I revisited this place because I was DYING for some Thai food and we just don't have a Thai place in Lafayette and Thai Essence is just too far out for me to get it to go. The service was much better this time around but I still have a pretty bad taste in my mouth from the last visit there. However, the food was not as good as it previously has been. But since the service improved I'll upgrade it to 2 stars. Lafayette desperately needs a great Thai restaurant. DESPERATELY.
(2)
JD P.
Curry fried rice. That's the only item on the menu that is consistently good. Service is a hit or miss; Once, I ordered Pad Kee Mao and received a plate of thin noodles. When I asked a sever about it, he rudely insisted its always been this way. Come on, I've ordered it before and it was made of broad rice noodles. The photo of Pad Kee Mao in your menu is clearly broad rice noodles. Just give me a heads up if you ran out of broad noodles, instead of being a di*ck when I ask you why it ain't the same. A few other reviews mention staying away from panang curry. AVOID at all cost! The last time I ate it, it tasted like crap and afterwards my girlfriend and I had diarrhea for two days.
(2)
Jennifer L.
Overpriced and burnt food. Don't recommend at all. Service is terrible and does not make me want to tip them. I found a hair in my curry and was displeased with the way the staff had handled it.
(1)
Jen M.
I do not recommend this place.. First of all, service is awful.. I saw a server chasing the customer at the door and asked why they didn't tip.. If you don't tip the servers they will ask you if the service was OK? Is there a reason why you didn't tip?? Secondly, the price you pay for the food is not worth it. Its decent food but it's not worth paying $10-$15 per dish.
(1)
Rose C.
I've eaten here more than once. I generally order panang curry at Thai places. Here it was absolutely awful with over spicy seasoning and large chunks of dark meat chicken. Not my thing. Next I choose pad Thai since that's pretty universal. It was also awful. Very vinegar and extremely sour tasting. Inedible really. When I told this to our server she actually argued with me that this is how pad Thai was supposed to taste. Finally she took the food back and removed it from our bill. The place itself feels dirty and is very small. The service is god awful. Their food is bad. Do not eat here.
(1)
David K.
Good food and nice place. Decoration is not special. Something like at hi tea next to ak burgers would be great :). Service not allways friendly as I would like it to be but it's fine. Sometimes it has too many customers but I guess that's a good sign!
(4)
Hanh S.
I tried to really love their pad thai but I just couldn't. I'm a huge fan of pad thai in general, so I've given Basil Thai's a chance several times- It's bland and missing flavor. They do give you a lot though, I always have leftovers. My go to is usually the yellow curry with added shrimp. It's pretty good and the best thing I've had there and I recommend. I've had two other noodle dishes there- though I can't remember their names- they were ok, not great. I left dinner feeling unsatisfied.
(2)
Alexandra M.
I always order the red curry and take it to go. They are fast, pleasant, and my food is great!
(4)
Sam P.
I usually like my food spicy, just like my women. When it comes to the food, it's a developed taste, especially to those unfamiliar with Thai cuisine. This is likely the reason that they explicitly make the point of "no-refunds" at the beginning their menu. After 1-2 visits and finding the right food item and then getting the item again and again, one can easily develop an affinity for a subset of Thai cuisine and various item's at Basil. The price is reasonable for being the one-and-only representative of Thai cuisine on campus. That aside, the service takes some hard-swallowing and intermittent choking at times. Predominantly fronted by fellow college student employees of which half manage to maintain a seemingly self-guided pretentious guise. Some of these kids just need to learn how to come correct, simple as that and this restaurant would easily be da sheet (great).\ Update: They chill af now. Shet's fire (great). Plenty of demunitive and neotenous asian girls to attract your attention, generic white guy. Quality is on point and consistant. Nothing more to ask for in the Thai category. C'mon, it's the ONLY Thai place and, I would say, Asian place that does it right (on campus).
(5)
Sophia Z.
This is a small little restaurant, but I highly recommend the curry dishes. The atmosphere is very casual and simple. You pay after your meal. I have tried the green, yellow, red and duck curry. My favorite is the duck curry. The value of the food is great, you will not leave hungry.
(4)
Brooke S.
honestly the best place for Thai food in the area. get the chicken pineapple fried rice, it is unbelievably delicious!!!!
(5)
Penghao W.
The service is awful. When I order something to go, they don't let you sit down and let you go away when some others come in. Feel assaulted. Ridiculous service!!!!
(1)
Michael S.
This is a difficult review to write. Why? because everything about this restaurant is either a big hit, or a complete miss. This includes the food quality, the staff, and the pricing. The food can be great if you order correctly. Like many asian-american restaurants, the menu is too big for its own good, which hurts the consistency. Chicken satay, moo ping, chicken spring rolls: all excellent, 5 stars! Curries, soups, and salads: all horrible, 1 star! I love bubble tea, so there really isnt such a thing as "bad" bubble tea in my opinion... however this place makes all of their bubble tea from powder. you might as well just dump a cup full of sugar into a glass, add some tapioca, and drink that. I should mention that the chefs arent Thai. Not that non-thai people cant cook thai food... they can. But the chefs at basil thai definitely arent professionally trained in thai cuisine. They're just local joes that are following recipes and throwing things together. that fact is reflected in the uneventful dining experience. You're not going to leave thinking "omg, tastes just like authentic thai!" Rather, you will leave saying to yourself, "tastes just like an average guy from Indiana trying to cook thai food!" It's odd to have to comment on the service at Basil Thai, because the restaurant is literally smaller than Paris Hilton's closet. One single waitress should easily be able to handle every table, and there are usually two or more working at any given time. Plus it's one of those tacky places where you go up to the register to pay. Like everything else, there is a huge discrepancy between the level of service I have received. One waitress I had was nice and friendly. Unfortunately, on my very next visit another waitress gave me a horrible attitude and was talking loudly on her cell phone the entire time I was eating. Frequently, the waitresses sit at a table which is strange, because it shows that they are lazy, dont care about the customer's perception, and are willing to occupy one of only 8 or so of the tables in the entire restaurant. I guess the owner/manager isnt training these girls properly, so let me give a quick lesson: Dont talk on your phone. Dont sit down. Dont say "what you want." Dont act like you're doing me a favor when you're bringing me my food - that's your job, and im paying you for it.... besides, you're only walking 5 feet. Do smile, greet customers warmly, and say please and thank you. Finally, let's discuss the price. Basil Thai has recently raised the cost of nearly everything on the menu. It went from being "pretty cheap" to "not worth it." Chicken spring rolls (my favorite item on the menu) were $1.50. Now they cost $2.50. I should mention the fact that the spring rolls at Basil Thai are less than half the size of your standard spring roll. Most of the rice curry dishes are over $10... reasonable, but not cheap. I'm slightly heart-broken to say that Basil Thai is no longer one of my regular places to eat. 10/18/13 update: i placed a carryout order by phone. The employee i spoke with told me the food would be ready in 10 minutes (i only ordered a couple of spring rolls to go - easy peasy.) I arrived at the restaurant 17 minutes later to collect my order. Apparently there was a communication issue. When the waitress walked into the kitchen to get my food, I heard her say to the cook "you havnt started it yet?" I explained my situation to her: I was in a hurry and didn't have another 10 minutes to wait, and left without receiving my food or paying. I had to knock off another star due to this catastrophe. Unfortunately, Basil Thai has slipped from 4 stars to two stars in only 2 years. Someone save this place. Call Gordon Ramsay!
(2)
Ruth A.
Who doesn't love a hole-in-the-wall restaurant that's walking distance from the office and can satisfy simultaneous curry AND bubble tea cravings? Don't *rely* on this place: you may not be able to get a seat, their card machine might not be working. But if you want solidly good curry or bubble tea (both milk and green tea options available) that's not too expensive and that you don't have to drive to from campus, stop by. Worst case scenario, they can't seat you, you are impatient about waiting, and you walk anywhere else in Chauncey for your meal. Makes for a good change of pace from standard near-campus options. Don't feel like yet another sandwich? Treat yourself to Thai! If you're vegetarian, rejoice that you can select from among options, rather than having to go for that one meatless menu item.
(4)
Michael P.
I'm not a Thai expert but I thought it was pretty good. A little pricy for what it is in my opinion though. I got the pad thai and tried the green curry as well.
(3)
Janice M.
All the stir fry dishes tasted the same. Their bubble tea is kinda nasty to be completely honest. I didn't understand why this place was so popular when I was at Purdue, always packed on a friday night. The price is pretty steep for what you get. Bottom line, not a fan of Basil Thai because it tasted nothing like Thai food.
(1)
April W.
The food that I've tried so far (Pad Thai, Beef Curry, Chicken Satay, some sort of noodle in a soup bowl) have been quite good. I might not be a fan 100% of the time, but I can't say that their food is bad. Sometimes it might be oily for my tastes. I find myself craving their food. The food is really quite expensive though, it usually ends up more than $10-15 per person. My boyfriend and I go there when we need a pick-me-up! Some of the best asian food on campus I've had so far.
(4)
Ethan H.
I was very disappointed with this place. if it really is the best in the area (as another review claimed), than W. Lafayette really doesn't have a lot to offer! Basically, the problem was in the food, which ranged from uninteresting to bad. My beef red curry, for example, certainly packed a spice, but it was actually pretty boring -- as if the spice was the only interesting thing they put into it. Ever worse, the beef had that grainy, I've-been-frozen-defrosted-and-refrozen-again texture to it -- and there's simply no excuse for that regardless of how much rice costs these days. My dad's pad-pak chicken wasn't any better: the chicken was fatty and the whole thing was doused in a sweet syrup that, for both of us really, made the whole thing inedible. And, just to be clear, we are NOT picky eaters! Long story short, if people think THIS is the best in town, then either Lafayette is a pit or they're not looking very hard. (Two stars, because at least I didn't vomit ... though I kind of wish I had.)
(2)
Siraaj M.
Small and quaint, very friendly staff, my kids loved the bubble tea
(5)
Lauren M.
I come here for lunch around once a week because I love it so much. I always get the green curry with tofu which is AMAZING and my boyfriend gets the Number 16 with beef. I've also had the Tom Ga Kan (spelling?) soup which is excellent. We often find ourselves craving these dishes even when we're not on campus and order take out. I think you have to have at least somewhat exotic tastes because it is not super americanized. For example, my parents would have much preferred the typical americanized Chinese buffet. The place is small but usually there isn't a wait and, if there is, it's only 5-10 minutes. The service is good and quick. As to its authenticity, I'm not really sure. I think the owner is Thai, but I know the cooks are Hispanic. However, I do see Asian patrons very often. We usually come here for lunch which is what I recommend. The atmosphere is casual and you can tell its a family-run business. This is not the place for a romantic date night, just for a yummy eat night. This is my favorite restaurant in West Lafayette and the one I most often visit. CAN'T GET ENOUGH. GREEN CURRY WITH TOFU! GET IT!
(5)
Ramya C.
Hands down the best bubble tea in the Lafayette/ West Lafayette region. Honey dew bubble tea is out of the world! Food is okish.
(4)
Betty R.
I'm surprised by all the negative reviews, but admittedly, I've only eaten there once. Friend and I ordered the mango salad and the chicken satay to share, and thought they were both outstanding.This is a very casual place, so I didn't expect much in terms of service, but it was just fine, despite being a weekday at lunchtime during the school year and full of students eating in and getting food to go. I can't wait to go back.
(4)
Mehmet G.
One of the best restaurants in town. No dish in Basil Thai ever disappointed me, period.
(4)
Jennifer B.
Green curry with tofu was alright, lacked the flavor punch I'm used to but I've definitely had worse.
(3)
Min H.
I love Basil Thai and it saddens me I didn't eat more of it while I was at Purdue. Despite hearing complaints about the price, I've always found the prices to be more than reasonable given the amount of food provided, which is alot. Its a bit small so it can get crowded at times but there's always takeout and of course, bubble tea. Dishes that I've always liked and recommend -any of the curries, for those afraid of spice the yellow is fairly mild and sweet. I've always liked the red since it was spicy and flavorful -basil fried rice -mango and sticky rice if available
(4)
Cindy L.
my favorite thai restaurant in whole world. not kidding. tom yum noodle soup with chicken. omg freakign legit. everything is good. the curry the pad thai the pad kee mao the basil fried rice. omg loooooooooove this place. this is where i would get my last meal on earth
(5)
Nica F.
The yellow curry is great. Good comfort food if you want an entire MEAL. I go maybe once a month to get my fill of rice since I'm from California and can't really get it at the sorority house or the dining courts. (heh). The boba/"bubbles" whatever is okay. I *may* be just completely spoiled by really great bubble tea back at home but I mean this will do if you have a craving. I've had the taro (was gross, man. for the asians totally into that, this will just ruin all taro experiences ever), and the honeydew flavor. Like I said, it's good if you need your fill of thai food/bubble tea but its not the greatest. Then again, I guess it could be the greatest thai food in West Laf seeing there aren't many places to go...
(3)
Laureen S.
The dining options in West Lafayette IN, are geared towards Purdue students. I get it. They are on a budget and need a laid back vibe. I get that too. But friendliness, cleanliness and freshness should never be optional. Keep walking, this place is bad news.
(2)
Anant H.
A marginal place for Thai and really the only place on campus. A few of the dishes will definitely please, but its a bit pricey for how much food they give and their bubble tea is a bit sub par. Lafayette/West Lafayette really lack good Thai restaurants and this one is about the same as Thai Essence (same owners) and its definitely not worth a trip to the other side of town to eat at Exotic Thai (lets face it this one sounds like a strip club) If you are like me and can't go more than a month without Thai food this place will do the job until you can get to a larger city.
(3)
Heather H.
Basil is no frills and casual. I've been here a few times, and it's not memorable, but if I must have Thai and only Thai, I know I can get decent vegetarian dishes here. I ordered a Jasmine boba recently that was the one and only tasteless milk tea I've ever had. Maybe it was an off cup. Hope so.
(3)
David S.
It's a bit pricey. The food is meh. They put a weird twist on thai food, adding ingredients that don't belong in the dishes. Huge chunks of Egg plant? Bell pepers? In my curry? I think they do it to fill up space in the container, to make it seem like you get more food. I asked them not to add bell peppers or egg plant in my curry, and they only filled the container halfway. Jerks. That said, it's mostly delicious. Employees are friendly enough. There's no other thai restaurants except for thai essence, which is owned by the same people.
(3)
Nancy H.
This place is good but really options for thai food are limited here in west lafayette, in so we have to take what we can get. If you don't mind going further, I think Exotic Thai is better. The pad thai needs more to it, it was kind of skimpy The chicken satay with peanut sauce is very tasty. I also really like their salads, cold and refreshing. Bubble tea is okay but sometimes the tapioca is not chewy like it should be.
(3)
Paula O.
While I didnt get to try the food, I can tell you that their bubble tea is disgusting. I got taro flavor and it was so powdery and well, just gross! Also, their black tea is not any better. I ended up just eating the bubbles!
(1)
Maurilio M.
Good place to find some quality Thai food in West Lafayette. I would have to agree with alot of the reviews that there are not really any other Thai places. Space is fairly small needs to be a bit bigger, gets crowded during lunch time. Overall really good food. I would give it 3.5 stars.
(3)
Gin S.
definitely poor services
(1)
Chris M.
Not good. Flavors were lacking in the curry, and had absolutely no spice level. Vegetables were soggy and not fresh. Service was ok, but the restaurant had a bad odor.
(1)
Amy D.
This is the best Thai food around. Grab a seat when you can, it's almost always busy. If you can't eat in, make sure you get something to go. Love the Thai tea here.
(4)
Batu Y.
Great food. No joke hands down best Thai in Lafayette
(5)
Mark D.
the food is not worth for the price asking. too pricy. i have ate some real thai food. for this place, if the prices are a little down, i would like this place. but now, i will skip this place.
(2)
jared s.
This place is pretty good. i love the bubble tea there. I have not had Thai food many places but i really enjoy this one. This is my favorite Thai place. I always get Pad Thai with Peanut sause. then a bubble tea. it is very good here. good idea for a date to try new things.
(4)
Sho K.
Probably the worst Thai restaurant in the Lafayette area. The only reason they're always busy is because of its location. It's conveniently located within walking distance from campus. The food isn't terrible (one star), and the fact that they serve bubble tea is also a plus (second star).
(2)
Robin F.
absolutely the best thai in our area
(5)
Supriya D.
I absolutely love Thai food and this is the best thai restaurant on Purdue's campus! Pros: - Pretty good food, I usually get the pad kee mao or the pad se ewe and both are delicious! - Chicken spring rolls are soooo good (but for $2 overpriced) Cons: - Can get super crowded so sometimes you may not be able to get a seat - No lunch specials - Kind of overpriced - The staff can be kind of rude if they are having an off day Nevertheless, if you want awesome thai food, Basil is the best at Purdue!
(3)
Rey J.
I was struck by the statement they have on the front of the menu that said something to the effect of "we won't refund your money if you don't like our food." - I wondered "what kind of clientele have they had to need to put that on the menu?" Then I tasted their food. It wasn't just the worst thai food that I've ever had, it might very well be the worst *food* that I've ever had. My Pad Med Mamuang was flavorless and so salty that I couldn't keep eating it.
(1)
Aniruddha K.
While on the expensive side, it's proximity to campus makes this a regular joint for me. It can get very busy here and the seating is far from comfortable. The food, however, is always good: pineapple fried rice, spicy basil fried rice, and the catfish are quite good.
(4)
Sharon R.
3-4 for the food, 1-3 for the service (depending on which server you get). Not all of their food is great, which is a problem because if you get something that is either not well cooked or doesn't taste great you won't be able to send it back. They have a strict policy against sending food back. Their menu says something like "we are very proud of our food and the way we cook it so we won't accept any food back." Really? Modesty, people, come on. This one time I had an awful mango salad there that was just drenched in some extremely sour dressing and clearly I just ended up not eating that night. Some of the curries are okay, the pad thai is decent, but I usually get the pork with eggplant which I find to be pretty good. The only problem is that they put so much sauce that by the end its almost inedible because of all the salt added to the salt. The bubble tea is also pretty good, many times I just go in and take out the bubble tea. As other reviewers have pointed out the service is a huge problem, probably stemming from very bad management. The owner sits in the tables closest to the counter and I've heard her sit there yelling on the phone or loudly making fun of customers that weren't in the restaurant. One of the waitresses rolls her eyes (even when there is really no need) as she's talking to you. The white blondish waitress is really the best to get. Also, I feel like this is the only Asian restaurant I've seen that you actually get treated BETTER if you are white. Personal observation. The food can be pretty good (specifically ask for less sauce) but bad management/servers take out a lot of the joy of dining out.
(3)
Andrew H.
Went there yesterday. Had an enjoyable meal, food was pretty bland, I managed to shovel down their pad thai chicken ok. Their yellow curry is mediocre, although the potatoes taste like chemicals. However, that's not why they've dropped so far in my eyes. Listen up, I get it if servers are angry that people don't tip sometimes. However, you shouldn't be expecting much if someone orders between $5-7 bucks of food, especially when you're bringing it maybe 10 yards from the kitchen. And it's ok to fume to yourself. But when you have to confront a customer (a lady friend of mine) and be like, "excuse me, but was our service bad? Because is there a reason why you're not tipping?" That is uncalled for. Especially if you say it loud enough for the whole restaurant to hear and push the credit card receipt towards the person to make them tip. What kind of service is that?! It'll take a LONG time before I forget this. Service is ok, par for a hole-in-the-wall. But if you're hiring people that are like that that I've just met, I'm sorry, but no. Just no. Protip: Don't pay with your credit card.
