Cool Basil
1250 86th St, Clive, IA, 50325
Cool Basil Menu
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Visit below restaurant in Clive for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Clive for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Clive for healthy meals suggestion.
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Address :
1250 86th St
Clive, IA, 50325 - Phone (515) 225-8111
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Opening Hours
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Specialities
- Takes Reservations : No
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Lunch
Bike Parking : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Alcohol : Full Bar
Outdoor Seating : Yes
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : Yes
Waiter Service : Yes
WE SERVE THE FOLLOWING STATES
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Mike P.
First ever visit to Cool Basil on a recent Sunday afternoon. ORDERED: Thai iced coffee $3, Shrimp Pad Thai $10.95, Salmon Rolls (appetizer) $8.95, Spicy Tuna sushi roll $7, TST specialty sushi roll $15 (total $51.83). TASTED: It was 96 degrees out so we downed lots of water and the Thai iced coffee was a first for me. If you're expecting the watery versions from Starbucks or Caribou warn your tongue first. The Thai version is super flavorful with espresso strength taste with the sweet spice of cream and cardamom. Superb! The Cool Basil Salmon Rolls (spiced fresh Salmon rolled in spinach and fried in a crisp wrapper on a bed of veggie tempura with plum sauce. Dish arrived with six crisply little rolls (I thought of Trader Joe's lemongrass rolls), the flavor was just spicy enough, the plum sauce was delicious. Not saturated with frying oil. The PAD THAI - which you get to pick your (subjective) spice level was one of the better versions I've ever had. A lot of diced peanuts on the side. My partner and I shared this dish full of stir-fried rice noodles, eggs (lacking), bean sprouts, green onion and shrimp. This dish was TEN times better for lunch the next day after the flavors had jelled. With a 17 page menu (seventeen pages!) I had a feeling there would be some dishes not done as well as others. Sadly and maybe justifiably since "Thai" is in the restaurant name and sushi is of Japanese origin. The sushi was disappointing. If you read my reviews, spicy tuna roll is my "control" at each sushi restaurant. This sushi roll the rice was WAY over cooked. Just a texture of spicy chewy softness - baby food. Flavor was good, texture was bad. The TST roll (spicy tuna, imitation crab, cream cheese, mango, scallion, tempura style with spicy mayo and unagi sauce) had a nice flavor but was entirely TOO BIG AROUND. We resorted to cutting the pieces in half with a fork (blasphemy) because we were having a gag reflex of "fuck I'm about to choke to death". Great flavor, great textures but just too big. The specialty roll selections lacked imagination and creativity. SERVICE: 10/10 - I only name servers when they are outstanding. Mimi was a professional. POST: Huge menu that I look forward to exploring, especially the curry options. As someone who's on a mission to try every sushi offering in the Des Moines metro, but by no means an expert on the subject, I will not be ordering sushi here again. CHANCE OF RETURN: 9/10 ** Not affiliated with the Cool Basil in Altoona as per this location's website. WTF Altoona location, can't you come up with your own name? **
(4)Hil H.
I don't know if I'm ordering wrong or what, but I have not had a good experience at this restaurant. It's not for lack of trying; I've gone three times. The service was slow and dismissive. I had sashimi, soup, and a noodle dish. I didn't like any of those meals. I tried the crab rangoons. They were not cooked all the way (doughy in the middle). I felt it was overpriced. I'm sorry; I can't recommend this restaurant.
(2)Patrick T.
Yep it's in the name this place is COOL! And by Cool I mean awesome! Great new space for a gem of a thai place! I love the Yellow Curry, I get it with tofu, and this pack it in! I love this coconut milk dish, it's like no other in town and topped with a little garnish on top, the portion is just right, but I always want more cause it's so delicious and spicy! The veggie spring rolls are no fool either! If you are Vegan, this is a must spot in Des Moines not only for options but just for being a beautiful restaurant with great service and great food! I'm excited to sit on the patio here when it get warm, cause dang it looks COOL!
(5)Tony G.
