Sweet Basil | Thai Street Eats

Okay - now I thought this was just Thai food. No sir - no ma’am . . . This is Thai and Laotian cuisine. This food is so good and felt really clean. We had the orange chicken and rice, spring rolls, crab Rangoon and the buffalo chicken crab Rangoon. We went on a Friday evening. Get there early to get a seat! This place gets busy, and now I understand why. The restaurant is quaint and cozy. The staff is friendly and helpful especially if you are a first timer. Their menu is quite extensive to me. Don’t hesitate to try something new and different. This is a great place to start expanding your palate!

Sweet Basil – Incredible Laotian Cuisine! Sweet Basil is an absolute gem for Laotian food! Every dish is packed with bold, authentic flavors that keep me coming back for more. Whether it’s their perfectly balanced curries, delicious noodle dishes, or fresh, vibrant ingredients, everything on the menu is a hit. The restaurant is always busy, which speaks to how amazing the food is, but the staff handles it effortlessly. They are friendly, attentive, and make sure every guest feels welcome. The atmosphere is warm and inviting, making it the perfect spot to enjoy an incredible meal. If you’re looking for top-notch Laotian cuisine, Sweet Basil is a must-visit. I can’t recommend it enough!

Sweet Basil is amazing. Long story but suffice to say that the red curry i tasted yesterday was the same as the first time: transcendental. I am a fan and have been for years with good reason. The curry is an experience. Please go and meet the people and the food there. You will be happy you did!

my favorite spot!! don't know what i can say that hasn't been said already but i had to leave a review for this gem. sweet basil has the yummiest food in the city with the greatest service. as someone who's both dined in and gotten take out plenty of times one thing i've come to notice is how warm, friendly, and respectful the staff are. the atmosphere is cozy and simply lovely. i could go on a whole rant about how the jeow bong noodles are to die for and the way their mango sticky rice soothes the soul. RUN don't walk to sweet basil, you won't regret it!!

The Pad Thai with chicken was delicious. It's a cute restaurant and everyone was very attentive and nice. Just a heads up- it was really cold by the windows, so take a light jacket.

Some of, if not the, best Thai/Lao food we have ever had!! We had the chicken satay, Jeow Bong wings, papaya salad and Pad Kee Mao noodles and would recommend everything. We got spice level 1 to start out of caution and it was very mild, could definitely go up in spice. Can’t wait to go again and try more!!! Warm, comfortable, cozy environment to eat in and a friendly team!

Quick update - STILL Amazing!! Had to add a picture of the combination plate. It was all great and the sauces were over the top! The best way to give a quick overview of this restaurant would be to say that it is simply stunning on all levels! Let's start with the very clean and well decorated restaurant that makes you feel comfortable just walking in. If you call your order in or if you order when you get there, they have a very nice area to wait for your food. The food was well presented, exploding with multiple fresh flavors and spices! I really enjoy Thai food BUT, Sweet Basil took my love for Thai food to another level! Thank you SO much for what you do to make what comes out of the kitchen simply amazing! The last thing that needs to be mentioned is the way the staff relates to the customers. This was our first time at this restaurant and my wife had some questions. They answered all of her questions with patience and concern. We felt welcome here right from the start but the way they talked to many of the other customers was like they were chatting with family. I am guessing that these were regular visitors but the fact that they talked to people by name was impressive. Even more impressive that they helped people with their orders that could use some assistance. Start to finish, this was a fantastic visit. The food and staff will bring me back anytime I am in the area. I wish they were open more - AND I lived closer - but when you work with that much passion, you deserve some time off! Keep up the great work!

We got the Pad Thai, fresh spring rolls, and orange chicken and every dish was fantastic. Having lived in Minnesota, Illinois, and Missouri, and traveled all over the Pacific Northwest, we’ve had our fair share of Thai food. This spot stands out as one of the truly exceptional ones. The flavors were fresh, balanced, and thoughtfully prepared. You can really taste the quality in every bite. Highly recommend!