(1)
Haha L.
Yellow duck curry is my favorite. I usually don't like spicy food but that curry is awesome. The bubble tea is great too, I would recommend egg pudding milk tea. The restaurant is very popular and it's close to campus. But the restaurant can only hold up to 25 people, so go early to get a seat!
(4)
Yuyao C.
My favorite Thai restaurant and the best pad Thai chicken. And the bubble tea is awesome!
(5)
Katherine Y.
Decent Thai food here--the chicken pad thai missed the mark for me, especially since I ordered it to-go and the container made everything taste plastic-y. However, the spicy eggplant dish it to die for. This is my go-to place for boba, and the Thai iced tea and Taro Pudding Milk Tea are always good! Service here is usually pretty awful though, in regards to wait time, etc., and there is little seating available.
(3)
Zhenyan L.
My favorite place for lunch !!!!! I love their ever dish, Especially the hot & sour noodle soup and pad kee mow with very very spicy !!!!:-)
(5)
Alicia L.
The food is definitely not the best around and its not worth the price. As mentioned by a couple of other reviewers before, the attitude of the servers are horrible. I've been there a couple of times and have only met a lady who is nice. The servers are rude and have the kind of attitude as if I'm not paying them and eating there for free. The best part is that when you get the check, the server expects you to give at least 15% tip for the crappy service that you get. My experience was that the server literally told me off that I should tip the amount listed below the receipt. They also have a messed up waiting policy and would not allow you to be seated or order if your party is not complete (despite the fact that the restaurant is almost empty and there aren't anybody waiting in line). And you are expected to wait outside (even in the cold) as the place is small. Its disappointing and I definitely would not recommend this place if you want to have a nice meal with good service.
(1)
Priya D.
Horrible place. Horrible food. Horrible service. As a freshman and sophomore in college, Basil thai was the only place I could get my Thai fix on campus. The food is never the same one day from another. The curry could be good one day and then be absolutely inedible the next. Besides the food, the service is absolutely horrendous. I have had my food literally THROWN at me. I am not paying upwards of $10-$15 a meal to be treated like that. This place does not do justice to Thai food. I highly recommend avoiding this joint.
(1)
Rachel P.
Best thai food in the Lafayette/West Lafayette area! The prices are a little high for the kind of food but worth the price since there's nothing else like this around. I am disappointed that they are charging $2 for one chicken spring roll and $2.50 for the peanut sauce! The sauce should NOT be more expensive than the spring roll itself!
(4)
Clive N.
The only reason I'm not rating a 5 is because of the horrible crampedness of the place. Food is great, service is great. If you like Thai food, look no further.
(4)
Cindy W.
The owner made some shit rules about waiting policy. Some of the waitress will give u some ugly face if u argue with the shit rule! Their attitude is extremely bad and the rule they set is bull shit! I swear I would never come back to this shit place. Screw the owner!
(1)
Rohit J.
I have been here multiple times because its the closest thai restaurant to the university. The service here is bad, and the waiters can be rude sometimes. The food quality is definitely weak. You can feel the cheapness in the watered down bubble teas.
(2)
Ashley R.
If there was another Thai place around here, this place would be out of business. The food was really bland. I love Thai food, and frequent Thai restaurants where I'm from. It was like the Thai version of Chinese takeout, except not as good, and very overpriced. The thing that really did it for me, though, was the service, or lack thereof. The waitress came over and said, "What do you want?", then, a young man put our food in front of us. That was the extent of the service, which was fine, because it was an in and out type place. My soup was $6, so 15% tip wouldn't have even been a dollar. I didn't tip because "What do you want?" and putting soup in front of me doesn't constitute a tip. As I left, the man demanded that I leave a tip. I was with a friend and didn't want to cause a scene so I gave him a dollar. But I will NEVER go back.
(1)
Patricia N.
Visited here with my cousins and other family members after going on a tour of campus as an alumni. It's still a good place to get some decent Thai food. Just note, the place is tiny, and it can get chilly whenever people walk in because the tables are so close to the door. The different salads are good with nice vinaigrette. My favorite thing to get every time I go is the "Pad Thai" (without peanuts, just because I don't like them). I know it's typical, but always delicious. My other family members have gotten "Pad Kee Mow" and said it was good too. "Thai Barbecued Chicken" is great too! It's a nicely portioned. I'm not a huge fan of bubble tea, but my family seemed to enjoy them.
(4)
Sajit C.
Great place for a tasty thai meal which seems rather authentic. Somewhat reasonably priced, good quality ingredients and spices used in food, friendly staff, and pleasant selection of bubble tea. The only drawback is the almost suffocating lack of space for sit in dining during peak times.
(3)
Luke A.
Good Dishes, Horrible Style. Everytime I walk into this shop, I cant believe some of their rude waitresses and their attitudes. They do not seat you in a table for 4 until the fourth person arrives, man,what? Also, I have overheard their servers talking multiple times among themselves how they are the best Thai food and many people dont know thai food. Well, I do know it, and theirs isnt the best ok? Its also slightly expensive and the quantity is alright, go for the green curry or Cashew and moo ping. good ones
(3)
Jackie B.
I got chicken Pad Thai here last night. I was disappointed in the quality as well as the value. Paid $10 for an order of Pad Thai to go, the chicken was overcooked and dry, and the flavor was bland. I also felt that it was overpriced for the quantity of food you get. Overall- not terrible, just not worth the money.
(2)
Jessica C.
Stopped by here for dinner a few weeks ago. Not the best nor the worst Thai food I've ever had. The crispy spring rolls were tasty. My pad ginger was fine, but nothing special. I'd eat here again, but it didn't blow me away.
(3)
Tanaya W.
Serve good food every time! Thai food is probably my favorite cuisine, so I eat here a lot! Some recommendations are: the curry pineapple fried rice (trust me, it's not sweet! It tastes divine!), any of the curries are always good, the special - bamee moo dang is really really good, and so is the pad kee mow and pad ga prow! I would totally recommend this place, just try to branch out and get something different instead of pad Thai!
(5)
Hye Eun C.
Came here again for lunch and ordered the moo ping and a peach green tea bubble tea. Again, I had good service and a great lunch. No complaints here. Bubble tea was good also.
(4)
Tae K.
This place has the best thai food! Try their curry and fried rice and if the menu seems overwhelming, ask the servers for recommendations! Our server James was really helpful. Oh yea the girl worker there is cute ;)
(5)
Hanh S.
I tried to really love their pad thai but I just couldn't. I'm a huge fan of pad thai in general, so I've given Basil Thai's a chance several times- It's bland and missing flavor. They do give you a lot though, I always have leftovers. My go to is usually the yellow curry with added shrimp. It's pretty good and the best thing I've had there and I recommend. I've had two other noodle dishes there- though I can't remember their names- they were ok, not great. I left dinner feeling unsatisfied.
(2)
Alexandra M.
I always order the red curry and take it to go. They are fast, pleasant, and my food is great!
(4)
Alicia L.
The food is definitely not the best around and its not worth the price. As mentioned by a couple of other reviewers before, the attitude of the servers are horrible. I've been there a couple of times and have only met a lady who is nice. The servers are rude and have the kind of attitude as if I'm not paying them and eating there for free. The best part is that when you get the check, the server expects you to give at least 15% tip for the crappy service that you get. My experience was that the server literally told me off that I should tip the amount listed below the receipt. They also have a messed up waiting policy and would not allow you to be seated or order if your party is not complete (despite the fact that the restaurant is almost empty and there aren't anybody waiting in line). And you are expected to wait outside (even in the cold) as the place is small. Its disappointing and I definitely would not recommend this place if you want to have a nice meal with good service.
(1)
Priya D.
Horrible place. Horrible food. Horrible service. As a freshman and sophomore in college, Basil thai was the only place I could get my Thai fix on campus. The food is never the same one day from another. The curry could be good one day and then be absolutely inedible the next. Besides the food, the service is absolutely horrendous. I have had my food literally THROWN at me. I am not paying upwards of $10-$15 a meal to be treated like that. This place does not do justice to Thai food. I highly recommend avoiding this joint.
(1)
Rachel P.
Best thai food in the Lafayette/West Lafayette area! The prices are a little high for the kind of food but worth the price since there's nothing else like this around. I am disappointed that they are charging $2 for one chicken spring roll and $2.50 for the peanut sauce! The sauce should NOT be more expensive than the spring roll itself!
(4)
Clive N.
The only reason I'm not rating a 5 is because of the horrible crampedness of the place. Food is great, service is great. If you like Thai food, look no further.
(4)
Cindy W.
The owner made some shit rules about waiting policy. Some of the waitress will give u some ugly face if u argue with the shit rule! Their attitude is extremely bad and the rule they set is bull shit! I swear I would never come back to this shit place. Screw the owner!
(1)
Rohit J.
I have been here multiple times because its the closest thai restaurant to the university. The service here is bad, and the waiters can be rude sometimes. The food quality is definitely weak. You can feel the cheapness in the watered down bubble teas.
(2)
Ashley R.
If there was another Thai place around here, this place would be out of business. The food was really bland. I love Thai food, and frequent Thai restaurants where I'm from. It was like the Thai version of Chinese takeout, except not as good, and very overpriced. The thing that really did it for me, though, was the service, or lack thereof. The waitress came over and said, "What do you want?", then, a young man put our food in front of us. That was the extent of the service, which was fine, because it was an in and out type place. My soup was $6, so 15% tip wouldn't have even been a dollar. I didn't tip because "What do you want?" and putting soup in front of me doesn't constitute a tip. As I left, the man demanded that I leave a tip. I was with a friend and didn't want to cause a scene so I gave him a dollar. But I will NEVER go back.
(1)
Michael S.
This is a difficult review to write. Why? because everything about this restaurant is either a big hit, or a complete miss. This includes the food quality, the staff, and the pricing. The food can be great if you order correctly. Like many asian-american restaurants, the menu is too big for its own good, which hurts the consistency. Chicken satay, moo ping, chicken spring rolls: all excellent, 5 stars! Curries, soups, and salads: all horrible, 1 star! I love bubble tea, so there really isnt such a thing as "bad" bubble tea in my opinion... however this place makes all of their bubble tea from powder. you might as well just dump a cup full of sugar into a glass, add some tapioca, and drink that. I should mention that the chefs arent Thai. Not that non-thai people cant cook thai food... they can. But the chefs at basil thai definitely arent professionally trained in thai cuisine. They're just local joes that are following recipes and throwing things together. that fact is reflected in the uneventful dining experience. You're not going to leave thinking "omg, tastes just like authentic thai!" Rather, you will leave saying to yourself, "tastes just like an average guy from Indiana trying to cook thai food!" It's odd to have to comment on the service at Basil Thai, because the restaurant is literally smaller than Paris Hilton's closet. One single waitress should easily be able to handle every table, and there are usually two or more working at any given time. Plus it's one of those tacky places where you go up to the register to pay. Like everything else, there is a huge discrepancy between the level of service I have received. One waitress I had was nice and friendly. Unfortunately, on my very next visit another waitress gave me a horrible attitude and was talking loudly on her cell phone the entire time I was eating. Frequently, the waitresses sit at a table which is strange, because it shows that they are lazy, dont care about the customer's perception, and are willing to occupy one of only 8 or so of the tables in the entire restaurant. I guess the owner/manager isnt training these girls properly, so let me give a quick lesson: Dont talk on your phone. Dont sit down. Dont say "what you want." Dont act like you're doing me a favor when you're bringing me my food - that's your job, and im paying you for it.... besides, you're only walking 5 feet. Do smile, greet customers warmly, and say please and thank you. Finally, let's discuss the price. Basil Thai has recently raised the cost of nearly everything on the menu. It went from being "pretty cheap" to "not worth it." Chicken spring rolls (my favorite item on the menu) were $1.50. Now they cost $2.50. I should mention the fact that the spring rolls at Basil Thai are less than half the size of your standard spring roll. Most of the rice curry dishes are over $10... reasonable, but not cheap. I'm slightly heart-broken to say that Basil Thai is no longer one of my regular places to eat. 10/18/13 update: i placed a carryout order by phone. The employee i spoke with told me the food would be ready in 10 minutes (i only ordered a couple of spring rolls to go - easy peasy.) I arrived at the restaurant 17 minutes later to collect my order. Apparently there was a communication issue. When the waitress walked into the kitchen to get my food, I heard her say to the cook "you havnt started it yet?" I explained my situation to her: I was in a hurry and didn't have another 10 minutes to wait, and left without receiving my food or paying. I had to knock off another star due to this catastrophe. Unfortunately, Basil Thai has slipped from 4 stars to two stars in only 2 years. Someone save this place. Call Gordon Ramsay!
(2)
Ruth A.
Who doesn't love a hole-in-the-wall restaurant that's walking distance from the office and can satisfy simultaneous curry AND bubble tea cravings? Don't *rely* on this place: you may not be able to get a seat, their card machine might not be working. But if you want solidly good curry or bubble tea (both milk and green tea options available) that's not too expensive and that you don't have to drive to from campus, stop by. Worst case scenario, they can't seat you, you are impatient about waiting, and you walk anywhere else in Chauncey for your meal. Makes for a good change of pace from standard near-campus options. Don't feel like yet another sandwich? Treat yourself to Thai! If you're vegetarian, rejoice that you can select from among options, rather than having to go for that one meatless menu item.
(4)
Michael P.
I'm not a Thai expert but I thought it was pretty good. A little pricy for what it is in my opinion though. I got the pad thai and tried the green curry as well.
(3)
Janice M.
All the stir fry dishes tasted the same. Their bubble tea is kinda nasty to be completely honest. I didn't understand why this place was so popular when I was at Purdue, always packed on a friday night. The price is pretty steep for what you get. Bottom line, not a fan of Basil Thai because it tasted nothing like Thai food.
(1)
Ethan H.
I was very disappointed with this place. if it really is the best in the area (as another review claimed), than W. Lafayette really doesn't have a lot to offer! Basically, the problem was in the food, which ranged from uninteresting to bad. My beef red curry, for example, certainly packed a spice, but it was actually pretty boring -- as if the spice was the only interesting thing they put into it. Ever worse, the beef had that grainy, I've-been-frozen-defrosted-and-refrozen-again texture to it -- and there's simply no excuse for that regardless of how much rice costs these days. My dad's pad-pak chicken wasn't any better: the chicken was fatty and the whole thing was doused in a sweet syrup that, for both of us really, made the whole thing inedible. And, just to be clear, we are NOT picky eaters! Long story short, if people think THIS is the best in town, then either Lafayette is a pit or they're not looking very hard. (Two stars, because at least I didn't vomit ... though I kind of wish I had.)
(2)
Siraaj M.
Small and quaint, very friendly staff, my kids loved the bubble tea
(5)
Cindy L.
my favorite thai restaurant in whole world. not kidding. tom yum noodle soup with chicken. omg freakign legit. everything is good. the curry the pad thai the pad kee mao the basil fried rice. omg loooooooooove this place. this is where i would get my last meal on earth
(5)
Michael S.
This is a difficult review to write. Why? because everything about this restaurant is either a big hit, or a complete miss. This includes the food quality, the staff, and the pricing. The food can be great if you order correctly. Like many asian-american restaurants, the menu is too big for its own good, which hurts the consistency. Chicken satay, moo ping, chicken spring rolls: all excellent, 5 stars! Curries, soups, and salads: all horrible, 1 star! I love bubble tea, so there really isnt such a thing as "bad" bubble tea in my opinion... however this place makes all of their bubble tea from powder. you might as well just dump a cup full of sugar into a glass, add some tapioca, and drink that. I should mention that the chefs arent Thai. Not that non-thai people cant cook thai food... they can. But the chefs at basil thai definitely arent professionally trained in thai cuisine. They're just local joes that are following recipes and throwing things together. that fact is reflected in the uneventful dining experience. You're not going to leave thinking "omg, tastes just like authentic thai!" Rather, you will leave saying to yourself, "tastes just like an average guy from Indiana trying to cook thai food!" It's odd to have to comment on the service at Basil Thai, because the restaurant is literally smaller than Paris Hilton's closet. One single waitress should easily be able to handle every table, and there are usually two or more working at any given time. Plus it's one of those tacky places where you go up to the register to pay. Like everything else, there is a huge discrepancy between the level of service I have received. One waitress I had was nice and friendly. Unfortunately, on my very next visit another waitress gave me a horrible attitude and was talking loudly on her cell phone the entire time I was eating. Frequently, the waitresses sit at a table which is strange, because it shows that they are lazy, dont care about the customer's perception, and are willing to occupy one of only 8 or so of the tables in the entire restaurant. I guess the owner/manager isnt training these girls properly, so let me give a quick lesson: Dont talk on your phone. Dont sit down. Dont say "what you want." Dont act like you're doing me a favor when you're bringing me my food - that's your job, and im paying you for it.... besides, you're only walking 5 feet. Do smile, greet customers warmly, and say please and thank you. Finally, let's discuss the price. Basil Thai has recently raised the cost of nearly everything on the menu. It went from being "pretty cheap" to "not worth it." Chicken spring rolls (my favorite item on the menu) were $1.50. Now they cost $2.50. I should mention the fact that the spring rolls at Basil Thai are less than half the size of your standard spring roll. Most of the rice curry dishes are over $10... reasonable, but not cheap. I'm slightly heart-broken to say that Basil Thai is no longer one of my regular places to eat. 10/18/13 update: i placed a carryout order by phone. The employee i spoke with told me the food would be ready in 10 minutes (i only ordered a couple of spring rolls to go - easy peasy.) I arrived at the restaurant 17 minutes later to collect my order. Apparently there was a communication issue. When the waitress walked into the kitchen to get my food, I heard her say to the cook "you havnt started it yet?" I explained my situation to her: I was in a hurry and didn't have another 10 minutes to wait, and left without receiving my food or paying. I had to knock off another star due to this catastrophe. Unfortunately, Basil Thai has slipped from 4 stars to two stars in only 2 years. Someone save this place. Call Gordon Ramsay!
(2)
Lauren M.
I come here for lunch around once a week because I love it so much. I always get the green curry with tofu which is AMAZING and my boyfriend gets the Number 16 with beef. I've also had the Tom Ga Kan (spelling?) soup which is excellent. We often find ourselves craving these dishes even when we're not on campus and order take out. I think you have to have at least somewhat exotic tastes because it is not super americanized. For example, my parents would have much preferred the typical americanized Chinese buffet. The place is small but usually there isn't a wait and, if there is, it's only 5-10 minutes. The service is good and quick. As to its authenticity, I'm not really sure. I think the owner is Thai, but I know the cooks are Hispanic. However, I do see Asian patrons very often. We usually come here for lunch which is what I recommend. The atmosphere is casual and you can tell its a family-run business. This is not the place for a romantic date night, just for a yummy eat night. This is my favorite restaurant in West Lafayette and the one I most often visit. CAN'T GET ENOUGH. GREEN CURRY WITH TOFU! GET IT!
(5)
Ramya C.
Hands down the best bubble tea in the Lafayette/ West Lafayette region. Honey dew bubble tea is out of the world! Food is okish.
(4)
Betty R.