Cool Basil is the top dog in the Des Moines metro for Thai food. The food quality is always fantastic. My wife and I have had sit down service and take out from here numerous times. I enjoy the Sweet Basil Fried Rice. The veggies in the dish are always crisp and fresh and the lime wedge on top is a nice touch. My wife loves the Green Curry with fried tofu. I take it as a good sign when one can order the same dish over and over from an establishment and the quality stays the same. We've tried other Thai restaurants and been dissatisfied with service and quality. The recent move to a larger location is paying off for them. They have plenty of seating and a nice bar for a nice evening out.
(5)Angie K.
Cool Basil is a casual and modern resturant in Clive. The restaurant itself is huge, so is their parking lot, and also their menu. I had the opportunity to try the Spicy Tuna Handroll and the See Yew Noodles with Tofu. The handroll was a bit of a downer- portion was huge (not your typical handroll), but the sushi was not fresh and the rice was untreated and bland. I couldn't even finish the roll. The See Yew Noodles were much better- there are spicy levels that you can choose. While I'm used to seeing larger, flatter noodles that are rectangular in this dish, the flat long noodles were OK. The dish was flavorful enough and the spiciness was not overpowering. I was excited by the great reviews but was disappointed by the Spicy Tuna Handroll. Also, my table was not wiped down (food crumbs everywhere) before I sat, but the service overall was fine.
(3)Louise M.
I was so disappointed when a coworker and I went to Cool Basil's old location for lunch one day and it was no longer there. I was so shocked because I thought they were doing a really good business and how in the hell they closed for good?? I thought it was crazy. Disappointed and hungry, we then tried the King and I. Since we got there close to 2 pm they didn't want to serve us as they were closing in 5 minutes. Dammit! We ended up eating at the big China buffet next door because we were so hungry. I wanted to cry. China Buffet. Really. *tears* The next time I was in Clive, while going to Jethro's for lunch, I saw this big new restaurant. At first I thought it was an Italian place but when I got closer, I realized it was Cool Basil!! OMG!! They weren't out of business! They just moved to expand! That made more sense and I was there the next night for dinner. We had a 13 hour work day that day and we have lost a couple of coworkers who chose to drive home the same night. That left me and my boss. He wasn't drinking because he was participating in Booneville Ultra Marathon on Saturday but even so, he decided to drink. It was just that kinda day. He ordered beer but I tried the Ginger Breeze cocktail that was really refreshing but it was pretty light in alcohol. He tried it and he thought I was drinking juice. I liked it, but agreed it was a little wimpy. So to get out of the wimpy realm, I ordered the spicy wings for us. I also ordered tom yum and my all time favorite, pad kra pow or Basil stif fry with minced chicken. Boss ordered shrimp pad thai. Spicy wings hit the spot! It was spicy and sweet and just tasted yummy. The sauce was a bit messy but it was delicious. My boss who liked spicy food but just bordering between medium and spicy really liked the wings as it was in the maximum heat level he could stand. To me, it was like eating candy. Nothing to it. It takes a lot more to make smoke coming out of my ears. His shrimp pad thai came so early, even before the wings. I said something and they took it back and then all of a sudden the wings and the soup came. However, not even 2 minutes later the pad thai was back along with my entrée and soup. At that point, we didn't care. We would just attack everything all at once. Funny thing was, when the pad thai came the first time, it had 3 shrimps on top of it. My boss kinda grumbled that they charged you extra $4 for shrimps but only gave you 3 lousy shrimps. The second time it showed up, it had 6 shrimps. LOL. My stir fry was tasty but not spicy though I asked for really spicy. I remembered even in the old location, it was the same way and was my main point of contention that they're so conservative on the spice level. The same thing with the tom yum but they gave me a couple of big shrimps in it. We had a great meal and enjoyed it thoroughly. Some of the imperfections were so tiny no one cared. Even at the end, my boss thanked me for taking him to Cool Basil as it was great. He enjoyed his pad thai and a great way to end a long ass working day. I thought so too. The new location is huge and the menu seemed to expand to include Chinese dishes too. I really didn't remember if they had Chinese in their old location. I just remembered Thai and sushi. The inside looked cozy but we chose to eat outside in the patio. It was great! So Cool Basil is still cool and I can't wait to go back and try other things on their new menu.
