spoon full.
(1)Alexandra F.
I went here with a friend that I had not seen in a while, and I barely touched my Pud Thai. Like Shiho, it was greasy, and a bit slimy and I was a disappointed. Luckily, I had ordered a side of chicken skewers, which were fine as long as I dripped them in the peanut sauce. Of course, they never give you enough chicken and I pretended like I was full so I didn't have to be embarrassing to my friend and return my dish. * Star one for the nice decor, which is hip ** Oh what a nut star two is for the peanut sauce, which was good, but I guess anything with peanut butter and sugar will be tasty *** Nice to see you again star three is for being a good central location to meet my friend for a quick bite This place must be as boring as this review... Will somebody shake me awake please! Hello?
(3)Nick R.
Myself and my girlfriend have ordered delivery from here a couple times. The delivery is always fast and the prices aren't too bad....but the food is pretty bad. This past time she had ordered one of the sweeter curries, which was pretty decent. I had pad thai, which was AWFUL. It tasted like noodles with sweet and sour sauce, nothing close to what it should have been. You'd think that a place with "Thai" in the name would be able to make a halfway decent pad thai, but no. I'd say avoid this place and hit up Tommy's.
(2)Jeff C.
I have gotten delivery from this place a few years ago when I worked in the area and thought it was good. I also drive by it all the time and think that it looks like a cool place. So today I went in for dinner for the first time here. I like the establishment. It is a small, quaint and charming place. Feels more "authentic" to me than the chain Thai restaurants--yes I am aware this is a chain, but does not seem like it to me. I was here pretty early for dinner, so the service was good. I started off with chicken coconut soup. It was good and rich but did not seem as complex as other chicken coconut soup I have had before. It was raining/snowing so it was a good choice today. For dinner I had the Panang and I thought it was good. It started off with a sweetness to it, but finished with a mildly spicy taste. I had the beef and it was very tender and had a surprisingly good amount of beef in it. I was full at the end, but could have eaten the remainder of the broth like soup. I recommend coming here and I think it is a nice change from crowded, large similar type restaurants that have no ambiance.
(4)Sarah P.
Just "okay." The food is hit or miss - some dishes are great, fresh, well balanced. Others are just a greasy pile of noodles. The portions are big and the prices are modest.
(3)Chris T.
There aren't enough words to describe how amazing this place is. The Chicken Curry with Peanut Sauce, the Thai Basil Chicken, the Shrimp Rolls, the Thai Iced Teas... I stop here when I'm in town because its right next to Presbyterian St Luke's Hospital (where I work), but even if it weren't, I would trek over 100 miles to sit in the lovely oversized-run down chairs and eat until I feel like I'm going to burst. Oh blessed owners of this fine establishment. You have introduced this pathetic excuse for a city to the finest cuisine this side of the Arizona border. Keep up the amazing, authentic, and absolute yumness that is your food!
(4)Newsha N.
I've been going here for a few years, and I always order something different, and I have yet to be let down. Now I realize, it's not authentic, but it tastes good. They have a few healthy dishes on the menu, and you can request brown rice. In addition, I like spicy food, and there are a few dishes on their menu that I consider spicy enough to make me cry. What can I say, I like to cry while I eat. This place is also great for low key dates, or dates with people you're not sure you want to see again (hah--I know I'm bad). No need to get super dressed up, and hey, if you're make up isn't perfect, it's dark, so he wont notice.
(4)Shannon W.
This is for first-time delivery only. I was invited to a Yelp event tonight, where I was certain to meet my fledgling phone-voice crush, Scott P (ah, hell, let's prolong the blush, see my Enzo's review). Alas, I am currently switching between the couch and my desk, pecking away on my computer keyboard to satisfy someone else's workplace fire drill. So I thought about ordering in some chinese food from my old stalwart, Wok Uptown. But I was craving something with a different taste profile, and decided it would be Thai. Or, as I have never been to Thailand but imagine that somehow I do, in fact, know from Thai, I was going to order "Thai"-ish food. I looked up reviews on Yelp (duhr) and decided to take a chance on it. Cue the music. If you change your mind, I'm the first in line Honey I'm still free Take a chance on me If you need me, let me know, gonna be around If you've got no place to go, if you're feeling down If you're all alone when the pretty birds have flown Honey I'm still free Take a chance on me Gonna do my very best and it ain't no lie If you put me to the test, if you let me try Take a chance on me (takeachancetakeachancetakeachance) Take a chance on me Well, so, not totally impressive. I got the sesame tofu and Thai Fried Rice, which has a few shrimp thrown in there. Granted, it was negative two out, but I do still have to mention the food arrived not quite warm. After a quick jizz in the micro, it was more than edible. Well, after I deviened my own shrimp, GROSS. Also note, this appears to be one of those place where the makers just Do.Not.Believe. that whitey can stand the heat. Even though I asked for menu items already marked as 'spicy' to be even hotter. I may order from there again as part of my b-string rotation.