I'm surprised by all the negative reviews, but admittedly, I've only eaten there once. Friend and I ordered the mango salad and the chicken satay to share, and thought they were both outstanding.This is a very casual place, so I didn't expect much in terms of service, but it was just fine, despite being a weekday at lunchtime during the school year and full of students eating in and getting food to go. I can't wait to go back.
(4)
Mehmet G.
One of the best restaurants in town. No dish in Basil Thai ever disappointed me, period.
(4)
April W.
The food that I've tried so far (Pad Thai, Beef Curry, Chicken Satay, some sort of noodle in a soup bowl) have been quite good. I might not be a fan 100% of the time, but I can't say that their food is bad. Sometimes it might be oily for my tastes. I find myself craving their food. The food is really quite expensive though, it usually ends up more than $10-15 per person. My boyfriend and I go there when we need a pick-me-up! Some of the best asian food on campus I've had so far.
(4)
Jennifer B.
Green curry with tofu was alright, lacked the flavor punch I'm used to but I've definitely had worse.
(3)
Min H.
I love Basil Thai and it saddens me I didn't eat more of it while I was at Purdue. Despite hearing complaints about the price, I've always found the prices to be more than reasonable given the amount of food provided, which is alot. Its a bit small so it can get crowded at times but there's always takeout and of course, bubble tea. Dishes that I've always liked and recommend -any of the curries, for those afraid of spice the yellow is fairly mild and sweet. I've always liked the red since it was spicy and flavorful -basil fried rice -mango and sticky rice if available
(4)
Nica F.
The yellow curry is great. Good comfort food if you want an entire MEAL. I go maybe once a month to get my fill of rice since I'm from California and can't really get it at the sorority house or the dining courts. (heh). The boba/"bubbles" whatever is okay. I *may* be just completely spoiled by really great bubble tea back at home but I mean this will do if you have a craving. I've had the taro (was gross, man. for the asians totally into that, this will just ruin all taro experiences ever), and the honeydew flavor. Like I said, it's good if you need your fill of thai food/bubble tea but its not the greatest. Then again, I guess it could be the greatest thai food in West Laf seeing there aren't many places to go...
(3)
Laureen S.
The dining options in West Lafayette IN, are geared towards Purdue students. I get it. They are on a budget and need a laid back vibe. I get that too. But friendliness, cleanliness and freshness should never be optional. Keep walking, this place is bad news.
(2)
Anant H.
A marginal place for Thai and really the only place on campus. A few of the dishes will definitely please, but its a bit pricey for how much food they give and their bubble tea is a bit sub par. Lafayette/West Lafayette really lack good Thai restaurants and this one is about the same as Thai Essence (same owners) and its definitely not worth a trip to the other side of town to eat at Exotic Thai (lets face it this one sounds like a strip club) If you are like me and can't go more than a month without Thai food this place will do the job until you can get to a larger city.
(3)
Heather H.
Basil is no frills and casual. I've been here a few times, and it's not memorable, but if I must have Thai and only Thai, I know I can get decent vegetarian dishes here. I ordered a Jasmine boba recently that was the one and only tasteless milk tea I've ever had. Maybe it was an off cup. Hope so.
(3)
David S.
It's a bit pricey. The food is meh. They put a weird twist on thai food, adding ingredients that don't belong in the dishes. Huge chunks of Egg plant? Bell pepers? In my curry? I think they do it to fill up space in the container, to make it seem like you get more food. I asked them not to add bell peppers or egg plant in my curry, and they only filled the container halfway. Jerks. That said, it's mostly delicious. Employees are friendly enough. There's no other thai restaurants except for thai essence, which is owned by the same people.
(3)
Nancy H.
This place is good but really options for thai food are limited here in west lafayette, in so we have to take what we can get. If you don't mind going further, I think Exotic Thai is better. The pad thai needs more to it, it was kind of skimpy The chicken satay with peanut sauce is very tasty. I also really like their salads, cold and refreshing. Bubble tea is okay but sometimes the tapioca is not chewy like it should be.
(3)
Paula O.
While I didnt get to try the food, I can tell you that their bubble tea is disgusting. I got taro flavor and it was so powdery and well, just gross! Also, their black tea is not any better. I ended up just eating the bubbles!
(1)
Maurilio M.
Good place to find some quality Thai food in West Lafayette. I would have to agree with alot of the reviews that there are not really any other Thai places. Space is fairly small needs to be a bit bigger, gets crowded during lunch time. Overall really good food. I would give it 3.5 stars.
(3)
Gin S.
definitely poor services
(1)
Chris M.
Not good. Flavors were lacking in the curry, and had absolutely no spice level. Vegetables were soggy and not fresh. Service was ok, but the restaurant had a bad odor.
(1)
Amy D.
This is the best Thai food around. Grab a seat when you can, it's almost always busy. If you can't eat in, make sure you get something to go. Love the Thai tea here.
(4)
Batu Y.
Great food. No joke hands down best Thai in Lafayette
(5)
Mark D.
the food is not worth for the price asking. too pricy. i have ate some real thai food. for this place, if the prices are a little down, i would like this place. but now, i will skip this place.
(2)
jared s.
This place is pretty good. i love the bubble tea there. I have not had Thai food many places but i really enjoy this one. This is my favorite Thai place. I always get Pad Thai with Peanut sause. then a bubble tea. it is very good here. good idea for a date to try new things.
(4)
Sho K.
Probably the worst Thai restaurant in the Lafayette area. The only reason they're always busy is because of its location. It's conveniently located within walking distance from campus. The food isn't terrible (one star), and the fact that they serve bubble tea is also a plus (second star).
(2)
Robin F.
absolutely the best thai in our area
(5)
Luke A.
Good Dishes, Horrible Style. Everytime I walk into this shop, I cant believe some of their rude waitresses and their attitudes. They do not seat you in a table for 4 until the fourth person arrives, man,what? Also, I have overheard their servers talking multiple times among themselves how they are the best Thai food and many people dont know thai food. Well, I do know it, and theirs isnt the best ok? Its also slightly expensive and the quantity is alright, go for the green curry or Cashew and moo ping. good ones
(3)
Jackie B.
I got chicken Pad Thai here last night. I was disappointed in the quality as well as the value. Paid $10 for an order of Pad Thai to go, the chicken was overcooked and dry, and the flavor was bland. I also felt that it was overpriced for the quantity of food you get. Overall- not terrible, just not worth the money.
(2)
Jessica C.
Stopped by here for dinner a few weeks ago. Not the best nor the worst Thai food I've ever had. The crispy spring rolls were tasty. My pad ginger was fine, but nothing special. I'd eat here again, but it didn't blow me away.
(3)
Katherine Y.
Decent Thai food here--the chicken pad thai missed the mark for me, especially since I ordered it to-go and the container made everything taste plastic-y. However, the spicy eggplant dish it to die for. This is my go-to place for boba, and the Thai iced tea and Taro Pudding Milk Tea are always good! Service here is usually pretty awful though, in regards to wait time, etc., and there is little seating available.
(3)
Ruth A.
Who doesn't love a hole-in-the-wall restaurant that's walking distance from the office and can satisfy simultaneous curry AND bubble tea cravings? Don't *rely* on this place: you may not be able to get a seat, their card machine might not be working. But if you want solidly good curry or bubble tea (both milk and green tea options available) that's not too expensive and that you don't have to drive to from campus, stop by. Worst case scenario, they can't seat you, you are impatient about waiting, and you walk anywhere else in Chauncey for your meal. Makes for a good change of pace from standard near-campus options. Don't feel like yet another sandwich? Treat yourself to Thai! If you're vegetarian, rejoice that you can select from among options, rather than having to go for that one meatless menu item.
(4)
Michael P.
I'm not a Thai expert but I thought it was pretty good. A little pricy for what it is in my opinion though. I got the pad thai and tried the green curry as well.
(3)
Janice M.
All the stir fry dishes tasted the same. Their bubble tea is kinda nasty to be completely honest. I didn't understand why this place was so popular when I was at Purdue, always packed on a friday night. The price is pretty steep for what you get. Bottom line, not a fan of Basil Thai because it tasted nothing like Thai food.
(1)
Ethan H.
I was very disappointed with this place. if it really is the best in the area (as another review claimed), than W. Lafayette really doesn't have a lot to offer! Basically, the problem was in the food, which ranged from uninteresting to bad. My beef red curry, for example, certainly packed a spice, but it was actually pretty boring -- as if the spice was the only interesting thing they put into it. Ever worse, the beef had that grainy, I've-been-frozen-defrosted-and-refrozen-again texture to it -- and there's simply no excuse for that regardless of how much rice costs these days. My dad's pad-pak chicken wasn't any better: the chicken was fatty and the whole thing was doused in a sweet syrup that, for both of us really, made the whole thing inedible. And, just to be clear, we are NOT picky eaters! Long story short, if people think THIS is the best in town, then either Lafayette is a pit or they're not looking very hard. (Two stars, because at least I didn't vomit ... though I kind of wish I had.)
(2)
Siraaj M.
Small and quaint, very friendly staff, my kids loved the bubble tea
(5)
Lauren M.
I come here for lunch around once a week because I love it so much. I always get the green curry with tofu which is AMAZING and my boyfriend gets the Number 16 with beef. I've also had the Tom Ga Kan (spelling?) soup which is excellent. We often find ourselves craving these dishes even when we're not on campus and order take out. I think you have to have at least somewhat exotic tastes because it is not super americanized. For example, my parents would have much preferred the typical americanized Chinese buffet. The place is small but usually there isn't a wait and, if there is, it's only 5-10 minutes. The service is good and quick. As to its authenticity, I'm not really sure. I think the owner is Thai, but I know the cooks are Hispanic. However, I do see Asian patrons very often. We usually come here for lunch which is what I recommend. The atmosphere is casual and you can tell its a family-run business. This is not the place for a romantic date night, just for a yummy eat night. This is my favorite restaurant in West Lafayette and the one I most often visit. CAN'T GET ENOUGH. GREEN CURRY WITH TOFU! GET IT!
(5)
Ramya C.
Hands down the best bubble tea in the Lafayette/ West Lafayette region. Honey dew bubble tea is out of the world! Food is okish.
(4)
Betty R.
I'm surprised by all the negative reviews, but admittedly, I've only eaten there once. Friend and I ordered the mango salad and the chicken satay to share, and thought they were both outstanding.This is a very casual place, so I didn't expect much in terms of service, but it was just fine, despite being a weekday at lunchtime during the school year and full of students eating in and getting food to go. I can't wait to go back.
(4)
Mehmet G.
One of the best restaurants in town. No dish in Basil Thai ever disappointed me, period.
(4)
Patricia N.
Visited here with my cousins and other family members after going on a tour of campus as an alumni. It's still a good place to get some decent Thai food. Just note, the place is tiny, and it can get chilly whenever people walk in because the tables are so close to the door. The different salads are good with nice vinaigrette. My favorite thing to get every time I go is the "Pad Thai" (without peanuts, just because I don't like them). I know it's typical, but always delicious. My other family members have gotten "Pad Kee Mow" and said it was good too. "Thai Barbecued Chicken" is great too! It's a nicely portioned. I'm not a huge fan of bubble tea, but my family seemed to enjoy them.
(4)
April W.
The food that I've tried so far (Pad Thai, Beef Curry, Chicken Satay, some sort of noodle in a soup bowl) have been quite good. I might not be a fan 100% of the time, but I can't say that their food is bad. Sometimes it might be oily for my tastes. I find myself craving their food. The food is really quite expensive though, it usually ends up more than $10-15 per person. My boyfriend and I go there when we need a pick-me-up! Some of the best asian food on campus I've had so far.
(4)
Jennifer B.
Green curry with tofu was alright, lacked the flavor punch I'm used to but I've definitely had worse.
(3)
Min H.
I love Basil Thai and it saddens me I didn't eat more of it while I was at Purdue. Despite hearing complaints about the price, I've always found the prices to be more than reasonable given the amount of food provided, which is alot. Its a bit small so it can get crowded at times but there's always takeout and of course, bubble tea. Dishes that I've always liked and recommend -any of the curries, for those afraid of spice the yellow is fairly mild and sweet. I've always liked the red since it was spicy and flavorful -basil fried rice -mango and sticky rice if available
(4)
Cindy L.
my favorite thai restaurant in whole world. not kidding. tom yum noodle soup with chicken. omg freakign legit. everything is good. the curry the pad thai the pad kee mao the basil fried rice. omg loooooooooove this place. this is where i would get my last meal on earth
(5)
Nica F.
The yellow curry is great. Good comfort food if you want an entire MEAL. I go maybe once a month to get my fill of rice since I'm from California and can't really get it at the sorority house or the dining courts. (heh). The boba/"bubbles" whatever is okay. I *may* be just completely spoiled by really great bubble tea back at home but I mean this will do if you have a craving. I've had the taro (was gross, man. for the asians totally into that, this will just ruin all taro experiences ever), and the honeydew flavor. Like I said, it's good if you need your fill of thai food/bubble tea but its not the greatest. Then again, I guess it could be the greatest thai food in West Laf seeing there aren't many places to go...
(3)
Laureen S.
The dining options in West Lafayette IN, are geared towards Purdue students. I get it. They are on a budget and need a laid back vibe. I get that too. But friendliness, cleanliness and freshness should never be optional. Keep walking, this place is bad news.
(2)
Anant H.
A marginal place for Thai and really the only place on campus. A few of the dishes will definitely please, but its a bit pricey for how much food they give and their bubble tea is a bit sub par. Lafayette/West Lafayette really lack good Thai restaurants and this one is about the same as Thai Essence (same owners) and its definitely not worth a trip to the other side of town to eat at Exotic Thai (lets face it this one sounds like a strip club) If you are like me and can't go more than a month without Thai food this place will do the job until you can get to a larger city.
(3)
Heather H.
Basil is no frills and casual. I've been here a few times, and it's not memorable, but if I must have Thai and only Thai, I know I can get decent vegetarian dishes here. I ordered a Jasmine boba recently that was the one and only tasteless milk tea I've ever had. Maybe it was an off cup. Hope so.
(3)
David S.
It's a bit pricey. The food is meh. They put a weird twist on thai food, adding ingredients that don't belong in the dishes. Huge chunks of Egg plant? Bell pepers? In my curry? I think they do it to fill up space in the container, to make it seem like you get more food. I asked them not to add bell peppers or egg plant in my curry, and they only filled the container halfway. Jerks. That said, it's mostly delicious. Employees are friendly enough. There's no other thai restaurants except for thai essence, which is owned by the same people.
(3)
Nancy H.
This place is good but really options for thai food are limited here in west lafayette, in so we have to take what we can get. If you don't mind going further, I think Exotic Thai is better. The pad thai needs more to it, it was kind of skimpy The chicken satay with peanut sauce is very tasty. I also really like their salads, cold and refreshing. Bubble tea is okay but sometimes the tapioca is not chewy like it should be.
(3)
Paula O.
While I didnt get to try the food, I can tell you that their bubble tea is disgusting. I got taro flavor and it was so powdery and well, just gross! Also, their black tea is not any better. I ended up just eating the bubbles!
(1)
Maurilio M.
Good place to find some quality Thai food in West Lafayette. I would have to agree with alot of the reviews that there are not really any other Thai places. Space is fairly small needs to be a bit bigger, gets crowded during lunch time. Overall really good food. I would give it 3.5 stars.
(3)
Gin S.
definitely poor services
(1)
Chris M.
Not good. Flavors were lacking in the curry, and had absolutely no spice level. Vegetables were soggy and not fresh. Service was ok, but the restaurant had a bad odor.
(1)
Amy D.
This is the best Thai food around. Grab a seat when you can, it's almost always busy. If you can't eat in, make sure you get something to go. Love the Thai tea here.
(4)
Batu Y.
Great food. No joke hands down best Thai in Lafayette
(5)
Mark D.
the food is not worth for the price asking. too pricy. i have ate some real thai food. for this place, if the prices are a little down, i would like this place. but now, i will skip this place.
(2)
jared s.
This place is pretty good. i love the bubble tea there. I have not had Thai food many places but i really enjoy this one. This is my favorite Thai place. I always get Pad Thai with Peanut sause. then a bubble tea. it is very good here. good idea for a date to try new things.
(4)
Sho K.
Probably the worst Thai restaurant in the Lafayette area. The only reason they're always busy is because of its location. It's conveniently located within walking distance from campus. The food isn't terrible (one star), and the fact that they serve bubble tea is also a plus (second star).
(2)
Robin F.
absolutely the best thai in our area
(5)
Andrew H.
Went there yesterday. Had an enjoyable meal, food was pretty bland, I managed to shovel down their pad thai chicken ok. Their yellow curry is mediocre, although the potatoes taste like chemicals. However, that's not why they've dropped so far in my eyes. Listen up, I get it if servers are angry that people don't tip sometimes. However, you shouldn't be expecting much if someone orders between $5-7 bucks of food, especially when you're bringing it maybe 10 yards from the kitchen. And it's ok to fume to yourself. But when you have to confront a customer (a lady friend of mine) and be like, "excuse me, but was our service bad? Because is there a reason why you're not tipping?" That is uncalled for. Especially if you say it loud enough for the whole restaurant to hear and push the credit card receipt towards the person to make them tip. What kind of service is that?! It'll take a LONG time before I forget this. Service is ok, par for a hole-in-the-wall. But if you're hiring people that are like that that I've just met, I'm sorry, but no. Just no. Protip: Don't pay with your credit card.
(1)
Zhenyan L.
My favorite place for lunch !!!!! I love their ever dish, Especially the hot & sour noodle soup and pad kee mow with very very spicy !!!!:-)
(5)
Haha L.
Yellow duck curry is my favorite. I usually don't like spicy food but that curry is awesome. The bubble tea is great too, I would recommend egg pudding milk tea. The restaurant is very popular and it's close to campus. But the restaurant can only hold up to 25 people, so go early to get a seat!
(4)
Yuyao C.
My favorite Thai restaurant and the best pad Thai chicken. And the bubble tea is awesome!
(5)
Ashley R.
If there was another Thai place around here, this place would be out of business. The food was really bland. I love Thai food, and frequent Thai restaurants where I'm from. It was like the Thai version of Chinese takeout, except not as good, and very overpriced. The thing that really did it for me, though, was the service, or lack thereof. The waitress came over and said, "What do you want?", then, a young man put our food in front of us. That was the extent of the service, which was fine, because it was an in and out type place. My soup was $6, so 15% tip wouldn't have even been a dollar. I didn't tip because "What do you want?" and putting soup in front of me doesn't constitute a tip. As I left, the man demanded that I leave a tip. I was with a friend and didn't want to cause a scene so I gave him a dollar. But I will NEVER go back.
(1)
Patricia N.
Visited here with my cousins and other family members after going on a tour of campus as an alumni. It's still a good place to get some decent Thai food. Just note, the place is tiny, and it can get chilly whenever people walk in because the tables are so close to the door. The different salads are good with nice vinaigrette. My favorite thing to get every time I go is the "Pad Thai" (without peanuts, just because I don't like them). I know it's typical, but always delicious. My other family members have gotten "Pad Kee Mow" and said it was good too. "Thai Barbecued Chicken" is great too! It's a nicely portioned. I'm not a huge fan of bubble tea, but my family seemed to enjoy them.
(4)
Sajit C.
Great place for a tasty thai meal which seems rather authentic. Somewhat reasonably priced, good quality ingredients and spices used in food, friendly staff, and pleasant selection of bubble tea. The only drawback is the almost suffocating lack of space for sit in dining during peak times.