I am so happy we decided to venture out of Milwaukee to try this place as we have been looking for good Thai since being a transplant. This is my type of restaurant as it's not all about the ambiance and frills but more so about amazing food and a family atmosphere. You walk in and up to the counter to order and they will be super helpful guiding you if it's your first time. Now the food was great and the spice levels I feel like are appropriate and aren't just hot but add flavor. I am so excited because both the crab Rangoon and Pad See ew I had were great and the Panang curry my fiancé had was great even reheated. Amazing restaurant with great service and they are super helpful.

The place was packed and for a good reason. It is pretty small but the food is amazing! We ordered an appetizer platter which consists of a good mix or apps. I would suggest if you want to sample a little bit of everything, get it!! We ordered 3 noodle dishes and a red curry dish. We all enjoyed our food. Spicy level 3 was perfect!

Really enjoyed some things and liked some others okay. All around the entire group thought the food was good. They don't have pork as an option which is a minor bummer, but the chicken was good. Place is small, so if they are busy you'll be waiting to sit and eat. Staff were very friendly and accommodating though. Offered to go ahead and take our orders ahead of time. So if a table opened we could sit and eat without waiting longer or if not, take it all to go. We waited probably 15-20 minutes before a table opened, but since they took our order early we were basically able to sit and immediately get our food. So, kudos to the nice staff.

Very good place , I have been going there for years. It seems the dishes have been a little more spicy lately so I don't know if they got a new chef, but it is still very good. Very casual and relaxing atmosphere with excellent attention from the staff.

I've dined here or carried out several times since they opened. The food has been consistently delicious with efficient service! You can order online for carry-out, or if dining in, review the menu board, grab a portable menu, or scan the QR code on the menu board to pull it up on your phone. Then place your order and pay at the counter and find a place to sit. They will give you a number for your table and bring the food to you. It is a family owned and operated business, so you know a lot of love goes into every dish. I've enjoyed various dishes including the OG Platter, which includes Lao Grilled Steak, Lao Sausage, OG wings, papaya salad, and sticky rice. It's perfect for two hungry people or as a starter for a group! The Khao-Poon special from a year ago is a dish I still think about and hope to see again soon! The Chicken Satay with housemade peanut sauce is another hit!Tonight's visit with a friend included the OG Platter, Pad Kee Mao, aka Drunken Noodle, with chicken, with Lotus Flower Cookies (this month's special), and Mango Sticky Rice for dessert. Yes, we had a lot of leftovers, and we weren't mad about it. They are open Tuesday through Saturday, 3:00-8:00, and because they are a small, family operation, they may need to close for a day if key staff is ill or injured, so I highly recommend you follow them on social media or call them when in doubt. This is one of the very best SE Asian restaurants in SE Wisconsin, so if you haven't been yet, make a point to visit!

My husband has been wanting to come here and to be honest, I didn't. I told him it was a chain restaurant but I'm glad he dragged me there but it's nothing that I said it was! We got in and the line wasn't too long but by the time we got to the counter there was already a 30 minute wait for food. They had to-goes out the window! The line inside built up fast and that was the turning point for me where I thought, I might wrong about this place. There is limited seating, to-go seems to be what a lot of people do. But we got seated and waited! When the first dish came out, teriyaki beef skewers, they looked like bbq and we got super excited! They were sooo good. Served with a salsa which we thought was unusual, don't sleep on it. The two paired so well. I got parang curry, my hubby got pad Thai and the boys shared Pad see ew. The curry was some of the best I've had. Had a peanut paste or something in it, delicious! The pad Thai was good too and I feel like pad see ew is a no brainer for kids! It was so good and worth the wait! This is our new Thai spot!

After trying several other Thai places across the country, none compare to Sweet Basil. The happiness and satisfaction I felt after while eating their Tom Yum soup with sticky rice is almost unparalleled. I will be chasing that experience for a long time. Absolutely spectacular!