(4)Jesse M.
Cool Basil is a "go to" for our family. It's one of the few places my kids and I can agree on for good Asian grinds. And trust me, their selection is large and, for the most part, quite well done. Their curries, Pad Thai, and stir fries are all really good. Pretty sure this will be the restaurant that will see that location succeed.
(4)Sami V.
This is my new go-to family-in-town joint! The gigantic menu makes it easy for everyone to find something tasty for them to enjoy. The staff is quick and friendly and the location is huge too! I have a hard time not ordering green curry but my mom ordered the Thai style soup and holy Mac!!!! It was friggin tasty. And fed me three times - deal alert!! Also, they have better portions in house than to-go just an fyi. If you dig Thai food this is your best bet. Enjoy!
(5)Jennifer W.
I really like the new location! So much space, nice decor, no humidity buut it is still winter. I sat in a booth with my family around the bar. We sat for awhile waiting for the waitress to come buy to order drinks.. She too awhile so I ordered our drinks at the bar. The bartender was great. I ordered the Ginger Breeze and Cool Ginger drinks- yum. I love ginger. We had the Thai tacos to start. Yum again. I tried the corn and crab soup- very good! Then I ordered the three shrimp meal and my husband ordered sesame chicken. My meal was good but I wasn't expecting it to be fried. Perhaps I should have read the menu closer :) I tried my mom's salmon which was similarly fried like my shrimp with the same sauce. It was kind of rubbery. Overall, the food and atmosphere were good , the service from the waitress was not impressive but not to the point that I won't give it another shot. I want to try the pumpkin curry.
(3)Alicia B.
Great avocado green curry! The spice levels don't always seem to match the actual dish, but it's always good.
(4)Maggie E.
ROACH ALERT! For over a year we've been regular patrons of Cool Basil because they deliver to our house and their food tastes great. NEVER AGAIN. Today we decided to dine in for the first time and before our appetizers could even arrive, a friendly COCKROACH did ON OUR TABLE. ON OUR TABLE. My fiance hit it with his silverware and it nestled into the napkin. The waitress wasn't surprised when we told her why we were leaving, just said ok, I'll cancel your order and went over to see the vile creature nestled in the napkin and he crawled out to say hello as I practically ran out of that restaurant. Never again.
(1)Melinda A.
Delicious food. Many options to choose from. My husband swears by the larb and hot tom yum soup. Love the egg rolls. Ordered the sweet sticky rice once on account but May start getting it all the time; it was such a great palate cleanser. Nice atmosphere. Great for family coming into town or date night.
(4)Blake H.
Glorious Thai food. If you're adept at consuming spicy food, they can deliver -- with ease. (They can make it non-spicy, too, like my partner prefers.) While their official spice scale ranges from 0-6, they've gone beyond that for me. When last I was there, I had a 16, and I nearly cried it was so good. We've since moved away and Cool Basil is one of the things we miss most.
(5)Megan M.
One of my favorite restaurants in Des Moines. The Rangoon is The best I've ever had the coconut soup is delicious and the pineapple fried rice is a must try. My husband loves their yellow curry. Their lunch specials are great and dinner portions are huge but I would try to eat in for dinner as their take out portions seem to still be lunch sized.
(5)Sachin R.
Food was excellent, definitely try the spider roll, it was fresh. The only down side is the teeny bit of rice they give with the currys. It's almost like they want you to purchase the rice because they know you will need to in order to finish all that curry. It's $1.50 more, so not a big deal.
(4)Sam K.
The food is consistently excellent. The service was both prompt and accommodating. The deck was a terrific venue for being with friends. Prices were reasonable. We had the Des Moines Roll (sushi) and I had the panang curry with vegetables and tofu. I recommend Cool Basil without hesitation or qualification.
(5)Kimberly M.