(3)
Luke A.
Good Dishes, Horrible Style. Everytime I walk into this shop, I cant believe some of their rude waitresses and their attitudes. They do not seat you in a table for 4 until the fourth person arrives, man,what? Also, I have overheard their servers talking multiple times among themselves how they are the best Thai food and many people dont know thai food. Well, I do know it, and theirs isnt the best ok? Its also slightly expensive and the quantity is alright, go for the green curry or Cashew and moo ping. good ones
(3)
Jackie B.
I got chicken Pad Thai here last night. I was disappointed in the quality as well as the value. Paid $10 for an order of Pad Thai to go, the chicken was overcooked and dry, and the flavor was bland. I also felt that it was overpriced for the quantity of food you get. Overall- not terrible, just not worth the money.
(2)
Jessica C.
Stopped by here for dinner a few weeks ago. Not the best nor the worst Thai food I've ever had. The crispy spring rolls were tasty. My pad ginger was fine, but nothing special. I'd eat here again, but it didn't blow me away.
(3)
Tae K.
This place has the best thai food! Try their curry and fried rice and if the menu seems overwhelming, ask the servers for recommendations! Our server James was really helpful. Oh yea the girl worker there is cute ;)
(5)
Tanaya W.
Serve good food every time! Thai food is probably my favorite cuisine, so I eat here a lot! Some recommendations are: the curry pineapple fried rice (trust me, it's not sweet! It tastes divine!), any of the curries are always good, the special - bamee moo dang is really really good, and so is the pad kee mow and pad ga prow! I would totally recommend this place, just try to branch out and get something different instead of pad Thai!
(5)
Hye Eun C.
Came here again for lunch and ordered the moo ping and a peach green tea bubble tea. Again, I had good service and a great lunch. No complaints here. Bubble tea was good also.
(4)
JD P.
Curry fried rice. That's the only item on the menu that is consistently good. Service is a hit or miss; Once, I ordered Pad Kee Mao and received a plate of thin noodles. When I asked a sever about it, he rudely insisted its always been this way. Come on, I've ordered it before and it was made of broad rice noodles. The photo of Pad Kee Mao in your menu is clearly broad rice noodles. Just give me a heads up if you ran out of broad noodles, instead of being a di*ck when I ask you why it ain't the same. A few other reviews mention staying away from panang curry. AVOID at all cost! The last time I ate it, it tasted like crap and afterwards my girlfriend and I had diarrhea for two days.
(2)
Jennifer L.
Overpriced and burnt food. Don't recommend at all. Service is terrible and does not make me want to tip them. I found a hair in my curry and was displeased with the way the staff had handled it.
(1)
Jen M.
I do not recommend this place.. First of all, service is awful.. I saw a server chasing the customer at the door and asked why they didn't tip.. If you don't tip the servers they will ask you if the service was OK? Is there a reason why you didn't tip?? Secondly, the price you pay for the food is not worth it. Its decent food but it's not worth paying $10-$15 per dish.
(1)
Rose C.
I've eaten here more than once. I generally order panang curry at Thai places. Here it was absolutely awful with over spicy seasoning and large chunks of dark meat chicken. Not my thing. Next I choose pad Thai since that's pretty universal. It was also awful. Very vinegar and extremely sour tasting. Inedible really. When I told this to our server she actually argued with me that this is how pad Thai was supposed to taste. Finally she took the food back and removed it from our bill. The place itself feels dirty and is very small. The service is god awful. Their food is bad. Do not eat here.
(1)
David K.
Good food and nice place. Decoration is not special. Something like at hi tea next to ak burgers would be great :). Service not allways friendly as I would like it to be but it's fine. Sometimes it has too many customers but I guess that's a good sign!
(4)
Adrienne K.
I revisited this place because I was DYING for some Thai food and we just don't have a Thai place in Lafayette and Thai Essence is just too far out for me to get it to go. The service was much better this time around but I still have a pretty bad taste in my mouth from the last visit there. However, the food was not as good as it previously has been. But since the service improved I'll upgrade it to 2 stars. Lafayette desperately needs a great Thai restaurant. DESPERATELY.
(2)
Sam P.
I usually like my food spicy, just like my women. When it comes to the food, it's a developed taste, especially to those unfamiliar with Thai cuisine. This is likely the reason that they explicitly make the point of "no-refunds" at the beginning their menu. After 1-2 visits and finding the right food item and then getting the item again and again, one can easily develop an affinity for a subset of Thai cuisine and various item's at Basil. The price is reasonable for being the one-and-only representative of Thai cuisine on campus. That aside, the service takes some hard-swallowing and intermittent choking at times. Predominantly fronted by fellow college student employees of which half manage to maintain a seemingly self-guided pretentious guise. Some of these kids just need to learn how to come correct, simple as that and this restaurant would easily be da sheet (great).\ Update: They chill af now. Shet's fire (great). Plenty of demunitive and neotenous asian girls to attract your attention, generic white guy. Quality is on point and consistant. Nothing more to ask for in the Thai category. C'mon, it's the ONLY Thai place and, I would say, Asian place that does it right (on campus).
(5)
Sophia Z.
This is a small little restaurant, but I highly recommend the curry dishes. The atmosphere is very casual and simple. You pay after your meal. I have tried the green, yellow, red and duck curry. My favorite is the duck curry. The value of the food is great, you will not leave hungry.
(4)
Brooke S.
honestly the best place for Thai food in the area. get the chicken pineapple fried rice, it is unbelievably delicious!!!!
(5)
Penghao W.
The service is awful. When I order something to go, they don't let you sit down and let you go away when some others come in. Feel assaulted. Ridiculous service!!!!
(1)
Supriya D.
I absolutely love Thai food and this is the best thai restaurant on Purdue's campus! Pros: - Pretty good food, I usually get the pad kee mao or the pad se ewe and both are delicious! - Chicken spring rolls are soooo good (but for $2 overpriced) Cons: - Can get super crowded so sometimes you may not be able to get a seat - No lunch specials - Kind of overpriced - The staff can be kind of rude if they are having an off day Nevertheless, if you want awesome thai food, Basil is the best at Purdue!
(3)
Rey J.
I was struck by the statement they have on the front of the menu that said something to the effect of "we won't refund your money if you don't like our food." - I wondered "what kind of clientele have they had to need to put that on the menu?" Then I tasted their food. It wasn't just the worst thai food that I've ever had, it might very well be the worst *food* that I've ever had. My Pad Med Mamuang was flavorless and so salty that I couldn't keep eating it.
(1)
Aniruddha K.
While on the expensive side, it's proximity to campus makes this a regular joint for me. It can get very busy here and the seating is far from comfortable. The food, however, is always good: pineapple fried rice, spicy basil fried rice, and the catfish are quite good.
(4)
Sharon R.
3-4 for the food, 1-3 for the service (depending on which server you get). Not all of their food is great, which is a problem because if you get something that is either not well cooked or doesn't taste great you won't be able to send it back. They have a strict policy against sending food back. Their menu says something like "we are very proud of our food and the way we cook it so we won't accept any food back." Really? Modesty, people, come on. This one time I had an awful mango salad there that was just drenched in some extremely sour dressing and clearly I just ended up not eating that night. Some of the curries are okay, the pad thai is decent, but I usually get the pork with eggplant which I find to be pretty good. The only problem is that they put so much sauce that by the end its almost inedible because of all the salt added to the salt. The bubble tea is also pretty good, many times I just go in and take out the bubble tea. As other reviewers have pointed out the service is a huge problem, probably stemming from very bad management. The owner sits in the tables closest to the counter and I've heard her sit there yelling on the phone or loudly making fun of customers that weren't in the restaurant. One of the waitresses rolls her eyes (even when there is really no need) as she's talking to you. The white blondish waitress is really the best to get. Also, I feel like this is the only Asian restaurant I've seen that you actually get treated BETTER if you are white. Personal observation. The food can be pretty good (specifically ask for less sauce) but bad management/servers take out a lot of the joy of dining out.
(3)
Katherine Y.
Decent Thai food here--the chicken pad thai missed the mark for me, especially since I ordered it to-go and the container made everything taste plastic-y. However, the spicy eggplant dish it to die for. This is my go-to place for boba, and the Thai iced tea and Taro Pudding Milk Tea are always good! Service here is usually pretty awful though, in regards to wait time, etc., and there is little seating available.
(3)
Andrew H.
Went there yesterday. Had an enjoyable meal, food was pretty bland, I managed to shovel down their pad thai chicken ok. Their yellow curry is mediocre, although the potatoes taste like chemicals. However, that's not why they've dropped so far in my eyes. Listen up, I get it if servers are angry that people don't tip sometimes. However, you shouldn't be expecting much if someone orders between $5-7 bucks of food, especially when you're bringing it maybe 10 yards from the kitchen. And it's ok to fume to yourself. But when you have to confront a customer (a lady friend of mine) and be like, "excuse me, but was our service bad? Because is there a reason why you're not tipping?" That is uncalled for. Especially if you say it loud enough for the whole restaurant to hear and push the credit card receipt towards the person to make them tip. What kind of service is that?! It'll take a LONG time before I forget this. Service is ok, par for a hole-in-the-wall. But if you're hiring people that are like that that I've just met, I'm sorry, but no. Just no. Protip: Don't pay with your credit card.
(1)
Zhenyan L.
My favorite place for lunch !!!!! I love their ever dish, Especially the hot & sour noodle soup and pad kee mow with very very spicy !!!!:-)
(5)
Haha L.
Yellow duck curry is my favorite. I usually don't like spicy food but that curry is awesome. The bubble tea is great too, I would recommend egg pudding milk tea. The restaurant is very popular and it's close to campus. But the restaurant can only hold up to 25 people, so go early to get a seat!
(4)
Yuyao C.
My favorite Thai restaurant and the best pad Thai chicken. And the bubble tea is awesome!
(5)
Hanh S.
I tried to really love their pad thai but I just couldn't. I'm a huge fan of pad thai in general, so I've given Basil Thai's a chance several times- It's bland and missing flavor. They do give you a lot though, I always have leftovers. My go to is usually the yellow curry with added shrimp. It's pretty good and the best thing I've had there and I recommend. I've had two other noodle dishes there- though I can't remember their names- they were ok, not great. I left dinner feeling unsatisfied.
(2)
Alexandra M.
I always order the red curry and take it to go. They are fast, pleasant, and my food is great!
(4)
Alicia L.
The food is definitely not the best around and its not worth the price. As mentioned by a couple of other reviewers before, the attitude of the servers are horrible. I've been there a couple of times and have only met a lady who is nice. The servers are rude and have the kind of attitude as if I'm not paying them and eating there for free. The best part is that when you get the check, the server expects you to give at least 15% tip for the crappy service that you get. My experience was that the server literally told me off that I should tip the amount listed below the receipt. They also have a messed up waiting policy and would not allow you to be seated or order if your party is not complete (despite the fact that the restaurant is almost empty and there aren't anybody waiting in line). And you are expected to wait outside (even in the cold) as the place is small. Its disappointing and I definitely would not recommend this place if you want to have a nice meal with good service.
(1)
Priya D.
Horrible place. Horrible food. Horrible service. As a freshman and sophomore in college, Basil thai was the only place I could get my Thai fix on campus. The food is never the same one day from another. The curry could be good one day and then be absolutely inedible the next. Besides the food, the service is absolutely horrendous. I have had my food literally THROWN at me. I am not paying upwards of $10-$15 a meal to be treated like that. This place does not do justice to Thai food. I highly recommend avoiding this joint.
(1)
Rachel P.
Best thai food in the Lafayette/West Lafayette area! The prices are a little high for the kind of food but worth the price since there's nothing else like this around. I am disappointed that they are charging $2 for one chicken spring roll and $2.50 for the peanut sauce! The sauce should NOT be more expensive than the spring roll itself!
(4)
Clive N.
The only reason I'm not rating a 5 is because of the horrible crampedness of the place. Food is great, service is great. If you like Thai food, look no further.
(4)
Cindy W.
The owner made some shit rules about waiting policy. Some of the waitress will give u some ugly face if u argue with the shit rule! Their attitude is extremely bad and the rule they set is bull shit! I swear I would never come back to this shit place. Screw the owner!
(1)
Rohit J.
I have been here multiple times because its the closest thai restaurant to the university. The service here is bad, and the waiters can be rude sometimes. The food quality is definitely weak. You can feel the cheapness in the watered down bubble teas.
(2)
Tanaya W.
Serve good food every time! Thai food is probably my favorite cuisine, so I eat here a lot! Some recommendations are: the curry pineapple fried rice (trust me, it's not sweet! It tastes divine!), any of the curries are always good, the special - bamee moo dang is really really good, and so is the pad kee mow and pad ga prow! I would totally recommend this place, just try to branch out and get something different instead of pad Thai!
(5)
Hye Eun C.
Came here again for lunch and ordered the moo ping and a peach green tea bubble tea. Again, I had good service and a great lunch. No complaints here. Bubble tea was good also.
(4)
Tae K.
This place has the best thai food! Try their curry and fried rice and if the menu seems overwhelming, ask the servers for recommendations! Our server James was really helpful. Oh yea the girl worker there is cute ;)
(5)
JD P.
Curry fried rice. That's the only item on the menu that is consistently good. Service is a hit or miss; Once, I ordered Pad Kee Mao and received a plate of thin noodles. When I asked a sever about it, he rudely insisted its always been this way. Come on, I've ordered it before and it was made of broad rice noodles. The photo of Pad Kee Mao in your menu is clearly broad rice noodles. Just give me a heads up if you ran out of broad noodles, instead of being a di*ck when I ask you why it ain't the same. A few other reviews mention staying away from panang curry. AVOID at all cost! The last time I ate it, it tasted like crap and afterwards my girlfriend and I had diarrhea for two days.
(2)
Jennifer L.
Overpriced and burnt food. Don't recommend at all. Service is terrible and does not make me want to tip them. I found a hair in my curry and was displeased with the way the staff had handled it.
(1)
Jen M.
I do not recommend this place.. First of all, service is awful.. I saw a server chasing the customer at the door and asked why they didn't tip.. If you don't tip the servers they will ask you if the service was OK? Is there a reason why you didn't tip?? Secondly, the price you pay for the food is not worth it. Its decent food but it's not worth paying $10-$15 per dish.
(1)
Rose C.
I've eaten here more than once. I generally order panang curry at Thai places. Here it was absolutely awful with over spicy seasoning and large chunks of dark meat chicken. Not my thing. Next I choose pad Thai since that's pretty universal. It was also awful. Very vinegar and extremely sour tasting. Inedible really. When I told this to our server she actually argued with me that this is how pad Thai was supposed to taste. Finally she took the food back and removed it from our bill. The place itself feels dirty and is very small. The service is god awful. Their food is bad. Do not eat here.
(1)
David K.
Good food and nice place. Decoration is not special. Something like at hi tea next to ak burgers would be great :). Service not allways friendly as I would like it to be but it's fine. Sometimes it has too many customers but I guess that's a good sign!
(4)
Adrienne K.
I revisited this place because I was DYING for some Thai food and we just don't have a Thai place in Lafayette and Thai Essence is just too far out for me to get it to go. The service was much better this time around but I still have a pretty bad taste in my mouth from the last visit there. However, the food was not as good as it previously has been. But since the service improved I'll upgrade it to 2 stars. Lafayette desperately needs a great Thai restaurant. DESPERATELY.
(2)
Sam P.
I usually like my food spicy, just like my women. When it comes to the food, it's a developed taste, especially to those unfamiliar with Thai cuisine. This is likely the reason that they explicitly make the point of "no-refunds" at the beginning their menu. After 1-2 visits and finding the right food item and then getting the item again and again, one can easily develop an affinity for a subset of Thai cuisine and various item's at Basil. The price is reasonable for being the one-and-only representative of Thai cuisine on campus. That aside, the service takes some hard-swallowing and intermittent choking at times. Predominantly fronted by fellow college student employees of which half manage to maintain a seemingly self-guided pretentious guise. Some of these kids just need to learn how to come correct, simple as that and this restaurant would easily be da sheet (great).\ Update: They chill af now. Shet's fire (great). Plenty of demunitive and neotenous asian girls to attract your attention, generic white guy. Quality is on point and consistant. Nothing more to ask for in the Thai category. C'mon, it's the ONLY Thai place and, I would say, Asian place that does it right (on campus).
(5)
Sophia Z.
This is a small little restaurant, but I highly recommend the curry dishes. The atmosphere is very casual and simple. You pay after your meal. I have tried the green, yellow, red and duck curry. My favorite is the duck curry. The value of the food is great, you will not leave hungry.
(4)
Brooke S.
honestly the best place for Thai food in the area. get the chicken pineapple fried rice, it is unbelievably delicious!!!!
(5)
Penghao W.
The service is awful. When I order something to go, they don't let you sit down and let you go away when some others come in. Feel assaulted. Ridiculous service!!!!
(1)
Supriya D.
I absolutely love Thai food and this is the best thai restaurant on Purdue's campus! Pros: - Pretty good food, I usually get the pad kee mao or the pad se ewe and both are delicious! - Chicken spring rolls are soooo good (but for $2 overpriced) Cons: - Can get super crowded so sometimes you may not be able to get a seat - No lunch specials - Kind of overpriced - The staff can be kind of rude if they are having an off day Nevertheless, if you want awesome thai food, Basil is the best at Purdue!
(3)
Rey J.
I was struck by the statement they have on the front of the menu that said something to the effect of "we won't refund your money if you don't like our food." - I wondered "what kind of clientele have they had to need to put that on the menu?" Then I tasted their food. It wasn't just the worst thai food that I've ever had, it might very well be the worst *food* that I've ever had. My Pad Med Mamuang was flavorless and so salty that I couldn't keep eating it.
(1)
Aniruddha K.
While on the expensive side, it's proximity to campus makes this a regular joint for me. It can get very busy here and the seating is far from comfortable. The food, however, is always good: pineapple fried rice, spicy basil fried rice, and the catfish are quite good.
(4)
Sharon R.
3-4 for the food, 1-3 for the service (depending on which server you get). Not all of their food is great, which is a problem because if you get something that is either not well cooked or doesn't taste great you won't be able to send it back. They have a strict policy against sending food back. Their menu says something like "we are very proud of our food and the way we cook it so we won't accept any food back." Really? Modesty, people, come on. This one time I had an awful mango salad there that was just drenched in some extremely sour dressing and clearly I just ended up not eating that night. Some of the curries are okay, the pad thai is decent, but I usually get the pork with eggplant which I find to be pretty good. The only problem is that they put so much sauce that by the end its almost inedible because of all the salt added to the salt. The bubble tea is also pretty good, many times I just go in and take out the bubble tea. As other reviewers have pointed out the service is a huge problem, probably stemming from very bad management. The owner sits in the tables closest to the counter and I've heard her sit there yelling on the phone or loudly making fun of customers that weren't in the restaurant. One of the waitresses rolls her eyes (even when there is really no need) as she's talking to you. The white blondish waitress is really the best to get. Also, I feel like this is the only Asian restaurant I've seen that you actually get treated BETTER if you are white. Personal observation. The food can be pretty good (specifically ask for less sauce) but bad management/servers take out a lot of the joy of dining out.
(3)
Sajit C.
Great place for a tasty thai meal which seems rather authentic. Somewhat reasonably priced, good quality ingredients and spices used in food, friendly staff, and pleasant selection of bubble tea. The only drawback is the almost suffocating lack of space for sit in dining during peak times.