Very cute, bright and clean restaurant that gives you a homey vibe when you walk in. We did a takeout dinner but liked the interior of the restaurant a lot. We got papaya salad, chicken egg rolls, pork skewers, pad Thai and Jeow Bong fried rice and enjoyed all of them. The packaging & presentation were both very good. The overall impression was refreshing, not too greasy nor sweet Thai food at reasonable prices. The pork skewers were flavorful, juicy with the lovely hint of lemon or lime taste that might come from lemon juice or lemongrass (I don't know). The egg rolls were on the saltier side but still crispy and full of homey fillings. The papaya salad came in a generous amount and included a heavy use of fish sauce (I like it but hubby doesn't) in the recipe. I thought it tasted very refreshing after mixing with the Vermicelli noodles. Pad Thai remained chewy while being not greasy or too sweet. A very successful pad Thai indeed! The jeow bong fried rice was interesting. We got medium heat and while in the first a few bites it tasted like soy sauce fried rice, it got better and more addicting as the spicy flavor kicked in. It's a good dish for sharing. The wait time could be a bit long. But we will be back for sure if we are in that neighborhood again!

Best Thai and Lao food I have ever eaten!! The egg rolls flawless. The chicken skewers were pretty good but the sauces made them 10x better. The service was great. They bring out the food to you but allow you to get your own utensils and sauces.

I once again question why I do not make the 45 minute drive to Sweet Basil more often. Today's visit exceeded my expectations. I was pleasantly greeted by Drew at the register. He took my order, gave suggestions, and made sure my meal was handled appropriately and gluten free. Food was excellent as always. I love their spring rolls. They're so fresh. The noodle dish Pasta Kee Mao was new for me and I'm glad I tried it. It's like a beef with peppers pasta dish in brown sauce. I love their pad Thai but wanted to try something different and this did not disappoint. Can't wait to go back!

Recommended to me by a friend from Taiwan! It's tucked into a little strip mall. Not a ton of seating so the wait can be long, but it's so worth it! A lot of people get takeout too. We ordered the lod chong drink (amazing), chicken satay, jeow bong noodles, pad kee mao, and the mango sticky rice (bomb). All of it was so good and was brought to the table very quickly despite how busy they were. We will be coming back to try more items from the menu!!

Highlights 1. Amazing Food 2. Option to Order Online and Pick Up 3. Gluten-Free* Menu My co-workers absolutely rave about Sweet Basil so I was happy to finally have a chance to do a pick up order! It was very easy to order online and set my pick up time. I put in the order about 30 minutes before I picked up and my order was ready and waiting when I got there. Sweet Basil is a small restaurant not located too far off of highway 43. It's in a strip mall with a parking lot. I love that they have a dedicated gluten-free menu that is very easy to find in their website. Their main menu and GF menu have a ton of options. I tried the gluten-free pad Thai and gluten-free tofu skewers. We also added an order of chicken wings. The food was amazing! I was so impressed at all of the flavors, the quantity we got and the pricing is really reasonable. I see us becoming regulars here. Can't wait to try more items! *not sure on dedicated gluten-free kitchen, call ahead and ask questions if you need that!

Never thought to try this place even though I've happened by it many times. Finally went and glad that I did. The food is excellent. Had Tom Kha soup and added tofu and ramen noodles to it. Also had the Pad Thai with shrimp. Both were excellent. The service was great as well. Very nice staff which is not to be underrated these days. This will be a regular place for me going forward.

Sweet Basil is fantastic! We decided to order take out, as several of our friends recommended we try it.. and wow, we were not disappointed. The employees were friendly and the food presentation (even when ordering takeout) was beautiful. We weren't sure what to expect when ordering the chicken skewers, but they needed up being nice and juicy! The Pad Thai and Jeow Bong Noodles were absolutely delicious as well. Can't wait to go back and try more, as they have so many different options to choose from!

I love Thai Food and this place is just the very best. My order had been placed by telephone and it was ready at the promised time. The food, chicken wings, soup, and red curry was beyond delicious. I live over thirty (30) minutes away, but I will most certainly be back. The portions were large and the prices were reasonable. It has the best Thai Food in Milwaukee.

Delicious food, clean, small place to dine, mostly take-out but definitely worth the visit! Look over the menu before you go so you have an idea of what you want. Enjoy!

Family owned and operated. You can feel taste the love in the food. Great service as well.

They are not fucking around at Sweet Basil. The menu is amazing, ambience is amazing. The service is fantastic, family owned and they are smiling and helpful. All the stuff wouldn't matter anyway because the food is good enough to put up with whatever is behind the door. Double yum. If you're a pop person, get the Thai cream soda. 10/10!