(2)Robert A.
In the evening hours between 6-10, Thai Basil has 25¢ domestic and 50¢ import beers. Based on that one previous and petty sentence, I should've been able to give this place 5 stars, yet i gave it four. You ask, " Robert, why shy it a star?" A.) It took this place too long to tell me that instead of having the food delivered to my house, i could've been there drinking their severely reduced-priced beer. That is, if only I had been eating AT Thai Basil and paying forward all the delivery tips toward a really cheap import , or two, or three (but not four--limit 3), while i waited for my food, then perhaps i would've liked the food better. Convenience can be a bitch like that. B.) My taste buds have masochistic tendencies. They're kinda' like a freaky porn star. Like, when it comes to eating curry I want my taste buds to be beat into submission; gang-raped by spicy intricacies and left wanting more (or, at least telling myself I could handle more). Thai basil don't put out like that. In fact, i might dare to go as far as say their curries are actually a bit unflavorful. But hey, the pork lo mein is nice and greasy and tasty and goes great with a 50¢ Kirin. And the tofu pad thai is pretty decent, too.
(4)Josh V.
Walked in here at lunch, had to wait in the non air-conditioned waiting area on a hot day. No one decided to acknowledge our presence for 10 minutes, I assume because of the slight crowd and the 3 person line. This was unacceptable especially for an Asian place, so we left and went down the street to Wok. I will not be returning.
(1)Megan W.
There are those scrumptious foods that you crave and nothing but said food will do. Thai Basil's chicken Panang is one of those foods for me. Everything I have had here has been really tasty, but the panang is... well the best. I have it delivered. Quite frequently. The delivery is fast and the deliverers aren't even scary!! WOAH! But seriously, the food is great, the service is fast and friendly. Plus there is always enough panang for at least 2 meals!! MMM!
(4)Kerith F.
My office ordered 10 lunches, which I neatly typed out for their convenience which I faxed over, only to find out it doesn't work. Might wanna fix that. So I called to place the order. The gentleman read it back to me so we can place names on each order. It was read back correctly and a total was given to me. Upon delivery, we realized they forgot an order. I called so that this could be fixed and "Shawn" said I never ordered it. I explained to him that whoever read the order back correctly, and the total included it. He said he would bring it to our office, but whenever they could get it to us as they are 'really busy' (office being less than 2 blocks away). I asked to speak to a manager and he insisted they don't have on their today. I told them this was unacceptable and that their mess-up needs to be remedied as we are having an ofice lunch. They did bring the food over promptly, however, "Shawn" and his willingness to fix the problem IS a problem. Overall, service, meh...mediocre at best. We will be taking our orders somewhere else from now on.
(2)Annette R.
Ok, so there's only one bad thing about this place, let's get it out of the way right off the bat; Both times I have been there, there's been numerous piles of vomit outside. I suspect this is due to their 25 and 50 cent beer specials and not the food. Having said that, I will definitely return. I have an odd relationship with thai food. I have been to thailand and loved the food, upon my return to the US, I found that I hated everything labeled thai food that I could find here. It made no sense to me as I loved all of the ingredients that went into it. I kept on trying, determined to find SOMETHING that I would love again. Thai Basil is that place. Is it authentic? No, not really, but the flavors are all there and in really delicious proportions. This place has a great menu full of chinese, thai and even some vietnamese favorites, so there is something for everyone. The servings are MASSIVE and everything has been amazing so far. The soups are all to-die-for good, full of fantastically fresh veggies and just the right amount of spices. If you're not sure what to get, try the hong kong noodles, you get a little bit of everything, shrimp, chicken, beef and a bunch of different veggies all on top of noodles that are crispy on the outside and soft in the middle, SO good. The restaurant itself is well decorated and the servers are not overly friendly but nice enough and get the job done. I am desperately hoping that they deliver to me as then I can avoid the vomit altogether.
(4)Christina B.
Pad Thai is the BEST! I have had it other places and it is always dry with little flavor but here it is perfect.
(5)Miguel S.
Really good food and super fresh. Waitress was very nice and didn't bother me. The Orange Chicken was soooo good after a long hard day at work.