(3)
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Address :135 S Chauncey Ave,Chauncey Hill Mall
West Lafayette, IN, 47906
Sorry, Store hours have not been updated. If you are the owner of this restaurants. Please update the store hours.
Specialities
Takes Reservations : No Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : No Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : No Good for Groups : No Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : No Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : No
Adrienne K.
I revisited this place because I was DYING for some Thai food and we just don't have a Thai place in Lafayette and Thai Essence is just too far out for me to get it to go. The service was much better this time around but I still have a pretty bad taste in my mouth from the last visit there. However, the food was not as good as it previously has been. But since the service improved I'll upgrade it to 2 stars. Lafayette desperately needs a great Thai restaurant. DESPERATELY.
(2)JD P.
Curry fried rice. That's the only item on the menu that is consistently good. Service is a hit or miss; Once, I ordered Pad Kee Mao and received a plate of thin noodles. When I asked a sever about it, he rudely insisted its always been this way. Come on, I've ordered it before and it was made of broad rice noodles. The photo of Pad Kee Mao in your menu is clearly broad rice noodles. Just give me a heads up if you ran out of broad noodles, instead of being a di*ck when I ask you why it ain't the same. A few other reviews mention staying away from panang curry. AVOID at all cost! The last time I ate it, it tasted like crap and afterwards my girlfriend and I had diarrhea for two days.
(2)Jennifer L.
Overpriced and burnt food. Don't recommend at all. Service is terrible and does not make me want to tip them. I found a hair in my curry and was displeased with the way the staff had handled it.
(1)Jen M.
I do not recommend this place.. First of all, service is awful.. I saw a server chasing the customer at the door and asked why they didn't tip.. If you don't tip the servers they will ask you if the service was OK? Is there a reason why you didn't tip?? Secondly, the price you pay for the food is not worth it. Its decent food but it's not worth paying $10-$15 per dish.
(1)Rose C.
I've eaten here more than once. I generally order panang curry at Thai places. Here it was absolutely awful with over spicy seasoning and large chunks of dark meat chicken. Not my thing. Next I choose pad Thai since that's pretty universal. It was also awful. Very vinegar and extremely sour tasting. Inedible really. When I told this to our server she actually argued with me that this is how pad Thai was supposed to taste. Finally she took the food back and removed it from our bill. The place itself feels dirty and is very small. The service is god awful. Their food is bad. Do not eat here.
(1)David K.
Good food and nice place. Decoration is not special. Something like at hi tea next to ak burgers would be great :). Service not allways friendly as I would like it to be but it's fine. Sometimes it has too many customers but I guess that's a good sign!
(4)Hanh S.
I tried to really love their pad thai but I just couldn't. I'm a huge fan of pad thai in general, so I've given Basil Thai's a chance several times- It's bland and missing flavor. They do give you a lot though, I always have leftovers. My go to is usually the yellow curry with added shrimp. It's pretty good and the best thing I've had there and I recommend. I've had two other noodle dishes there- though I can't remember their names- they were ok, not great. I left dinner feeling unsatisfied.
(2)Alexandra M.
I always order the red curry and take it to go. They are fast, pleasant, and my food is great!
(4)Sam P.
I usually like my food spicy, just like my women. When it comes to the food, it's a developed taste, especially to those unfamiliar with Thai cuisine. This is likely the reason that they explicitly make the point of "no-refunds" at the beginning their menu. After 1-2 visits and finding the right food item and then getting the item again and again, one can easily develop an affinity for a subset of Thai cuisine and various item's at Basil. The price is reasonable for being the one-and-only representative of Thai cuisine on campus. That aside, the service takes some hard-swallowing and intermittent choking at times. Predominantly fronted by fellow college student employees of which half manage to maintain a seemingly self-guided pretentious guise. Some of these kids just need to learn how to come correct, simple as that and this restaurant would easily be da sheet (great).\ Update: They chill af now. Shet's fire (great). Plenty of demunitive and neotenous asian girls to attract your attention, generic white guy. Quality is on point and consistant. Nothing more to ask for in the Thai category. C'mon, it's the ONLY Thai place and, I would say, Asian place that does it right (on campus).
(5)Sophia Z.
This is a small little restaurant, but I highly recommend the curry dishes. The atmosphere is very casual and simple. You pay after your meal. I have tried the green, yellow, red and duck curry. My favorite is the duck curry. The value of the food is great, you will not leave hungry.
(4)Brooke S.
honestly the best place for Thai food in the area. get the chicken pineapple fried rice, it is unbelievably delicious!!!!
(5)Penghao W.
The service is awful. When I order something to go, they don't let you sit down and let you go away when some others come in. Feel assaulted. Ridiculous service!!!!
(1)Michael S.
This is a difficult review to write. Why? because everything about this restaurant is either a big hit, or a complete miss. This includes the food quality, the staff, and the pricing. The food can be great if you order correctly. Like many asian-american restaurants, the menu is too big for its own good, which hurts the consistency. Chicken satay, moo ping, chicken spring rolls: all excellent, 5 stars! Curries, soups, and salads: all horrible, 1 star! I love bubble tea, so there really isnt such a thing as "bad" bubble tea in my opinion... however this place makes all of their bubble tea from powder. you might as well just dump a cup full of sugar into a glass, add some tapioca, and drink that. I should mention that the chefs arent Thai. Not that non-thai people cant cook thai food... they can. But the chefs at basil thai definitely arent professionally trained in thai cuisine. They're just local joes that are following recipes and throwing things together. that fact is reflected in the uneventful dining experience. You're not going to leave thinking "omg, tastes just like authentic thai!" Rather, you will leave saying to yourself, "tastes just like an average guy from Indiana trying to cook thai food!" It's odd to have to comment on the service at Basil Thai, because the restaurant is literally smaller than Paris Hilton's closet. One single waitress should easily be able to handle every table, and there are usually two or more working at any given time. Plus it's one of those tacky places where you go up to the register to pay. Like everything else, there is a huge discrepancy between the level of service I have received. One waitress I had was nice and friendly. Unfortunately, on my very next visit another waitress gave me a horrible attitude and was talking loudly on her cell phone the entire time I was eating. Frequently, the waitresses sit at a table which is strange, because it shows that they are lazy, dont care about the customer's perception, and are willing to occupy one of only 8 or so of the tables in the entire restaurant. I guess the owner/manager isnt training these girls properly, so let me give a quick lesson: Dont talk on your phone. Dont sit down. Dont say "what you want." Dont act like you're doing me a favor when you're bringing me my food - that's your job, and im paying you for it.... besides, you're only walking 5 feet. Do smile, greet customers warmly, and say please and thank you. Finally, let's discuss the price. Basil Thai has recently raised the cost of nearly everything on the menu. It went from being "pretty cheap" to "not worth it." Chicken spring rolls (my favorite item on the menu) were $1.50. Now they cost $2.50. I should mention the fact that the spring rolls at Basil Thai are less than half the size of your standard spring roll. Most of the rice curry dishes are over $10... reasonable, but not cheap. I'm slightly heart-broken to say that Basil Thai is no longer one of my regular places to eat. 10/18/13 update: i placed a carryout order by phone. The employee i spoke with told me the food would be ready in 10 minutes (i only ordered a couple of spring rolls to go - easy peasy.) I arrived at the restaurant 17 minutes later to collect my order. Apparently there was a communication issue. When the waitress walked into the kitchen to get my food, I heard her say to the cook "you havnt started it yet?" I explained my situation to her: I was in a hurry and didn't have another 10 minutes to wait, and left without receiving my food or paying. I had to knock off another star due to this catastrophe. Unfortunately, Basil Thai has slipped from 4 stars to two stars in only 2 years. Someone save this place. Call Gordon Ramsay!
(2)Ruth A.
Who doesn't love a hole-in-the-wall restaurant that's walking distance from the office and can satisfy simultaneous curry AND bubble tea cravings? Don't *rely* on this place: you may not be able to get a seat, their card machine might not be working. But if you want solidly good curry or bubble tea (both milk and green tea options available) that's not too expensive and that you don't have to drive to from campus, stop by. Worst case scenario, they can't seat you, you are impatient about waiting, and you walk anywhere else in Chauncey for your meal. Makes for a good change of pace from standard near-campus options. Don't feel like yet another sandwich? Treat yourself to Thai! If you're vegetarian, rejoice that you can select from among options, rather than having to go for that one meatless menu item.
(4)Michael P.
I'm not a Thai expert but I thought it was pretty good. A little pricy for what it is in my opinion though. I got the pad thai and tried the green curry as well.
(3)Janice M.
All the stir fry dishes tasted the same. Their bubble tea is kinda nasty to be completely honest. I didn't understand why this place was so popular when I was at Purdue, always packed on a friday night. The price is pretty steep for what you get. Bottom line, not a fan of Basil Thai because it tasted nothing like Thai food.
(1)April W.
The food that I've tried so far (Pad Thai, Beef Curry, Chicken Satay, some sort of noodle in a soup bowl) have been quite good. I might not be a fan 100% of the time, but I can't say that their food is bad. Sometimes it might be oily for my tastes. I find myself craving their food. The food is really quite expensive though, it usually ends up more than $10-15 per person. My boyfriend and I go there when we need a pick-me-up! Some of the best asian food on campus I've had so far.
(4)Ethan H.
I was very disappointed with this place. if it really is the best in the area (as another review claimed), than W. Lafayette really doesn't have a lot to offer! Basically, the problem was in the food, which ranged from uninteresting to bad. My beef red curry, for example, certainly packed a spice, but it was actually pretty boring -- as if the spice was the only interesting thing they put into it. Ever worse, the beef had that grainy, I've-been-frozen-defrosted-and-refrozen-again texture to it -- and there's simply no excuse for that regardless of how much rice costs these days. My dad's pad-pak chicken wasn't any better: the chicken was fatty and the whole thing was doused in a sweet syrup that, for both of us really, made the whole thing inedible. And, just to be clear, we are NOT picky eaters! Long story short, if people think THIS is the best in town, then either Lafayette is a pit or they're not looking very hard. (Two stars, because at least I didn't vomit ... though I kind of wish I had.)
(2)Siraaj M.
Small and quaint, very friendly staff, my kids loved the bubble tea
(5)Lauren M.
I come here for lunch around once a week because I love it so much. I always get the green curry with tofu which is AMAZING and my boyfriend gets the Number 16 with beef. I've also had the Tom Ga Kan (spelling?) soup which is excellent. We often find ourselves craving these dishes even when we're not on campus and order take out. I think you have to have at least somewhat exotic tastes because it is not super americanized. For example, my parents would have much preferred the typical americanized Chinese buffet. The place is small but usually there isn't a wait and, if there is, it's only 5-10 minutes. The service is good and quick. As to its authenticity, I'm not really sure. I think the owner is Thai, but I know the cooks are Hispanic. However, I do see Asian patrons very often. We usually come here for lunch which is what I recommend. The atmosphere is casual and you can tell its a family-run business. This is not the place for a romantic date night, just for a yummy eat night. This is my favorite restaurant in West Lafayette and the one I most often visit. CAN'T GET ENOUGH. GREEN CURRY WITH TOFU! GET IT!
(5)Ramya C.
Hands down the best bubble tea in the Lafayette/ West Lafayette region. Honey dew bubble tea is out of the world! Food is okish.
(4)Betty R.
I'm surprised by all the negative reviews, but admittedly, I've only eaten there once. Friend and I ordered the mango salad and the chicken satay to share, and thought they were both outstanding.This is a very casual place, so I didn't expect much in terms of service, but it was just fine, despite being a weekday at lunchtime during the school year and full of students eating in and getting food to go. I can't wait to go back.
(4)Mehmet G.
One of the best restaurants in town. No dish in Basil Thai ever disappointed me, period.
(4)Jennifer B.
Green curry with tofu was alright, lacked the flavor punch I'm used to but I've definitely had worse.
(3)Min H.
I love Basil Thai and it saddens me I didn't eat more of it while I was at Purdue. Despite hearing complaints about the price, I've always found the prices to be more than reasonable given the amount of food provided, which is alot. Its a bit small so it can get crowded at times but there's always takeout and of course, bubble tea. Dishes that I've always liked and recommend -any of the curries, for those afraid of spice the yellow is fairly mild and sweet. I've always liked the red since it was spicy and flavorful -basil fried rice -mango and sticky rice if available
(4)Cindy L.
my favorite thai restaurant in whole world. not kidding. tom yum noodle soup with chicken. omg freakign legit. everything is good. the curry the pad thai the pad kee mao the basil fried rice. omg loooooooooove this place. this is where i would get my last meal on earth
(5)Nica F.
The yellow curry is great. Good comfort food if you want an entire MEAL. I go maybe once a month to get my fill of rice since I'm from California and can't really get it at the sorority house or the dining courts. (heh). The boba/"bubbles" whatever is okay. I *may* be just completely spoiled by really great bubble tea back at home but I mean this will do if you have a craving. I've had the taro (was gross, man. for the asians totally into that, this will just ruin all taro experiences ever), and the honeydew flavor. Like I said, it's good if you need your fill of thai food/bubble tea but its not the greatest. Then again, I guess it could be the greatest thai food in West Laf seeing there aren't many places to go...
(3)Laureen S.
The dining options in West Lafayette IN, are geared towards Purdue students. I get it. They are on a budget and need a laid back vibe. I get that too. But friendliness, cleanliness and freshness should never be optional. Keep walking, this place is bad news.
(2)Anant H.
A marginal place for Thai and really the only place on campus. A few of the dishes will definitely please, but its a bit pricey for how much food they give and their bubble tea is a bit sub par. Lafayette/West Lafayette really lack good Thai restaurants and this one is about the same as Thai Essence (same owners) and its definitely not worth a trip to the other side of town to eat at Exotic Thai (lets face it this one sounds like a strip club) If you are like me and can't go more than a month without Thai food this place will do the job until you can get to a larger city.
(3)Heather H.
Basil is no frills and casual. I've been here a few times, and it's not memorable, but if I must have Thai and only Thai, I know I can get decent vegetarian dishes here. I ordered a Jasmine boba recently that was the one and only tasteless milk tea I've ever had. Maybe it was an off cup. Hope so.
(3)David S.
It's a bit pricey. The food is meh. They put a weird twist on thai food, adding ingredients that don't belong in the dishes. Huge chunks of Egg plant? Bell pepers? In my curry? I think they do it to fill up space in the container, to make it seem like you get more food. I asked them not to add bell peppers or egg plant in my curry, and they only filled the container halfway. Jerks. That said, it's mostly delicious. Employees are friendly enough. There's no other thai restaurants except for thai essence, which is owned by the same people.
(3)Nancy H.
This place is good but really options for thai food are limited here in west lafayette, in so we have to take what we can get. If you don't mind going further, I think Exotic Thai is better. The pad thai needs more to it, it was kind of skimpy The chicken satay with peanut sauce is very tasty. I also really like their salads, cold and refreshing. Bubble tea is okay but sometimes the tapioca is not chewy like it should be.
(3)Paula O.
While I didnt get to try the food, I can tell you that their bubble tea is disgusting. I got taro flavor and it was so powdery and well, just gross! Also, their black tea is not any better. I ended up just eating the bubbles!
(1)Maurilio M.
Good place to find some quality Thai food in West Lafayette. I would have to agree with alot of the reviews that there are not really any other Thai places. Space is fairly small needs to be a bit bigger, gets crowded during lunch time. Overall really good food. I would give it 3.5 stars.
(3)Gin S.
definitely poor services
(1)Chris M.
Not good. Flavors were lacking in the curry, and had absolutely no spice level. Vegetables were soggy and not fresh. Service was ok, but the restaurant had a bad odor.
(1)Amy D.
This is the best Thai food around. Grab a seat when you can, it's almost always busy. If you can't eat in, make sure you get something to go. Love the Thai tea here.
(4)Batu Y.
Great food. No joke hands down best Thai in Lafayette
(5)Mark D.
the food is not worth for the price asking. too pricy. i have ate some real thai food. for this place, if the prices are a little down, i would like this place. but now, i will skip this place.
(2)jared s.
This place is pretty good. i love the bubble tea there. I have not had Thai food many places but i really enjoy this one. This is my favorite Thai place. I always get Pad Thai with Peanut sause. then a bubble tea. it is very good here. good idea for a date to try new things.
(4)Sho K.
Probably the worst Thai restaurant in the Lafayette area. The only reason they're always busy is because of its location. It's conveniently located within walking distance from campus. The food isn't terrible (one star), and the fact that they serve bubble tea is also a plus (second star).
(2)Robin F.
absolutely the best thai in our area
(5)Supriya D.
I absolutely love Thai food and this is the best thai restaurant on Purdue's campus! Pros: - Pretty good food, I usually get the pad kee mao or the pad se ewe and both are delicious! - Chicken spring rolls are soooo good (but for $2 overpriced) Cons: - Can get super crowded so sometimes you may not be able to get a seat - No lunch specials - Kind of overpriced - The staff can be kind of rude if they are having an off day Nevertheless, if you want awesome thai food, Basil is the best at Purdue!
(3)Rey J.
I was struck by the statement they have on the front of the menu that said something to the effect of "we won't refund your money if you don't like our food." - I wondered "what kind of clientele have they had to need to put that on the menu?" Then I tasted their food. It wasn't just the worst thai food that I've ever had, it might very well be the worst *food* that I've ever had. My Pad Med Mamuang was flavorless and so salty that I couldn't keep eating it.
(1)Aniruddha K.
While on the expensive side, it's proximity to campus makes this a regular joint for me. It can get very busy here and the seating is far from comfortable. The food, however, is always good: pineapple fried rice, spicy basil fried rice, and the catfish are quite good.
(4)Sharon R.
3-4 for the food, 1-3 for the service (depending on which server you get). Not all of their food is great, which is a problem because if you get something that is either not well cooked or doesn't taste great you won't be able to send it back. They have a strict policy against sending food back. Their menu says something like "we are very proud of our food and the way we cook it so we won't accept any food back." Really? Modesty, people, come on. This one time I had an awful mango salad there that was just drenched in some extremely sour dressing and clearly I just ended up not eating that night. Some of the curries are okay, the pad thai is decent, but I usually get the pork with eggplant which I find to be pretty good. The only problem is that they put so much sauce that by the end its almost inedible because of all the salt added to the salt. The bubble tea is also pretty good, many times I just go in and take out the bubble tea. As other reviewers have pointed out the service is a huge problem, probably stemming from very bad management. The owner sits in the tables closest to the counter and I've heard her sit there yelling on the phone or loudly making fun of customers that weren't in the restaurant. One of the waitresses rolls her eyes (even when there is really no need) as she's talking to you. The white blondish waitress is really the best to get. Also, I feel like this is the only Asian restaurant I've seen that you actually get treated BETTER if you are white. Personal observation. The food can be pretty good (specifically ask for less sauce) but bad management/servers take out a lot of the joy of dining out.
(3)Andrew H.