Small little joint with a fun layout and super friendly service. Really really really good food. This is the subtle delicate side of Thai cooking. Great flavors and very large portions. Great meal !!

I was finally near Sweet Basil again & decided to get a quick late lunch. I got the lemongrass chicken skewers & sticky rice again since those were my favorite things I had and I also got the beef teriyaki skewers to try out. The beef teriyaki was DELICIOUS! Perfect balance of sweet and salty, the sauce that came with it to dip was so so good I used it for my chicken skewers too. Sticky rice was very good as usual, reminds me of growing up with my Laotian best friend. The workers there are always super welcoming & friendly & the place is extremely clean. Picking up my order was a breeze & they have a station off to the side where you can get utensils, napkins, sriracha, & even water to go. Thank you for always doing an amazing job, Sweet Basil!!

I recently enjoyed this restaurant with my adult children and their spouses and my grandson. We were there to celebrate my bday. The restaurant is clean and the staff is very helpful and very friendly. The restaurant was very busy. The food was fresh and we all greatly enjoyed our meals. The value is good. You definitely will not leave there hungry. I highly recommend and I will definitely go back to enjoy another wonderful meal.

If you haven't been to Sweet Basil in Franklin, be good to yourself and take a friend, a significant other, or a loved one to eat some outstanding food. My wife and I absolutely love the flavorful, fresh and delicious food at Sweet Basil. There are two ways to go. First, take out is a good option as this placed is always packed in the evening. But, a sit down is also great as everyone you see is happy. No lie...I've never seen an unhappy person in the joint. The food changes your mood! A bad day is better. A good day is awesome. A great day is elevated by this amazing food. Here is the strategy my wife and I have been utilizing lately. Start with an appetizer, go to a soup, then finish off with a curry dish. You will go away with satisfied that 1) the food was worth every penny spent, 2) you likely are taking home leftovers (portions are generous), 3) you supported an outstanding local restaurant that raises the game for everyone. Like I said, the place is packed. But, it is brightly and eclectically decorated. The buzz is busy, but...dare I say joyous? Seriously, the food is that good. Be kind to yourself. Life is hard. Make it better. Go eat at Sweet Basil. You'll thank me later.

Really good Thai street food. Went with work colleagues since we were in town on Valentine's Day which might've been why it was so busy. It's not a sit down restaurant but a place where you order at the counter and find a table to sit at. We didn't all order our food at the same time but the person at the counter waited until we all ordered so we could get our food out at the same time. Good service but took almost 45 min to get our food which we were warned about. It was worth it tho since the food came out piping hot and delicious. Ordered the wings, summer rolls, the appetizer steak which...don't skip out on these! (Or the wings). The drunken noodles and the pad Thai. Will be coming back on my next trip to Franklin.

Some of the best Thai food I've ever had! Really enjoyed sweet basil and have been back multiple times since! I'd recommend the appetizer platter because you get a lot and it isn't expensive! Only thing to look out for is the hours are short. I love the beef fried rice here and this is one of my favorite restaurants near Milwaukee now!

Very, very good. Service: The owner (?) guy who welcomed us inside was very (overly) nice. He tried to give us recommendations and help us with choosing. I'm pretty familiar with Thai cuisine so it was a little too much help, but still nice. One thing he wasn't very helpful with was with ingredients. Being on Keto, I was trying to find out whether a specific sauce was sugar heavy (for their September special, spicy beef salad), and he pretty much had no idea but told me it wasn't sweet at all. Well, it was a gochujang based dressing, which is laden with sugar, though the end result is not too sweet. Just so you know. Like, if you're on keto. lol Hubby had the pad Thai - a little spicy, and was surprised at how red it was. But it wasn't very spicy at all. I think the red color was from something other than spicy peppers. Very good taste. Tom Kha soup was one of the best I've ever had. Period. House fried rice with shrimp boasted huge shrimp pieces. It wasn't the best fried rice I've had, but good, and they really didn't skimp out on the ingredients. Would definitely revisit. Maybe for takeout, as it seems like their takeout orders were going off the hook the whole time we were dining in.