Great place family date or kids moved to much needed larger location. Lots of choices goid prices.
(5)Christy R.
Make sure to ask who's cooking that night, the spice level will be different
(4)Claudia A.
My friend and I were looking to grab some food pretty quickly before we headed down to the Hinterland festival. Luckily, Cool Basil was just down the street from our hotel. The staff was all very friendly and suggested we get the drunken noodles. We ran over to an ATM to pick up some cash, and by the time we got back, about 10 minutes later, the food was already waiting for us! The drunken noodles at medium spice were not very spicy at all, but it was definitely very flavorful (also, we had it with fried tofu as the protein) and it really hit the spot for us! It was a little more than I'd usually want to be paying for drunken noodles, but only by $1 or so.
(4)Darcy B.
Cool Basil was my introduction to Thai food and a good one at that! The new location has a warmer atmosphere with the same good service and menu. They have added a full bar service too. Dining here several times and driving by you can tell that Thai Basil is going to make a success of this restaurant location that had failed so many times in the past. Great options for vegetarians, distinct levels of spice to choose, and some Chinese dishes for those who are less accustomed to Thai are things to note here. Good place before and getting better with full bar, patio, and larger dining room.
(4)Rebecca W.
The Tom Ka Kai and the Crab Rangoon - oooooh yes. I'm sure the other food is good too but I can't get past my giant bowl of soup and my crab rangoon because they're so delicious I can't ever bring myself to order anything else. Service is great-even when they are busy.
(5)Debbie F.
Absolutely freaking awesome!! We arrived during a midday lunch hour and the wait was less than 15 minutes and was worth every second of it. The atmosphere is inviting and full of eye candy, if you love Asian themed decor. The staff was all incredibly pleasant and helpful, without being overbearing. We had an incredible shrimp sushi roll and then had basil lunch specials. The servings are generous and we both ended up with a carry out box to bring home leftovers. We will DEFINITELY be back again!
(5)J M.
My friend Kathie and I found this place on our monthly shopping excursion (Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, etc., that we don't have in Ames). I had veggie Tom Yum soup and the Healthy Roll. The roll is wrapped in that thicker type wrap--not the transparent rice paper. I like the rice-paper type better, but this was pretty good. The soup (ordered a 2 on a scale of 0 to 6) had a kick. Kathie liked her lettuce wrap and hot and sour soup. The service was fast and polite. All in all, this is a good place for vegetarians to bring family and friends because everyone can find something on the huge menu.
(4)Chad S.
I absolutely love this place, the food is top notch, service is always fast friendly and with a smile...highly recommended! Excellent sushi as well!!
(5)Chandra K.
It's a very nice place and have a good ambience. Food is good and service is great. Don't miss to try their crab fried rice. Its simply Awesome.
(4)Tim O.
As a vegetarian, I have just a few good options in the Des Moines area. Cool Basil has a good vegetarian menu. Unfortunately, many of the items are poorly executed. The main problems are too much oil and too much salt. Too bad, because otherwise the food would be very healthful. Non-vegetarians might fare better here.
(3)Koni O.
Very good Thai food in a little town in IA! I ordered avocado curry. I'm not sure how authentic it is, but it tasted creamy and good! Tom Yum soup was nice too. Not pricey at all considering the portion. But I wish it had more smaller options (like many other Thai restaurants). I can never finish one portion, and sometimes I don't feel like bringing leftover home with me.
(4)Jason M.
Amazing food, awesome atmosphere, this place is really great. You can have the dishes be as spicy as you want or no spice. The sushi wasn't great but the meal and appetizers are very filling.
(5)Linda E.
Could it get better than 5 stars? Yes it can @ Cool Basil in Clive! My first time there with my husband and a couple of friends, and I must say it really surpassed my expectations!! What an inviting setting, perfect to relax while drinking some nice specialty drinks (I had something called girl ... -cant remember the rest, but it was delicious) Then, we ordered the sample platter together with a salad, and then the main entrée... Everything was DELICIOUS!! And the customer service: lovely! Highly recommend this place!
(5)