Went there yesterday. Had an enjoyable meal, food was pretty bland, I managed to shovel down their pad thai chicken ok. Their yellow curry is mediocre, although the potatoes taste like chemicals. However, that's not why they've dropped so far in my eyes. Listen up, I get it if servers are angry that people don't tip sometimes. However, you shouldn't be expecting much if someone orders between $5-7 bucks of food, especially when you're bringing it maybe 10 yards from the kitchen. And it's ok to fume to yourself. But when you have to confront a customer (a lady friend of mine) and be like, "excuse me, but was our service bad? Because is there a reason why you're not tipping?" That is uncalled for. Especially if you say it loud enough for the whole restaurant to hear and push the credit card receipt towards the person to make them tip. What kind of service is that?! It'll take a LONG time before I forget this. Service is ok, par for a hole-in-the-wall. But if you're hiring people that are like that that I've just met, I'm sorry, but no. Just no. Protip: Don't pay with your credit card.
(1)Haha L.
Yellow duck curry is my favorite. I usually don't like spicy food but that curry is awesome. The bubble tea is great too, I would recommend egg pudding milk tea. The restaurant is very popular and it's close to campus. But the restaurant can only hold up to 25 people, so go early to get a seat!
(4)Yuyao C.
My favorite Thai restaurant and the best pad Thai chicken. And the bubble tea is awesome!
(5)Katherine Y.
Decent Thai food here--the chicken pad thai missed the mark for me, especially since I ordered it to-go and the container made everything taste plastic-y. However, the spicy eggplant dish it to die for. This is my go-to place for boba, and the Thai iced tea and Taro Pudding Milk Tea are always good! Service here is usually pretty awful though, in regards to wait time, etc., and there is little seating available.
(3)Zhenyan L.
My favorite place for lunch !!!!! I love their ever dish, Especially the hot & sour noodle soup and pad kee mow with very very spicy !!!!:-)
(5)Alicia L.
The food is definitely not the best around and its not worth the price. As mentioned by a couple of other reviewers before, the attitude of the servers are horrible. I've been there a couple of times and have only met a lady who is nice. The servers are rude and have the kind of attitude as if I'm not paying them and eating there for free. The best part is that when you get the check, the server expects you to give at least 15% tip for the crappy service that you get. My experience was that the server literally told me off that I should tip the amount listed below the receipt. They also have a messed up waiting policy and would not allow you to be seated or order if your party is not complete (despite the fact that the restaurant is almost empty and there aren't anybody waiting in line). And you are expected to wait outside (even in the cold) as the place is small. Its disappointing and I definitely would not recommend this place if you want to have a nice meal with good service.
(1)Priya D.
Horrible place. Horrible food. Horrible service. As a freshman and sophomore in college, Basil thai was the only place I could get my Thai fix on campus. The food is never the same one day from another. The curry could be good one day and then be absolutely inedible the next. Besides the food, the service is absolutely horrendous. I have had my food literally THROWN at me. I am not paying upwards of $10-$15 a meal to be treated like that. This place does not do justice to Thai food. I highly recommend avoiding this joint.
(1)Rachel P.
Best thai food in the Lafayette/West Lafayette area! The prices are a little high for the kind of food but worth the price since there's nothing else like this around. I am disappointed that they are charging $2 for one chicken spring roll and $2.50 for the peanut sauce! The sauce should NOT be more expensive than the spring roll itself!
(4)Clive N.
The only reason I'm not rating a 5 is because of the horrible crampedness of the place. Food is great, service is great. If you like Thai food, look no further.
(4)Cindy W.
The owner made some shit rules about waiting policy. Some of the waitress will give u some ugly face if u argue with the shit rule! Their attitude is extremely bad and the rule they set is bull shit! I swear I would never come back to this shit place. Screw the owner!
(1)Rohit J.
I have been here multiple times because its the closest thai restaurant to the university. The service here is bad, and the waiters can be rude sometimes. The food quality is definitely weak. You can feel the cheapness in the watered down bubble teas.
(2)Ashley R.
If there was another Thai place around here, this place would be out of business. The food was really bland. I love Thai food, and frequent Thai restaurants where I'm from. It was like the Thai version of Chinese takeout, except not as good, and very overpriced. The thing that really did it for me, though, was the service, or lack thereof. The waitress came over and said, "What do you want?", then, a young man put our food in front of us. That was the extent of the service, which was fine, because it was an in and out type place. My soup was $6, so 15% tip wouldn't have even been a dollar. I didn't tip because "What do you want?" and putting soup in front of me doesn't constitute a tip. As I left, the man demanded that I leave a tip. I was with a friend and didn't want to cause a scene so I gave him a dollar. But I will NEVER go back.
(1)Patricia N.
Visited here with my cousins and other family members after going on a tour of campus as an alumni. It's still a good place to get some decent Thai food. Just note, the place is tiny, and it can get chilly whenever people walk in because the tables are so close to the door. The different salads are good with nice vinaigrette. My favorite thing to get every time I go is the "Pad Thai" (without peanuts, just because I don't like them). I know it's typical, but always delicious. My other family members have gotten "Pad Kee Mow" and said it was good too. "Thai Barbecued Chicken" is great too! It's a nicely portioned. I'm not a huge fan of bubble tea, but my family seemed to enjoy them.
(4)Sajit C.
Great place for a tasty thai meal which seems rather authentic. Somewhat reasonably priced, good quality ingredients and spices used in food, friendly staff, and pleasant selection of bubble tea. The only drawback is the almost suffocating lack of space for sit in dining during peak times.
(3)Luke A.
Good Dishes, Horrible Style. Everytime I walk into this shop, I cant believe some of their rude waitresses and their attitudes. They do not seat you in a table for 4 until the fourth person arrives, man,what? Also, I have overheard their servers talking multiple times among themselves how they are the best Thai food and many people dont know thai food. Well, I do know it, and theirs isnt the best ok? Its also slightly expensive and the quantity is alright, go for the green curry or Cashew and moo ping. good ones
(3)Jackie B.
I got chicken Pad Thai here last night. I was disappointed in the quality as well as the value. Paid $10 for an order of Pad Thai to go, the chicken was overcooked and dry, and the flavor was bland. I also felt that it was overpriced for the quantity of food you get. Overall- not terrible, just not worth the money.
(2)Jessica C.
Stopped by here for dinner a few weeks ago. Not the best nor the worst Thai food I've ever had. The crispy spring rolls were tasty. My pad ginger was fine, but nothing special. I'd eat here again, but it didn't blow me away.
(3)Tanaya W.
Serve good food every time! Thai food is probably my favorite cuisine, so I eat here a lot! Some recommendations are: the curry pineapple fried rice (trust me, it's not sweet! It tastes divine!), any of the curries are always good, the special - bamee moo dang is really really good, and so is the pad kee mow and pad ga prow! I would totally recommend this place, just try to branch out and get something different instead of pad Thai!
(5)Hye Eun C.
Came here again for lunch and ordered the moo ping and a peach green tea bubble tea. Again, I had good service and a great lunch. No complaints here. Bubble tea was good also.
(4)Tae K.
This place has the best thai food! Try their curry and fried rice and if the menu seems overwhelming, ask the servers for recommendations! Our server James was really helpful. Oh yea the girl worker there is cute ;)
(5)Hanh S.
I tried to really love their pad thai but I just couldn't. I'm a huge fan of pad thai in general, so I've given Basil Thai's a chance several times- It's bland and missing flavor. They do give you a lot though, I always have leftovers. My go to is usually the yellow curry with added shrimp. It's pretty good and the best thing I've had there and I recommend. I've had two other noodle dishes there- though I can't remember their names- they were ok, not great. I left dinner feeling unsatisfied.
(2)Alexandra M.
I always order the red curry and take it to go. They are fast, pleasant, and my food is great!
(4)Alicia L.
The food is definitely not the best around and its not worth the price. As mentioned by a couple of other reviewers before, the attitude of the servers are horrible. I've been there a couple of times and have only met a lady who is nice. The servers are rude and have the kind of attitude as if I'm not paying them and eating there for free. The best part is that when you get the check, the server expects you to give at least 15% tip for the crappy service that you get. My experience was that the server literally told me off that I should tip the amount listed below the receipt. They also have a messed up waiting policy and would not allow you to be seated or order if your party is not complete (despite the fact that the restaurant is almost empty and there aren't anybody waiting in line). And you are expected to wait outside (even in the cold) as the place is small. Its disappointing and I definitely would not recommend this place if you want to have a nice meal with good service.
(1)Priya D.
Horrible place. Horrible food. Horrible service. As a freshman and sophomore in college, Basil thai was the only place I could get my Thai fix on campus. The food is never the same one day from another. The curry could be good one day and then be absolutely inedible the next. Besides the food, the service is absolutely horrendous. I have had my food literally THROWN at me. I am not paying upwards of $10-$15 a meal to be treated like that. This place does not do justice to Thai food. I highly recommend avoiding this joint.
(1)Rachel P.
Best thai food in the Lafayette/West Lafayette area! The prices are a little high for the kind of food but worth the price since there's nothing else like this around. I am disappointed that they are charging $2 for one chicken spring roll and $2.50 for the peanut sauce! The sauce should NOT be more expensive than the spring roll itself!
(4)Clive N.
The only reason I'm not rating a 5 is because of the horrible crampedness of the place. Food is great, service is great. If you like Thai food, look no further.
(4)Cindy W.
The owner made some shit rules about waiting policy. Some of the waitress will give u some ugly face if u argue with the shit rule! Their attitude is extremely bad and the rule they set is bull shit! I swear I would never come back to this shit place. Screw the owner!
(1)Rohit J.
I have been here multiple times because its the closest thai restaurant to the university. The service here is bad, and the waiters can be rude sometimes. The food quality is definitely weak. You can feel the cheapness in the watered down bubble teas.
(2)Ashley R.
If there was another Thai place around here, this place would be out of business. The food was really bland. I love Thai food, and frequent Thai restaurants where I'm from. It was like the Thai version of Chinese takeout, except not as good, and very overpriced. The thing that really did it for me, though, was the service, or lack thereof. The waitress came over and said, "What do you want?", then, a young man put our food in front of us. That was the extent of the service, which was fine, because it was an in and out type place. My soup was $6, so 15% tip wouldn't have even been a dollar. I didn't tip because "What do you want?" and putting soup in front of me doesn't constitute a tip. As I left, the man demanded that I leave a tip. I was with a friend and didn't want to cause a scene so I gave him a dollar. But I will NEVER go back.
(1)Michael S.
This is a difficult review to write. Why? because everything about this restaurant is either a big hit, or a complete miss. This includes the food quality, the staff, and the pricing. The food can be great if you order correctly. Like many asian-american restaurants, the menu is too big for its own good, which hurts the consistency. Chicken satay, moo ping, chicken spring rolls: all excellent, 5 stars! Curries, soups, and salads: all horrible, 1 star! I love bubble tea, so there really isnt such a thing as "bad" bubble tea in my opinion... however this place makes all of their bubble tea from powder. you might as well just dump a cup full of sugar into a glass, add some tapioca, and drink that. I should mention that the chefs arent Thai. Not that non-thai people cant cook thai food... they can. But the chefs at basil thai definitely arent professionally trained in thai cuisine. They're just local joes that are following recipes and throwing things together. that fact is reflected in the uneventful dining experience. You're not going to leave thinking "omg, tastes just like authentic thai!" Rather, you will leave saying to yourself, "tastes just like an average guy from Indiana trying to cook thai food!" It's odd to have to comment on the service at Basil Thai, because the restaurant is literally smaller than Paris Hilton's closet. One single waitress should easily be able to handle every table, and there are usually two or more working at any given time. Plus it's one of those tacky places where you go up to the register to pay. Like everything else, there is a huge discrepancy between the level of service I have received. One waitress I had was nice and friendly. Unfortunately, on my very next visit another waitress gave me a horrible attitude and was talking loudly on her cell phone the entire time I was eating. Frequently, the waitresses sit at a table which is strange, because it shows that they are lazy, dont care about the customer's perception, and are willing to occupy one of only 8 or so of the tables in the entire restaurant. I guess the owner/manager isnt training these girls properly, so let me give a quick lesson: Dont talk on your phone. Dont sit down. Dont say "what you want." Dont act like you're doing me a favor when you're bringing me my food - that's your job, and im paying you for it.... besides, you're only walking 5 feet. Do smile, greet customers warmly, and say please and thank you. Finally, let's discuss the price. Basil Thai has recently raised the cost of nearly everything on the menu. It went from being "pretty cheap" to "not worth it." Chicken spring rolls (my favorite item on the menu) were $1.50. Now they cost $2.50. I should mention the fact that the spring rolls at Basil Thai are less than half the size of your standard spring roll. Most of the rice curry dishes are over $10... reasonable, but not cheap. I'm slightly heart-broken to say that Basil Thai is no longer one of my regular places to eat. 10/18/13 update: i placed a carryout order by phone. The employee i spoke with told me the food would be ready in 10 minutes (i only ordered a couple of spring rolls to go - easy peasy.) I arrived at the restaurant 17 minutes later to collect my order. Apparently there was a communication issue. When the waitress walked into the kitchen to get my food, I heard her say to the cook "you havnt started it yet?" I explained my situation to her: I was in a hurry and didn't have another 10 minutes to wait, and left without receiving my food or paying. I had to knock off another star due to this catastrophe. Unfortunately, Basil Thai has slipped from 4 stars to two stars in only 2 years. Someone save this place. Call Gordon Ramsay!
(2)Ruth A.
Who doesn't love a hole-in-the-wall restaurant that's walking distance from the office and can satisfy simultaneous curry AND bubble tea cravings? Don't *rely* on this place: you may not be able to get a seat, their card machine might not be working. But if you want solidly good curry or bubble tea (both milk and green tea options available) that's not too expensive and that you don't have to drive to from campus, stop by. Worst case scenario, they can't seat you, you are impatient about waiting, and you walk anywhere else in Chauncey for your meal. Makes for a good change of pace from standard near-campus options. Don't feel like yet another sandwich? Treat yourself to Thai! If you're vegetarian, rejoice that you can select from among options, rather than having to go for that one meatless menu item.
(4)Michael P.
I'm not a Thai expert but I thought it was pretty good. A little pricy for what it is in my opinion though. I got the pad thai and tried the green curry as well.
(3)Janice M.
All the stir fry dishes tasted the same. Their bubble tea is kinda nasty to be completely honest. I didn't understand why this place was so popular when I was at Purdue, always packed on a friday night. The price is pretty steep for what you get. Bottom line, not a fan of Basil Thai because it tasted nothing like Thai food.
(1)Ethan H.
I was very disappointed with this place. if it really is the best in the area (as another review claimed), than W. Lafayette really doesn't have a lot to offer! Basically, the problem was in the food, which ranged from uninteresting to bad. My beef red curry, for example, certainly packed a spice, but it was actually pretty boring -- as if the spice was the only interesting thing they put into it. Ever worse, the beef had that grainy, I've-been-frozen-defrosted-and-refrozen-again texture to it -- and there's simply no excuse for that regardless of how much rice costs these days. My dad's pad-pak chicken wasn't any better: the chicken was fatty and the whole thing was doused in a sweet syrup that, for both of us really, made the whole thing inedible. And, just to be clear, we are NOT picky eaters! Long story short, if people think THIS is the best in town, then either Lafayette is a pit or they're not looking very hard. (Two stars, because at least I didn't vomit ... though I kind of wish I had.)
(2)Siraaj M.
Small and quaint, very friendly staff, my kids loved the bubble tea
(5)Cindy L.
my favorite thai restaurant in whole world. not kidding. tom yum noodle soup with chicken. omg freakign legit. everything is good. the curry the pad thai the pad kee mao the basil fried rice. omg loooooooooove this place. this is where i would get my last meal on earth
(5)Michael S.
This is a difficult review to write. Why? because everything about this restaurant is either a big hit, or a complete miss. This includes the food quality, the staff, and the pricing. The food can be great if you order correctly. Like many asian-american restaurants, the menu is too big for its own good, which hurts the consistency. Chicken satay, moo ping, chicken spring rolls: all excellent, 5 stars! Curries, soups, and salads: all horrible, 1 star! I love bubble tea, so there really isnt such a thing as "bad" bubble tea in my opinion... however this place makes all of their bubble tea from powder. you might as well just dump a cup full of sugar into a glass, add some tapioca, and drink that. I should mention that the chefs arent Thai. Not that non-thai people cant cook thai food... they can. But the chefs at basil thai definitely arent professionally trained in thai cuisine. They're just local joes that are following recipes and throwing things together. that fact is reflected in the uneventful dining experience. You're not going to leave thinking "omg, tastes just like authentic thai!" Rather, you will leave saying to yourself, "tastes just like an average guy from Indiana trying to cook thai food!" It's odd to have to comment on the service at Basil Thai, because the restaurant is literally smaller than Paris Hilton's closet. One single waitress should easily be able to handle every table, and there are usually two or more working at any given time. Plus it's one of those tacky places where you go up to the register to pay. Like everything else, there is a huge discrepancy between the level of service I have received. One waitress I had was nice and friendly. Unfortunately, on my very next visit another waitress gave me a horrible attitude and was talking loudly on her cell phone the entire time I was eating. Frequently, the waitresses sit at a table which is strange, because it shows that they are lazy, dont care about the customer's perception, and are willing to occupy one of only 8 or so of the tables in the entire restaurant. I guess the owner/manager isnt training these girls properly, so let me give a quick lesson: Dont talk on your phone. Dont sit down. Dont say "what you want." Dont act like you're doing me a favor when you're bringing me my food - that's your job, and im paying you for it.... besides, you're only walking 5 feet. Do smile, greet customers warmly, and say please and thank you. Finally, let's discuss the price. Basil Thai has recently raised the cost of nearly everything on the menu. It went from being "pretty cheap" to "not worth it." Chicken spring rolls (my favorite item on the menu) were $1.50. Now they cost $2.50. I should mention the fact that the spring rolls at Basil Thai are less than half the size of your standard spring roll. Most of the rice curry dishes are over $10... reasonable, but not cheap. I'm slightly heart-broken to say that Basil Thai is no longer one of my regular places to eat. 10/18/13 update: i placed a carryout order by phone. The employee i spoke with told me the food would be ready in 10 minutes (i only ordered a couple of spring rolls to go - easy peasy.) I arrived at the restaurant 17 minutes later to collect my order. Apparently there was a communication issue. When the waitress walked into the kitchen to get my food, I heard her say to the cook "you havnt started it yet?" I explained my situation to her: I was in a hurry and didn't have another 10 minutes to wait, and left without receiving my food or paying. I had to knock off another star due to this catastrophe. Unfortunately, Basil Thai has slipped from 4 stars to two stars in only 2 years. Someone save this place. Call Gordon Ramsay!
(2)Lauren M.
I come here for lunch around once a week because I love it so much. I always get the green curry with tofu which is AMAZING and my boyfriend gets the Number 16 with beef. I've also had the Tom Ga Kan (spelling?) soup which is excellent. We often find ourselves craving these dishes even when we're not on campus and order take out. I think you have to have at least somewhat exotic tastes because it is not super americanized. For example, my parents would have much preferred the typical americanized Chinese buffet. The place is small but usually there isn't a wait and, if there is, it's only 5-10 minutes. The service is good and quick. As to its authenticity, I'm not really sure. I think the owner is Thai, but I know the cooks are Hispanic. However, I do see Asian patrons very often. We usually come here for lunch which is what I recommend. The atmosphere is casual and you can tell its a family-run business. This is not the place for a romantic date night, just for a yummy eat night. This is my favorite restaurant in West Lafayette and the one I most often visit. CAN'T GET ENOUGH. GREEN CURRY WITH TOFU! GET IT!
(5)Ramya C.
Hands down the best bubble tea in the Lafayette/ West Lafayette region. Honey dew bubble tea is out of the world! Food is okish.