I've always gotten take out so far, and NEVER any complaints. It's always so yummy, fresh, and I always have some left overs for another meal the next day. Spring rolls are FIRE, so fresh. Love the tom kha soup too, good flavor. I typically get it every few weeks or so from craving it so much!! Majority of the time I have to wait because of how busy they are, but its all worth it! I would rather go to a place that has a line over no one.

Place an online order. Got a shrimp curry dish instead of what I ordered; a chicken curry dish. Emailed the restaurant ( not requesting anything, just want to make them aware) and I got a nasty email back. No worries... my money spends well at other restaurants. * The owners comment was partially correct; I have given establishments poor review... based on service and/or food. The reviews I have written are strictly based my experiences and I stand by them. As for the business owner proving I was wrong about my order, by all means, please prove it. My eyes did not deceive me, nor did my taste buds deceive me; the curry dish contained shrimp, not chicken. When ordering pick up from this restaurant, check your order BEFORE leaving the building. And for the record, I ALWAYS make it a point to support small businesses. Always have and always will.

Have been to Sweet Basil a couple of times now and both times have been great. The food is really delicious and everything I have tried has been wonderful. The restaurant has a very relaxed atmosphere and is nice for a quick lunch or meal. Sweet Basil also seems like it is set up well for carry out. The staff has always been nice and helpful when I have gone. The portions are also large so I always have leftovers for the next day. Overall highly recommend!

I just got take out from Sweet Basil and I am beyond blown away! The online ordering process was so easy to do but the food is out of this world! We got the starter platter, papaya salad, and mango sticky rice. It was packed so well and was easy to transport home. The presentation was so beautiful when I got it out too. Everything was clearly done with care. The skewers were seasoned so deliciously and there was tons of flavor. I'm not sure what the sauces included were, but they were the perfect balance of flavor and spice - it was absolutely delicious. The papaya salad was super tasty and fresh and the mango sticky rice was beautiful and delicious. I'm so excited to have found this place - looking forward to many more visits!

It's a small area where you order, get a number and they bring out the food to you. We went around 430ish for a group of 10 and we filled about 1/3 of the restaurant. I like that they have a station of things to help yourself to-- water, silverware, to go containers. Highlights: tropical punch, pad thai, the beef skewers on the platter Now I'm not a pad Thai typically, but I would come back and eat it. It has less of a sweet flavor than they normally do which makes it appealing to me. The tropical punch--can we get this in an XL? If you're questioning the decision, just know it's the right one to go with. The beef skewers were tender. I preferred these over the pork as the pork seemed a little more rubbery in texture. We had ordered 1 of every type of platter on the menus for our group so I sampled everything. We also ordered the curry - really lackluster. It packs the heat (we opted for 2/5) but I was definitely missing out on some coconut milk to add some extra oomph.

Stopping in for dinner on a Wed evening. Not to busy. We got our food pretty quick, servers were very helpful and friendly. We got tom yum soup, jeow bong noodles and Lao grilled steak. For beverages we grabbed Beer Lao, Wisconsin needs to get on this! Everything was great, have not had a dish here that I didn't like. Definitely recommend. I always try to stop in when in the area.

Excellent food, wish there was a restaurant just like this closer to me. I love the skewers. Drinks are exceptional, everything I tried was delicious. Staff is very kind and attentive.

Say yes to this place! First time Thai foodie here and I cannot wait to go back. It was very busy, we were seated, but we did not wait long for our food. The service was amazing, food was delicious, and the dessert was magical. Cannot wait to go back

So impressed with everything that we ordered. The sticky rice & starter platter was absolutely delicious! The drunken noodle wasn't the best I've ever had, the noodle & veggie textures were cooked perfectly, I just like stuff bursting with more spicy but I only ordered a level 3 could go for a 5 next time. I just added a little bit more chili oil and hoisin when I got home and was happy with it!! 10/10 would recommend sticky rice & apps to a friend!!