(4)Holly K.
This is my favorite Thai restaurant. I love most dishes and my #1 choice is the Panang. The best panang I have had. Each location of Thai Basil differs in preparation. Some locations I like a lot, and some not so much. I would give them 4 plus stars if they were consistent.
(3)Alicia P.
In the past few years my opinion of Thai Basil (any location in Denver-area) has declined. The last two times I've ordered the Tofu Pad Thai (home delivery) I've gotten sick. I use to love the pineapple curry with Tofu but they changed the recipe a while ago and I feel like the quality has gone down. I still crave it once and a while but I ignore the cravings now and go to Swing Thai instead.
(2)Molly P.
Thai Basil will always be a favorite. Fresh, healthy and fast.
(5)Ike N.
Great food! great service! a nice experience !!!
(5)Cristina G.
Ok so I could have loved it but the pieces of tofu were huge and way too many. i did really like the fact that there was red onion on my pad thai! I have never had red onion on my pad thai and it was sooooo good.The dish itself was very watery though. I think I will have it again though but it is a question since the tofu was really overwhelming. There was more tofu than noodles in the dish. My husband got the thai fried rice without shrimp and tofu instead. He really really liked his and all the veggies that came with it.
(3)Rico S.
I herd this place had good sesame chicken. I ordered it they delivered it under thirty minutes, they used all white chicken breast, the delivery man was friendly! I am sold they place may not be the best asian joint i have had but they are surely above 85% of the places i have visited in Denver.
(4)Lauren R.
Now, Im going to review the other one on Alameda and give it another star for the slightly better service, and let it be known that I do think Thai Basil has the best Thai in town (with the exception of TOTTS sesame chicken) but sweet mother of god in heaven, are they blind there or what? I dont want to feel like a dick when I ask you for the hundreth time where my drink is, or if I can have another fork. I dont want to feel like Im hurting you, which is the way you make me feel. It aint personal, baby. Just bring me my fucking fork and drink so we can get on with this party and break up nice. The food and the atmosphere are fantastic, I could live on their Shrimp with Tomato Sauce alone. Their plate presentation is appetizing and generous, and the rice is always shaped in the form of hearts, or stars. This is a plus for my crafty ass. But the service stinks. Plain and simple. You will walk into this place and there will be only two tables filled, yet the waitstaff is dashing madly all over the place, lighting candles for tables that I can only assume family ghosts are sitting at, as they are empty, yet still getting served quicker than I, and pointedly ingnoring you until you have to get nasty. The point of my rant? Get it to go, or get delivery. The mindfuck of trying to actually eat here is far from worth it. Oh, and PS? The Pad Thai sucks. That is the one and only thing I recommend you go to Tommys Thai for.
(3)Rip W.
A bunch of conflicting reviews for this one! My vote - great stuff. This is one of the Thai joints in Denver that actually listens to you when you ask for extra hot and spicy. Now granted, I am stuck on 2 dishes - chicken Pad Thai and Sesame tofu - but they have been excellent every time I order them and they are almost always hot enough to make my eyelids sweat as long as I remember to reiterate the request. I have never had a problem with the service, but I have only eaten in once. But I have had the take-out probably 15 times in the past month. If I eat here too many more times I am going to have to switch from calling it "Thai Food" to just calling it "Food".
(4)Sarah F.
This food was really weird and very overpriced. I could tolerate it more if it were about 1/2 what it cost because it tastes like it was heavily flavored with shortcut seasoning. $5 for 6 wontons? Thats almost $1 per wonton! I ordered the Vietnamese eggrolls and they were so weird and gross. I dont know why Metro Denver Asian restaurants can't take a clue from the ever-crowded Asain restaurants on Federal blvd. On Feds you can get the freshest, tastiest Asian fast. In central Denver its always weird. WTF??? Both this and the other location are the same as far as I can tell. The people are nice but the food is lacking.
(2)Hannah P.
This place is pretty bad. I live only a few blocks away so I wanted this place to be good... but it's NOT. The noodles I had were WAY undercooked and there was a lot of sauce and it had no flavor. The only okay aspect of the meal was the spring roll. Even though this place is right down the street I will not be going back.
(2)Ian V.
LOVE the Sesame Chicken. Whenever I go to a chinese restaurant, I order the sesame chicken...it's kind of my way to gauge the quality of the restaurant. Well, the sesame chicken at Thai Basil is superb! Great for lunch, with an eggroll and for less than $7!
(5)Marisa M.