(4)Betty R.
I'm surprised by all the negative reviews, but admittedly, I've only eaten there once. Friend and I ordered the mango salad and the chicken satay to share, and thought they were both outstanding.This is a very casual place, so I didn't expect much in terms of service, but it was just fine, despite being a weekday at lunchtime during the school year and full of students eating in and getting food to go. I can't wait to go back.
(4)Mehmet G.
One of the best restaurants in town. No dish in Basil Thai ever disappointed me, period.
(4)April W.
The food that I've tried so far (Pad Thai, Beef Curry, Chicken Satay, some sort of noodle in a soup bowl) have been quite good. I might not be a fan 100% of the time, but I can't say that their food is bad. Sometimes it might be oily for my tastes. I find myself craving their food. The food is really quite expensive though, it usually ends up more than $10-15 per person. My boyfriend and I go there when we need a pick-me-up! Some of the best asian food on campus I've had so far.
(4)Jennifer B.
Green curry with tofu was alright, lacked the flavor punch I'm used to but I've definitely had worse.
(3)Min H.
I love Basil Thai and it saddens me I didn't eat more of it while I was at Purdue. Despite hearing complaints about the price, I've always found the prices to be more than reasonable given the amount of food provided, which is alot. Its a bit small so it can get crowded at times but there's always takeout and of course, bubble tea. Dishes that I've always liked and recommend -any of the curries, for those afraid of spice the yellow is fairly mild and sweet. I've always liked the red since it was spicy and flavorful -basil fried rice -mango and sticky rice if available
(4)Nica F.
The yellow curry is great. Good comfort food if you want an entire MEAL. I go maybe once a month to get my fill of rice since I'm from California and can't really get it at the sorority house or the dining courts. (heh). The boba/"bubbles" whatever is okay. I *may* be just completely spoiled by really great bubble tea back at home but I mean this will do if you have a craving. I've had the taro (was gross, man. for the asians totally into that, this will just ruin all taro experiences ever), and the honeydew flavor. Like I said, it's good if you need your fill of thai food/bubble tea but its not the greatest. Then again, I guess it could be the greatest thai food in West Laf seeing there aren't many places to go...
(3)Laureen S.
The dining options in West Lafayette IN, are geared towards Purdue students. I get it. They are on a budget and need a laid back vibe. I get that too. But friendliness, cleanliness and freshness should never be optional. Keep walking, this place is bad news.
(2)Anant H.
A marginal place for Thai and really the only place on campus. A few of the dishes will definitely please, but its a bit pricey for how much food they give and their bubble tea is a bit sub par. Lafayette/West Lafayette really lack good Thai restaurants and this one is about the same as Thai Essence (same owners) and its definitely not worth a trip to the other side of town to eat at Exotic Thai (lets face it this one sounds like a strip club) If you are like me and can't go more than a month without Thai food this place will do the job until you can get to a larger city.
(3)Heather H.
Basil is no frills and casual. I've been here a few times, and it's not memorable, but if I must have Thai and only Thai, I know I can get decent vegetarian dishes here. I ordered a Jasmine boba recently that was the one and only tasteless milk tea I've ever had. Maybe it was an off cup. Hope so.
(3)David S.
It's a bit pricey. The food is meh. They put a weird twist on thai food, adding ingredients that don't belong in the dishes. Huge chunks of Egg plant? Bell pepers? In my curry? I think they do it to fill up space in the container, to make it seem like you get more food. I asked them not to add bell peppers or egg plant in my curry, and they only filled the container halfway. Jerks. That said, it's mostly delicious. Employees are friendly enough. There's no other thai restaurants except for thai essence, which is owned by the same people.
(3)Nancy H.
This place is good but really options for thai food are limited here in west lafayette, in so we have to take what we can get. If you don't mind going further, I think Exotic Thai is better. The pad thai needs more to it, it was kind of skimpy The chicken satay with peanut sauce is very tasty. I also really like their salads, cold and refreshing. Bubble tea is okay but sometimes the tapioca is not chewy like it should be.
(3)Paula O.
While I didnt get to try the food, I can tell you that their bubble tea is disgusting. I got taro flavor and it was so powdery and well, just gross! Also, their black tea is not any better. I ended up just eating the bubbles!
(1)Maurilio M.
Good place to find some quality Thai food in West Lafayette. I would have to agree with alot of the reviews that there are not really any other Thai places. Space is fairly small needs to be a bit bigger, gets crowded during lunch time. Overall really good food. I would give it 3.5 stars.
(3)Gin S.
definitely poor services
(1)Chris M.
Not good. Flavors were lacking in the curry, and had absolutely no spice level. Vegetables were soggy and not fresh. Service was ok, but the restaurant had a bad odor.
(1)Amy D.
This is the best Thai food around. Grab a seat when you can, it's almost always busy. If you can't eat in, make sure you get something to go. Love the Thai tea here.
(4)Batu Y.
Great food. No joke hands down best Thai in Lafayette
(5)Mark D.
the food is not worth for the price asking. too pricy. i have ate some real thai food. for this place, if the prices are a little down, i would like this place. but now, i will skip this place.
(2)jared s.
This place is pretty good. i love the bubble tea there. I have not had Thai food many places but i really enjoy this one. This is my favorite Thai place. I always get Pad Thai with Peanut sause. then a bubble tea. it is very good here. good idea for a date to try new things.
(4)Sho K.
Probably the worst Thai restaurant in the Lafayette area. The only reason they're always busy is because of its location. It's conveniently located within walking distance from campus. The food isn't terrible (one star), and the fact that they serve bubble tea is also a plus (second star).
(2)Robin F.
absolutely the best thai in our area
(5)Luke A.
Good Dishes, Horrible Style. Everytime I walk into this shop, I cant believe some of their rude waitresses and their attitudes. They do not seat you in a table for 4 until the fourth person arrives, man,what? Also, I have overheard their servers talking multiple times among themselves how they are the best Thai food and many people dont know thai food. Well, I do know it, and theirs isnt the best ok? Its also slightly expensive and the quantity is alright, go for the green curry or Cashew and moo ping. good ones
(3)Jackie B.
I got chicken Pad Thai here last night. I was disappointed in the quality as well as the value. Paid $10 for an order of Pad Thai to go, the chicken was overcooked and dry, and the flavor was bland. I also felt that it was overpriced for the quantity of food you get. Overall- not terrible, just not worth the money.
(2)Jessica C.
Stopped by here for dinner a few weeks ago. Not the best nor the worst Thai food I've ever had. The crispy spring rolls were tasty. My pad ginger was fine, but nothing special. I'd eat here again, but it didn't blow me away.
(3)Katherine Y.
Decent Thai food here--the chicken pad thai missed the mark for me, especially since I ordered it to-go and the container made everything taste plastic-y. However, the spicy eggplant dish it to die for. This is my go-to place for boba, and the Thai iced tea and Taro Pudding Milk Tea are always good! Service here is usually pretty awful though, in regards to wait time, etc., and there is little seating available.
(3)Ruth A.
Who doesn't love a hole-in-the-wall restaurant that's walking distance from the office and can satisfy simultaneous curry AND bubble tea cravings? Don't *rely* on this place: you may not be able to get a seat, their card machine might not be working. But if you want solidly good curry or bubble tea (both milk and green tea options available) that's not too expensive and that you don't have to drive to from campus, stop by. Worst case scenario, they can't seat you, you are impatient about waiting, and you walk anywhere else in Chauncey for your meal. Makes for a good change of pace from standard near-campus options. Don't feel like yet another sandwich? Treat yourself to Thai! If you're vegetarian, rejoice that you can select from among options, rather than having to go for that one meatless menu item.
(4)Michael P.
I'm not a Thai expert but I thought it was pretty good. A little pricy for what it is in my opinion though. I got the pad thai and tried the green curry as well.
(3)Janice M.
All the stir fry dishes tasted the same. Their bubble tea is kinda nasty to be completely honest. I didn't understand why this place was so popular when I was at Purdue, always packed on a friday night. The price is pretty steep for what you get. Bottom line, not a fan of Basil Thai because it tasted nothing like Thai food.
(1)Ethan H.
I was very disappointed with this place. if it really is the best in the area (as another review claimed), than W. Lafayette really doesn't have a lot to offer! Basically, the problem was in the food, which ranged from uninteresting to bad. My beef red curry, for example, certainly packed a spice, but it was actually pretty boring -- as if the spice was the only interesting thing they put into it. Ever worse, the beef had that grainy, I've-been-frozen-defrosted-and-refrozen-again texture to it -- and there's simply no excuse for that regardless of how much rice costs these days. My dad's pad-pak chicken wasn't any better: the chicken was fatty and the whole thing was doused in a sweet syrup that, for both of us really, made the whole thing inedible. And, just to be clear, we are NOT picky eaters! Long story short, if people think THIS is the best in town, then either Lafayette is a pit or they're not looking very hard. (Two stars, because at least I didn't vomit ... though I kind of wish I had.)
(2)Siraaj M.
Small and quaint, very friendly staff, my kids loved the bubble tea
(5)Lauren M.
I come here for lunch around once a week because I love it so much. I always get the green curry with tofu which is AMAZING and my boyfriend gets the Number 16 with beef. I've also had the Tom Ga Kan (spelling?) soup which is excellent. We often find ourselves craving these dishes even when we're not on campus and order take out. I think you have to have at least somewhat exotic tastes because it is not super americanized. For example, my parents would have much preferred the typical americanized Chinese buffet. The place is small but usually there isn't a wait and, if there is, it's only 5-10 minutes. The service is good and quick. As to its authenticity, I'm not really sure. I think the owner is Thai, but I know the cooks are Hispanic. However, I do see Asian patrons very often. We usually come here for lunch which is what I recommend. The atmosphere is casual and you can tell its a family-run business. This is not the place for a romantic date night, just for a yummy eat night. This is my favorite restaurant in West Lafayette and the one I most often visit. CAN'T GET ENOUGH. GREEN CURRY WITH TOFU! GET IT!
(5)Ramya C.
Hands down the best bubble tea in the Lafayette/ West Lafayette region. Honey dew bubble tea is out of the world! Food is okish.
(4)Betty R.
I'm surprised by all the negative reviews, but admittedly, I've only eaten there once. Friend and I ordered the mango salad and the chicken satay to share, and thought they were both outstanding.This is a very casual place, so I didn't expect much in terms of service, but it was just fine, despite being a weekday at lunchtime during the school year and full of students eating in and getting food to go. I can't wait to go back.
(4)Mehmet G.
One of the best restaurants in town. No dish in Basil Thai ever disappointed me, period.
(4)Patricia N.
Visited here with my cousins and other family members after going on a tour of campus as an alumni. It's still a good place to get some decent Thai food. Just note, the place is tiny, and it can get chilly whenever people walk in because the tables are so close to the door. The different salads are good with nice vinaigrette. My favorite thing to get every time I go is the "Pad Thai" (without peanuts, just because I don't like them). I know it's typical, but always delicious. My other family members have gotten "Pad Kee Mow" and said it was good too. "Thai Barbecued Chicken" is great too! It's a nicely portioned. I'm not a huge fan of bubble tea, but my family seemed to enjoy them.
(4)April W.
The food that I've tried so far (Pad Thai, Beef Curry, Chicken Satay, some sort of noodle in a soup bowl) have been quite good. I might not be a fan 100% of the time, but I can't say that their food is bad. Sometimes it might be oily for my tastes. I find myself craving their food. The food is really quite expensive though, it usually ends up more than $10-15 per person. My boyfriend and I go there when we need a pick-me-up! Some of the best asian food on campus I've had so far.
(4)Jennifer B.
Green curry with tofu was alright, lacked the flavor punch I'm used to but I've definitely had worse.
(3)Min H.
I love Basil Thai and it saddens me I didn't eat more of it while I was at Purdue. Despite hearing complaints about the price, I've always found the prices to be more than reasonable given the amount of food provided, which is alot. Its a bit small so it can get crowded at times but there's always takeout and of course, bubble tea. Dishes that I've always liked and recommend -any of the curries, for those afraid of spice the yellow is fairly mild and sweet. I've always liked the red since it was spicy and flavorful -basil fried rice -mango and sticky rice if available
(4)Cindy L.
my favorite thai restaurant in whole world. not kidding. tom yum noodle soup with chicken. omg freakign legit. everything is good. the curry the pad thai the pad kee mao the basil fried rice. omg loooooooooove this place. this is where i would get my last meal on earth
(5)Nica F.
The yellow curry is great. Good comfort food if you want an entire MEAL. I go maybe once a month to get my fill of rice since I'm from California and can't really get it at the sorority house or the dining courts. (heh). The boba/"bubbles" whatever is okay. I *may* be just completely spoiled by really great bubble tea back at home but I mean this will do if you have a craving. I've had the taro (was gross, man. for the asians totally into that, this will just ruin all taro experiences ever), and the honeydew flavor. Like I said, it's good if you need your fill of thai food/bubble tea but its not the greatest. Then again, I guess it could be the greatest thai food in West Laf seeing there aren't many places to go...
(3)Laureen S.
The dining options in West Lafayette IN, are geared towards Purdue students. I get it. They are on a budget and need a laid back vibe. I get that too. But friendliness, cleanliness and freshness should never be optional. Keep walking, this place is bad news.
(2)Anant H.
A marginal place for Thai and really the only place on campus. A few of the dishes will definitely please, but its a bit pricey for how much food they give and their bubble tea is a bit sub par. Lafayette/West Lafayette really lack good Thai restaurants and this one is about the same as Thai Essence (same owners) and its definitely not worth a trip to the other side of town to eat at Exotic Thai (lets face it this one sounds like a strip club) If you are like me and can't go more than a month without Thai food this place will do the job until you can get to a larger city.
(3)Heather H.
Basil is no frills and casual. I've been here a few times, and it's not memorable, but if I must have Thai and only Thai, I know I can get decent vegetarian dishes here. I ordered a Jasmine boba recently that was the one and only tasteless milk tea I've ever had. Maybe it was an off cup. Hope so.
(3)David S.
It's a bit pricey. The food is meh. They put a weird twist on thai food, adding ingredients that don't belong in the dishes. Huge chunks of Egg plant? Bell pepers? In my curry? I think they do it to fill up space in the container, to make it seem like you get more food. I asked them not to add bell peppers or egg plant in my curry, and they only filled the container halfway. Jerks. That said, it's mostly delicious. Employees are friendly enough. There's no other thai restaurants except for thai essence, which is owned by the same people.
(3)Nancy H.
This place is good but really options for thai food are limited here in west lafayette, in so we have to take what we can get. If you don't mind going further, I think Exotic Thai is better. The pad thai needs more to it, it was kind of skimpy The chicken satay with peanut sauce is very tasty. I also really like their salads, cold and refreshing. Bubble tea is okay but sometimes the tapioca is not chewy like it should be.
(3)Paula O.
While I didnt get to try the food, I can tell you that their bubble tea is disgusting. I got taro flavor and it was so powdery and well, just gross! Also, their black tea is not any better. I ended up just eating the bubbles!
(1)Maurilio M.
Good place to find some quality Thai food in West Lafayette. I would have to agree with alot of the reviews that there are not really any other Thai places. Space is fairly small needs to be a bit bigger, gets crowded during lunch time. Overall really good food. I would give it 3.5 stars.
(3)Gin S.
definitely poor services
(1)Chris M.
Not good. Flavors were lacking in the curry, and had absolutely no spice level. Vegetables were soggy and not fresh. Service was ok, but the restaurant had a bad odor.
(1)Amy D.
This is the best Thai food around. Grab a seat when you can, it's almost always busy. If you can't eat in, make sure you get something to go. Love the Thai tea here.
(4)Batu Y.
Great food. No joke hands down best Thai in Lafayette
(5)Mark D.
the food is not worth for the price asking. too pricy. i have ate some real thai food. for this place, if the prices are a little down, i would like this place. but now, i will skip this place.
(2)jared s.
This place is pretty good. i love the bubble tea there. I have not had Thai food many places but i really enjoy this one. This is my favorite Thai place. I always get Pad Thai with Peanut sause. then a bubble tea. it is very good here. good idea for a date to try new things.
(4)Sho K.
Probably the worst Thai restaurant in the Lafayette area. The only reason they're always busy is because of its location. It's conveniently located within walking distance from campus. The food isn't terrible (one star), and the fact that they serve bubble tea is also a plus (second star).
(2)Robin F.
absolutely the best thai in our area
(5)Andrew H.
Went there yesterday. Had an enjoyable meal, food was pretty bland, I managed to shovel down their pad thai chicken ok. Their yellow curry is mediocre, although the potatoes taste like chemicals. However, that's not why they've dropped so far in my eyes. Listen up, I get it if servers are angry that people don't tip sometimes. However, you shouldn't be expecting much if someone orders between $5-7 bucks of food, especially when you're bringing it maybe 10 yards from the kitchen. And it's ok to fume to yourself. But when you have to confront a customer (a lady friend of mine) and be like, "excuse me, but was our service bad? Because is there a reason why you're not tipping?" That is uncalled for. Especially if you say it loud enough for the whole restaurant to hear and push the credit card receipt towards the person to make them tip. What kind of service is that?! It'll take a LONG time before I forget this. Service is ok, par for a hole-in-the-wall. But if you're hiring people that are like that that I've just met, I'm sorry, but no. Just no. Protip: Don't pay with your credit card.
(1)Zhenyan L.
My favorite place for lunch !!!!! I love their ever dish, Especially the hot & sour noodle soup and pad kee mow with very very spicy !!!!:-)
(5)Haha L.
Yellow duck curry is my favorite. I usually don't like spicy food but that curry is awesome. The bubble tea is great too, I would recommend egg pudding milk tea. The restaurant is very popular and it's close to campus. But the restaurant can only hold up to 25 people, so go early to get a seat!
(4)Yuyao C.
My favorite Thai restaurant and the best pad Thai chicken. And the bubble tea is awesome!
(5)Ashley R.
If there was another Thai place around here, this place would be out of business. The food was really bland. I love Thai food, and frequent Thai restaurants where I'm from. It was like the Thai version of Chinese takeout, except not as good, and very overpriced. The thing that really did it for me, though, was the service, or lack thereof. The waitress came over and said, "What do you want?", then, a young man put our food in front of us. That was the extent of the service, which was fine, because it was an in and out type place. My soup was $6, so 15% tip wouldn't have even been a dollar. I didn't tip because "What do you want?" and putting soup in front of me doesn't constitute a tip. As I left, the man demanded that I leave a tip. I was with a friend and didn't want to cause a scene so I gave him a dollar. But I will NEVER go back.
(1)Patricia N.
Visited here with my cousins and other family members after going on a tour of campus as an alumni. It's still a good place to get some decent Thai food. Just note, the place is tiny, and it can get chilly whenever people walk in because the tables are so close to the door. The different salads are good with nice vinaigrette. My favorite thing to get every time I go is the "Pad Thai" (without peanuts, just because I don't like them). I know it's typical, but always delicious. My other family members have gotten "Pad Kee Mow" and said it was good too. "Thai Barbecued Chicken" is great too! It's a nicely portioned. I'm not a huge fan of bubble tea, but my family seemed to enjoy them.
(4)Sajit C.
Great place for a tasty thai meal which seems rather authentic. Somewhat reasonably priced, good quality ingredients and spices used in food, friendly staff, and pleasant selection of bubble tea. The only drawback is the almost suffocating lack of space for sit in dining during peak times.