Really good Thai food is not an easy thing to come by in Denver and Thai Basil is definitely one of the best that I have found. While their Pad Thai and Pad Se Lew are both pretty good, their Drunken Noodles are awesome. They also make a great Thai Egg Roll and Thai Spring Roll. On top of all that, they deliver super fast and are really reasonably priced. Thai Basil is definitely one of my go to spots for when my Thai food craving hits.
(4)Brandon A.
Whenever I want to get order out this is my first choice. I love how there never stingy with there meet and portions. My girlfriend and I always enjoy eating here. It's fast and always fresh.
(5)Jon H.
One visit. The Phad Thai was a little too sweet for my liking. The service is amazingly fast, the food hot, the atmosphere ok. The chairs seemed a little short for the tables and the Asian gentleman, who I assumed was the manager, should learn to smile. Not as good as J's Noodles but about the same level as Chada Thai.
(3)Edward T.
Got some pad thai and tom yum soup for take out. The pad thai was ok, a little sweet for my tatstes. However the shrimp in both dishes were inedible. They smelled like NYC's chinatown in august. Might be willing to try other dishes but avoiding the seafood for now.
(2)Jay C.
Great restaurant. Best Thai food in Denver. Best dumplings I've had in my life.
(4)Patrick H.
My wife and I went there yesterday for an early dinner and shared the Pad Thai and Pad Se Lew. Both were good but the Pad Thai seemed a bit soggy. The service was attentive and atmosphere was cozy.
(3)Kelly D.
Let's get a couple of things straight. First of all, Thai Basil doesn't resemble anything close to Thai food. Second of all, just because you throw basil or coconut milk in a dish does not make it Thai. Granted, I am very particular of Thai food (after visiting Thailand, I am pretty hard to please admittedly) I have given Thai Basil a fair shake, but after my last visit I think I'm done. I have never been remotely impressed about any of the dishes I have had. In fact the only feeling I have about their food is regret over the money I just shelled out, and the calories I just consumed for something I really didn't enjoy. My last visit was what really did me in. I ordered the Spicy Ginger Shrimp, which sounded great. Fresh ginger, shrimp and jalapenos. Seemed promising. What was delivered was a big brown mess filled with vegetables that were not included in the description and it somehow looked identical to my Mom's chicken dish. The ginger (which was the selling point) was not in fact fresh, but pickled. Kind of a big difference. It tasted pretty much like it looked: thick and brown with a hint of pickled ginger. At least the egg roll was good, but really, how hard is it to make an egg roll? As if that wasn't enough, I found a hair a few bites in. I informed the server, and without saying a word grabbed my plate and disappeared. She returned about 10 minutes later bearing a new dish. Well, that's fine if it was good the first time around, but it wasn't. I was kind of annoyed that I wasn't even asked if I wanted them to remake it (I didn't). Overall, my lunch date with my mom was kind of tainted by the experience, and I left hungry, crabby, and carrying a to-go bag full of food I had no interest in. It's overpriced, and the dishes all run together with mediocre flavors that are muddled and nondescript. It's definitely not good Thai food, and worse than that, it's not even decent Chinese food.
(1)Shannon G.
Prices are great here and definitely a good atmosphere for a dinner with friends. The meals are big, prices are good, and they have a special for $0.25 beers as long as you order an entree! There may be other better thai places in town, but I haven't found any of them yet and it definitely meets all of my requirements!
(4)Phil M.
Best green curry I ever slurped down in under 30 min.
(4)Heidi T.
I eat here at least once a week. I always get the Thai Basil Chicken and am satisfied every time.
(4)Jennifer C.
The manager at the Uptown location couldn't be any more rude or worse about etiquette and customer service. We ordered delivery and felt rushed off the phone through our order (which has occurred often when calling up there). This time, as soon as we got off the phone we had a feeling he didn't get the request right. Sure enough, the wrong size was brought to us so we called up there and were given to the manager. The situation was calmly explained yet the manager proceeded to tell us we were wrong and offered no "sorry about that, we'll bring the remaining portion of what you wanted". We would've been willing to pay for the increased size from the small to the large. When we asked for a return then on our order, the manager actually yelled "then I want my food back!". He can have his food and we did give it back when the delivery driver brought us our refund receipt. Seriously?? Is this what food service has come too? We are talking about a few extra dollars and another delivery trip to keep a long-time frequent customer happy. Thai Basil has my business no more.
(1)Kathy T.