(3)Luke A.
Good Dishes, Horrible Style. Everytime I walk into this shop, I cant believe some of their rude waitresses and their attitudes. They do not seat you in a table for 4 until the fourth person arrives, man,what? Also, I have overheard their servers talking multiple times among themselves how they are the best Thai food and many people dont know thai food. Well, I do know it, and theirs isnt the best ok? Its also slightly expensive and the quantity is alright, go for the green curry or Cashew and moo ping. good ones
(3)Jackie B.
I got chicken Pad Thai here last night. I was disappointed in the quality as well as the value. Paid $10 for an order of Pad Thai to go, the chicken was overcooked and dry, and the flavor was bland. I also felt that it was overpriced for the quantity of food you get. Overall- not terrible, just not worth the money.
(2)Jessica C.
Stopped by here for dinner a few weeks ago. Not the best nor the worst Thai food I've ever had. The crispy spring rolls were tasty. My pad ginger was fine, but nothing special. I'd eat here again, but it didn't blow me away.
(3)Tae K.
This place has the best thai food! Try their curry and fried rice and if the menu seems overwhelming, ask the servers for recommendations! Our server James was really helpful. Oh yea the girl worker there is cute ;)
(5)Tanaya W.
Serve good food every time! Thai food is probably my favorite cuisine, so I eat here a lot! Some recommendations are: the curry pineapple fried rice (trust me, it's not sweet! It tastes divine!), any of the curries are always good, the special - bamee moo dang is really really good, and so is the pad kee mow and pad ga prow! I would totally recommend this place, just try to branch out and get something different instead of pad Thai!
(5)Hye Eun C.
Came here again for lunch and ordered the moo ping and a peach green tea bubble tea. Again, I had good service and a great lunch. No complaints here. Bubble tea was good also.
(4)JD P.
Curry fried rice. That's the only item on the menu that is consistently good. Service is a hit or miss; Once, I ordered Pad Kee Mao and received a plate of thin noodles. When I asked a sever about it, he rudely insisted its always been this way. Come on, I've ordered it before and it was made of broad rice noodles. The photo of Pad Kee Mao in your menu is clearly broad rice noodles. Just give me a heads up if you ran out of broad noodles, instead of being a di*ck when I ask you why it ain't the same. A few other reviews mention staying away from panang curry. AVOID at all cost! The last time I ate it, it tasted like crap and afterwards my girlfriend and I had diarrhea for two days.
(2)Jennifer L.
Overpriced and burnt food. Don't recommend at all. Service is terrible and does not make me want to tip them. I found a hair in my curry and was displeased with the way the staff had handled it.
(1)Jen M.
I do not recommend this place.. First of all, service is awful.. I saw a server chasing the customer at the door and asked why they didn't tip.. If you don't tip the servers they will ask you if the service was OK? Is there a reason why you didn't tip?? Secondly, the price you pay for the food is not worth it. Its decent food but it's not worth paying $10-$15 per dish.
(1)Rose C.
I've eaten here more than once. I generally order panang curry at Thai places. Here it was absolutely awful with over spicy seasoning and large chunks of dark meat chicken. Not my thing. Next I choose pad Thai since that's pretty universal. It was also awful. Very vinegar and extremely sour tasting. Inedible really. When I told this to our server she actually argued with me that this is how pad Thai was supposed to taste. Finally she took the food back and removed it from our bill. The place itself feels dirty and is very small. The service is god awful. Their food is bad. Do not eat here.
(1)David K.
Good food and nice place. Decoration is not special. Something like at hi tea next to ak burgers would be great :). Service not allways friendly as I would like it to be but it's fine. Sometimes it has too many customers but I guess that's a good sign!
(4)Adrienne K.
I revisited this place because I was DYING for some Thai food and we just don't have a Thai place in Lafayette and Thai Essence is just too far out for me to get it to go. The service was much better this time around but I still have a pretty bad taste in my mouth from the last visit there. However, the food was not as good as it previously has been. But since the service improved I'll upgrade it to 2 stars. Lafayette desperately needs a great Thai restaurant. DESPERATELY.
(2)Sam P.
I usually like my food spicy, just like my women. When it comes to the food, it's a developed taste, especially to those unfamiliar with Thai cuisine. This is likely the reason that they explicitly make the point of "no-refunds" at the beginning their menu. After 1-2 visits and finding the right food item and then getting the item again and again, one can easily develop an affinity for a subset of Thai cuisine and various item's at Basil. The price is reasonable for being the one-and-only representative of Thai cuisine on campus. That aside, the service takes some hard-swallowing and intermittent choking at times. Predominantly fronted by fellow college student employees of which half manage to maintain a seemingly self-guided pretentious guise. Some of these kids just need to learn how to come correct, simple as that and this restaurant would easily be da sheet (great).\ Update: They chill af now. Shet's fire (great). Plenty of demunitive and neotenous asian girls to attract your attention, generic white guy. Quality is on point and consistant. Nothing more to ask for in the Thai category. C'mon, it's the ONLY Thai place and, I would say, Asian place that does it right (on campus).
(5)Sophia Z.
This is a small little restaurant, but I highly recommend the curry dishes. The atmosphere is very casual and simple. You pay after your meal. I have tried the green, yellow, red and duck curry. My favorite is the duck curry. The value of the food is great, you will not leave hungry.
(4)Brooke S.
honestly the best place for Thai food in the area. get the chicken pineapple fried rice, it is unbelievably delicious!!!!
(5)Penghao W.
The service is awful. When I order something to go, they don't let you sit down and let you go away when some others come in. Feel assaulted. Ridiculous service!!!!
(1)Supriya D.
I absolutely love Thai food and this is the best thai restaurant on Purdue's campus! Pros: - Pretty good food, I usually get the pad kee mao or the pad se ewe and both are delicious! - Chicken spring rolls are soooo good (but for $2 overpriced) Cons: - Can get super crowded so sometimes you may not be able to get a seat - No lunch specials - Kind of overpriced - The staff can be kind of rude if they are having an off day Nevertheless, if you want awesome thai food, Basil is the best at Purdue!
(3)Rey J.
I was struck by the statement they have on the front of the menu that said something to the effect of "we won't refund your money if you don't like our food." - I wondered "what kind of clientele have they had to need to put that on the menu?" Then I tasted their food. It wasn't just the worst thai food that I've ever had, it might very well be the worst *food* that I've ever had. My Pad Med Mamuang was flavorless and so salty that I couldn't keep eating it.
(1)Aniruddha K.
While on the expensive side, it's proximity to campus makes this a regular joint for me. It can get very busy here and the seating is far from comfortable. The food, however, is always good: pineapple fried rice, spicy basil fried rice, and the catfish are quite good.
(4)Sharon R.
3-4 for the food, 1-3 for the service (depending on which server you get). Not all of their food is great, which is a problem because if you get something that is either not well cooked or doesn't taste great you won't be able to send it back. They have a strict policy against sending food back. Their menu says something like "we are very proud of our food and the way we cook it so we won't accept any food back." Really? Modesty, people, come on. This one time I had an awful mango salad there that was just drenched in some extremely sour dressing and clearly I just ended up not eating that night. Some of the curries are okay, the pad thai is decent, but I usually get the pork with eggplant which I find to be pretty good. The only problem is that they put so much sauce that by the end its almost inedible because of all the salt added to the salt. The bubble tea is also pretty good, many times I just go in and take out the bubble tea. As other reviewers have pointed out the service is a huge problem, probably stemming from very bad management. The owner sits in the tables closest to the counter and I've heard her sit there yelling on the phone or loudly making fun of customers that weren't in the restaurant. One of the waitresses rolls her eyes (even when there is really no need) as she's talking to you. The white blondish waitress is really the best to get. Also, I feel like this is the only Asian restaurant I've seen that you actually get treated BETTER if you are white. Personal observation. The food can be pretty good (specifically ask for less sauce) but bad management/servers take out a lot of the joy of dining out.
(3)Katherine Y.
Decent Thai food here--the chicken pad thai missed the mark for me, especially since I ordered it to-go and the container made everything taste plastic-y. However, the spicy eggplant dish it to die for. This is my go-to place for boba, and the Thai iced tea and Taro Pudding Milk Tea are always good! Service here is usually pretty awful though, in regards to wait time, etc., and there is little seating available.
(3)Andrew H.
Went there yesterday. Had an enjoyable meal, food was pretty bland, I managed to shovel down their pad thai chicken ok. Their yellow curry is mediocre, although the potatoes taste like chemicals. However, that's not why they've dropped so far in my eyes. Listen up, I get it if servers are angry that people don't tip sometimes. However, you shouldn't be expecting much if someone orders between $5-7 bucks of food, especially when you're bringing it maybe 10 yards from the kitchen. And it's ok to fume to yourself. But when you have to confront a customer (a lady friend of mine) and be like, "excuse me, but was our service bad? Because is there a reason why you're not tipping?" That is uncalled for. Especially if you say it loud enough for the whole restaurant to hear and push the credit card receipt towards the person to make them tip. What kind of service is that?! It'll take a LONG time before I forget this. Service is ok, par for a hole-in-the-wall. But if you're hiring people that are like that that I've just met, I'm sorry, but no. Just no. Protip: Don't pay with your credit card.
(1)Zhenyan L.
My favorite place for lunch !!!!! I love their ever dish, Especially the hot & sour noodle soup and pad kee mow with very very spicy !!!!:-)
(5)Haha L.
Yellow duck curry is my favorite. I usually don't like spicy food but that curry is awesome. The bubble tea is great too, I would recommend egg pudding milk tea. The restaurant is very popular and it's close to campus. But the restaurant can only hold up to 25 people, so go early to get a seat!
(4)Yuyao C.
My favorite Thai restaurant and the best pad Thai chicken. And the bubble tea is awesome!
(5)Hanh S.
I tried to really love their pad thai but I just couldn't. I'm a huge fan of pad thai in general, so I've given Basil Thai's a chance several times- It's bland and missing flavor. They do give you a lot though, I always have leftovers. My go to is usually the yellow curry with added shrimp. It's pretty good and the best thing I've had there and I recommend. I've had two other noodle dishes there- though I can't remember their names- they were ok, not great. I left dinner feeling unsatisfied.
(2)Alexandra M.
I always order the red curry and take it to go. They are fast, pleasant, and my food is great!
(4)Alicia L.
The food is definitely not the best around and its not worth the price. As mentioned by a couple of other reviewers before, the attitude of the servers are horrible. I've been there a couple of times and have only met a lady who is nice. The servers are rude and have the kind of attitude as if I'm not paying them and eating there for free. The best part is that when you get the check, the server expects you to give at least 15% tip for the crappy service that you get. My experience was that the server literally told me off that I should tip the amount listed below the receipt. They also have a messed up waiting policy and would not allow you to be seated or order if your party is not complete (despite the fact that the restaurant is almost empty and there aren't anybody waiting in line). And you are expected to wait outside (even in the cold) as the place is small. Its disappointing and I definitely would not recommend this place if you want to have a nice meal with good service.
(1)Priya D.
Horrible place. Horrible food. Horrible service. As a freshman and sophomore in college, Basil thai was the only place I could get my Thai fix on campus. The food is never the same one day from another. The curry could be good one day and then be absolutely inedible the next. Besides the food, the service is absolutely horrendous. I have had my food literally THROWN at me. I am not paying upwards of $10-$15 a meal to be treated like that. This place does not do justice to Thai food. I highly recommend avoiding this joint.
(1)Rachel P.
Best thai food in the Lafayette/West Lafayette area! The prices are a little high for the kind of food but worth the price since there's nothing else like this around. I am disappointed that they are charging $2 for one chicken spring roll and $2.50 for the peanut sauce! The sauce should NOT be more expensive than the spring roll itself!
(4)Clive N.
The only reason I'm not rating a 5 is because of the horrible crampedness of the place. Food is great, service is great. If you like Thai food, look no further.
(4)Cindy W.
The owner made some shit rules about waiting policy. Some of the waitress will give u some ugly face if u argue with the shit rule! Their attitude is extremely bad and the rule they set is bull shit! I swear I would never come back to this shit place. Screw the owner!
(1)Rohit J.
I have been here multiple times because its the closest thai restaurant to the university. The service here is bad, and the waiters can be rude sometimes. The food quality is definitely weak. You can feel the cheapness in the watered down bubble teas.
(2)Tanaya W.
Serve good food every time! Thai food is probably my favorite cuisine, so I eat here a lot! Some recommendations are: the curry pineapple fried rice (trust me, it's not sweet! It tastes divine!), any of the curries are always good, the special - bamee moo dang is really really good, and so is the pad kee mow and pad ga prow! I would totally recommend this place, just try to branch out and get something different instead of pad Thai!
(5)Hye Eun C.
Came here again for lunch and ordered the moo ping and a peach green tea bubble tea. Again, I had good service and a great lunch. No complaints here. Bubble tea was good also.
(4)Tae K.
This place has the best thai food! Try their curry and fried rice and if the menu seems overwhelming, ask the servers for recommendations! Our server James was really helpful. Oh yea the girl worker there is cute ;)
(5)JD P.
Curry fried rice. That's the only item on the menu that is consistently good. Service is a hit or miss; Once, I ordered Pad Kee Mao and received a plate of thin noodles. When I asked a sever about it, he rudely insisted its always been this way. Come on, I've ordered it before and it was made of broad rice noodles. The photo of Pad Kee Mao in your menu is clearly broad rice noodles. Just give me a heads up if you ran out of broad noodles, instead of being a di*ck when I ask you why it ain't the same. A few other reviews mention staying away from panang curry. AVOID at all cost! The last time I ate it, it tasted like crap and afterwards my girlfriend and I had diarrhea for two days.
(2)Jennifer L.
Overpriced and burnt food. Don't recommend at all. Service is terrible and does not make me want to tip them. I found a hair in my curry and was displeased with the way the staff had handled it.
(1)Jen M.
I do not recommend this place.. First of all, service is awful.. I saw a server chasing the customer at the door and asked why they didn't tip.. If you don't tip the servers they will ask you if the service was OK? Is there a reason why you didn't tip?? Secondly, the price you pay for the food is not worth it. Its decent food but it's not worth paying $10-$15 per dish.
(1)Rose C.
I've eaten here more than once. I generally order panang curry at Thai places. Here it was absolutely awful with over spicy seasoning and large chunks of dark meat chicken. Not my thing. Next I choose pad Thai since that's pretty universal. It was also awful. Very vinegar and extremely sour tasting. Inedible really. When I told this to our server she actually argued with me that this is how pad Thai was supposed to taste. Finally she took the food back and removed it from our bill. The place itself feels dirty and is very small. The service is god awful. Their food is bad. Do not eat here.
(1)David K.
Good food and nice place. Decoration is not special. Something like at hi tea next to ak burgers would be great :). Service not allways friendly as I would like it to be but it's fine. Sometimes it has too many customers but I guess that's a good sign!
(4)Adrienne K.
I revisited this place because I was DYING for some Thai food and we just don't have a Thai place in Lafayette and Thai Essence is just too far out for me to get it to go. The service was much better this time around but I still have a pretty bad taste in my mouth from the last visit there. However, the food was not as good as it previously has been. But since the service improved I'll upgrade it to 2 stars. Lafayette desperately needs a great Thai restaurant. DESPERATELY.
(2)Sam P.
I usually like my food spicy, just like my women. When it comes to the food, it's a developed taste, especially to those unfamiliar with Thai cuisine. This is likely the reason that they explicitly make the point of "no-refunds" at the beginning their menu. After 1-2 visits and finding the right food item and then getting the item again and again, one can easily develop an affinity for a subset of Thai cuisine and various item's at Basil. The price is reasonable for being the one-and-only representative of Thai cuisine on campus. That aside, the service takes some hard-swallowing and intermittent choking at times. Predominantly fronted by fellow college student employees of which half manage to maintain a seemingly self-guided pretentious guise. Some of these kids just need to learn how to come correct, simple as that and this restaurant would easily be da sheet (great).\ Update: They chill af now. Shet's fire (great). Plenty of demunitive and neotenous asian girls to attract your attention, generic white guy. Quality is on point and consistant. Nothing more to ask for in the Thai category. C'mon, it's the ONLY Thai place and, I would say, Asian place that does it right (on campus).
(5)Sophia Z.
This is a small little restaurant, but I highly recommend the curry dishes. The atmosphere is very casual and simple. You pay after your meal. I have tried the green, yellow, red and duck curry. My favorite is the duck curry. The value of the food is great, you will not leave hungry.
(4)Brooke S.
honestly the best place for Thai food in the area. get the chicken pineapple fried rice, it is unbelievably delicious!!!!
(5)Penghao W.
The service is awful. When I order something to go, they don't let you sit down and let you go away when some others come in. Feel assaulted. Ridiculous service!!!!
(1)Supriya D.
I absolutely love Thai food and this is the best thai restaurant on Purdue's campus! Pros: - Pretty good food, I usually get the pad kee mao or the pad se ewe and both are delicious! - Chicken spring rolls are soooo good (but for $2 overpriced) Cons: - Can get super crowded so sometimes you may not be able to get a seat - No lunch specials - Kind of overpriced - The staff can be kind of rude if they are having an off day Nevertheless, if you want awesome thai food, Basil is the best at Purdue!
(3)Rey J.
I was struck by the statement they have on the front of the menu that said something to the effect of "we won't refund your money if you don't like our food." - I wondered "what kind of clientele have they had to need to put that on the menu?" Then I tasted their food. It wasn't just the worst thai food that I've ever had, it might very well be the worst *food* that I've ever had. My Pad Med Mamuang was flavorless and so salty that I couldn't keep eating it.
(1)Aniruddha K.
While on the expensive side, it's proximity to campus makes this a regular joint for me. It can get very busy here and the seating is far from comfortable. The food, however, is always good: pineapple fried rice, spicy basil fried rice, and the catfish are quite good.
(4)Sharon R.
3-4 for the food, 1-3 for the service (depending on which server you get). Not all of their food is great, which is a problem because if you get something that is either not well cooked or doesn't taste great you won't be able to send it back. They have a strict policy against sending food back. Their menu says something like "we are very proud of our food and the way we cook it so we won't accept any food back." Really? Modesty, people, come on. This one time I had an awful mango salad there that was just drenched in some extremely sour dressing and clearly I just ended up not eating that night. Some of the curries are okay, the pad thai is decent, but I usually get the pork with eggplant which I find to be pretty good. The only problem is that they put so much sauce that by the end its almost inedible because of all the salt added to the salt. The bubble tea is also pretty good, many times I just go in and take out the bubble tea. As other reviewers have pointed out the service is a huge problem, probably stemming from very bad management. The owner sits in the tables closest to the counter and I've heard her sit there yelling on the phone or loudly making fun of customers that weren't in the restaurant. One of the waitresses rolls her eyes (even when there is really no need) as she's talking to you. The white blondish waitress is really the best to get. Also, I feel like this is the only Asian restaurant I've seen that you actually get treated BETTER if you are white. Personal observation. The food can be pretty good (specifically ask for less sauce) but bad management/servers take out a lot of the joy of dining out.
(3)Sajit C.
Great place for a tasty thai meal which seems rather authentic. Somewhat reasonably priced, good quality ingredients and spices used in food, friendly staff, and pleasant selection of bubble tea. The only drawback is the almost suffocating lack of space for sit in dining during peak times.
(3)