Great lunch! I was impressed with the fast food service and great food for the price. Two of us ate for around $12 bucks! Yum! We had the eggplant basil and vegie basil and it was delish! The service was a bit confusing when we first got into the place because it looked like they were a bit short staffed for the weekend.
(4)Claudia B.
I always order the Green Curry. It's amazing. I highly recommend ordering it. Also, I think their Thai Iced Tea is my favorite in Denver. I don't know what they do differently to it, but it is delish. Too bad you get a tiny, metal mug of it and not a HUGE, tall glass. 1 star for the delicious curry dishes (I like all of them), 1 star for the Thai Iced Tea, 1 star for the sweet decor, but I am leaving out 2 stars for the hordes of people who infest this place on weeknights and weekends.
(3)David M.
Horrible excuse for Thai food. Dressed up chinese food. Ordered green curry which is the simplest Thai dish on record and it was disgusting. Undercooked veggies and chicken was questionable. I feel sorry for everyone living in Denver if they think that this is real Thai food. I wish that everyone here gets blessed up with some real Thai food to make up for the imposters..
(1)Cristen B.
Ate dinner here last night with a friend, was a little apprehensive because of the other reviews. I thought it was pretty darn good! My friend has orange beef and I had chicken/veggies in a spicy garlic sauce. The veggies were extremely fresh and cooked perfectly. They have a decent wine selection and I think you can actually BYO? Crab Rangoon is also pretty good, more cheesy than craby, which was pretty tasty. I would eat there again.
(4)catherine d.
Beautifully thoughtful cooking, the orange beef is a masterpiece unlike any other (canned) fired Asian restaurant, each time we go we order something new and share. The decor is nothing, the tables are too high, the waitress is sometimes boarder line rude, but, the food is outstanding and not expensive. It's a find in Denver!
(4)Daniel K.
I really enjoy this Thai Basil. The food is good, my favorites being the Sesame Tofu and Drunken Noodles, and the atmosphere at the location on 18th Ave is very comfortable.
(4)Ted T.
We order delivery from Thai Basil about 1-2x a month and we do because once you have the Drunken Noodles either with beef, shrimp or a combo, you will be hooked. Also, the delivery time is always faster than any "Chinese" place I've been too.
(4)Clint J.
I have a love/hate relationship with Thai Basil. Why are you so fickle, mocking me so? I want to like this place. Good location, nice decor, food is usually quite good . . . provided you are at a table . . . if you dare order takeout all bets are off. Seriously, I think they have a mutant relative locked in a back room preparing the takeout orders from leftovers and trash. Dinner at the restaurant and what they bring to you in a paper bag are completely different. Wilted greens with slime on them can be overlooked once or twice, but when it happens constantly you know the mutant pulled those greens out of the trash bin. I love the potstickers here . . . when their regular chefs fry them up in the wok and bring them to the table. They are delicious. Do NOT ever order potstickers to be delivered. Apparently, the mutant cannot be trusted with hot oil and open flames, and he will use a light bulb powered EZ Bake Oven to fry them up. TWICE I did receive undercooked potstickers from delivery, and you really do not want to experience a mouthful of raw ground pork. Food at the restaurant is usually quite good, although the nasty old lady glaring at us isn't very endearing. Do not order delivery from Thai Basil . . . or suffer the wrath of the mutant!!! You have been duly warned.
(2)Nicholas O.
I've only ever ordered delivery so I can only comment from that perspective, but the food here is pretty good. It's not overly priced, the portions ar eenough for two meals apiece, and the delivery is prompt. I am personally partial to the Panang Curry and the Basil Chicken which bears their namesake. Don't order to wings, though--a weak attempt, pouring the sauce on at the very last minute over an otherwise plain wing.
(3)Kristi M.
i thought the restaurant was great - granted, it's not "totally" thai, instead mixed with my chinese favorites like their REALLY delicious crab cheese wanton (best i've had out here) and wonderful potstickers. i thought the service was great, price was excellent ($17 bottle of wine) and the food was really, really good. we will definately be back.
(4)Shiho F.
I was so excited to finally try this place but it is so overrated. So what if the decor is chic and traditional. My Pad Thai was one big ball of grease. I ordered Half Chicken-Half Tofu Pad Thai and I will never do it again.
(1)Laura B.
Okay, so this restaurant is more a blend between Chinese and Thai food. That being said, the food is delicious. I have been eating there for almost a year and never yet had a meal that I did not like. The apetizers alone can be very filling. They are also fast. Your food comes quickly, and the servers are always attentive. All in all, an excellent place to eat.
(4)