New to Wisconsin and I'm always looking to find spots I can come back to. This is the spot to be. I ordered take out on a Saturday night. Wait time was long, but the website gives notice since this place is so busy. Order was ready right at the time provided. Place was packed when I came to pick up. Food was great. There are no local boba places as I am a huge boba fan. They have Thai tea here which is amazing. I've come here on diff occasions just to pick up Thai tea. Def keeping this place as a regular go to. If you are thinking of trying this place. I'd stop by. If you don't mind waiting during peak hours then be my guest. But if you don't like busy, I'd suggest take out or coming closer to when they open around 3pm or a little before dinner rush

Good food, nice atmosphere and pleasant staff. I'm not local. I travel for work and visit many restaurants. Really enjoyed.

I'm in love with their peanut sauce. Please give me a drum full! The food is delicious and sufficient in spice levels. Mild for me, hot for my husband. At first it didn't look like much food but then I got half way through and had to decide whether I wanted to go full belly or save some for lunch the next day. I went full belly! The chicken was so thinly sliced but still tender and juicy. And the sauce! I made the right call. There is so much more on the menu that I need to try so I will!

Brought friends to Sweet Basil to experience this amazing and surprising food, and it was better the second time around. I was amazed that this modest strip mall store front, where you order at a counter, can have the same culinary flavor of the Michelin starred restaurants we dined at in Bangkok. It literally has me shaking my head. I don't understand, but you must try Sweet Basil for yourself. We drive down from Walker's Point, and it's maybe 15 minutes, well worth the journey. If this place was downtown, or in Seattle or San Francisco, the lines would extend around the corner or on to the next block.

So happy we stumbled upon this gem! Amazing food! We will gladly drive 45 minutes to come here again.

First time here and impressed in so many ways. All the entrees and group platter were very good, or great. Every thing very clean. They take DIY service to the extreme. It's ok. They did check in on us kindly during the meal. I paid 10% tip of our substantial bill, and thought that was more than fair. It might just be me, but the shrimp in my dish didn't seem to have that shrimp "pop" shrimp flavor. Otherwise, they do SO much right at Sweet Basil and we'll be back.

Fantastic restaurant. They have delicious, very fresh tasting food. Friendly people work there as well. Clean and inviting atmosphere.

Wow! Absolutely delicious. Impeccable customer service. Clean and relaxing ambiance. The Tropical Punch 10/10. Pad See Ew 10/10. Mango Sticky Rice 10/10. Beyond pleased and will be recommending this place to everyone!

The food here is on point, haven't had Thai food this good in a long time. I'm definitely making this place my new favorite.

First off, the service here is lovely. The staff really cares about the quality of the food and the customers. They take the time to assist with the menu and suggest items to the guests. I've dined here now about 4 times and the food is very very good. You can tell they make items fresh with high quality ingredients. The red curry is great! Crab rangoons have a great ratio of filling to wrapper and are perfectly crispy. The December special was sesame chicken and orange chicken. The sesame chicken was outstanding. So good we visited 3 weeks in a row!!

This place is CRAZY BUSY! Most people are ordering to go orders which we would be doing all of the time if we lived closer. First time having the food here and it was so good we ordered more to go! Def get the Thai tea, crab Rangoon and beef skewers!!

Food was delicious! We ordered multiple items and they came quickly, in succession. Would definitely visit again.

Ok sweet basil, just take all my money why don't ya. We ordered from sweet basil on a Friday night and got the pad Thai, basil fried rice, and the skewer platter, and the chicken egg rolls. Our food was beyond delicious and lasted us for three full meals. The pad Thai is one of my favorites in Milwaukee, and the skewers are great flavors. My bf loves the sauce sampler as well. The wait time for us was about 1 hour and 40 minutes so make sure you order ahead of time. They are always swamped. Overall great quality meal, flavors were delicious, and the quantity is a great bang for you buck.

Honestly it's pretty good. I am hmong so I can say the dishes are definitely on par with hmong foods. Other than that I didn't give it a 5 star because I do think the prices are way overpriced for what it is. And you can get even more authentic foods for better pricing. But if you're just looking for goood food without caring for price range then yes, try here. I have to say the place looks clean, staffs are quick and nice, and everything else around me felt comfortable. Good job Sweet Basil Ps I order the platter because it gives you more of everything. Again, very pricey

If you're looking for true Thai/ Laos street then this is a must. Sweet Basil has all of the ingredients with flavor that is sweet then hot which is the perfect example of true street style.

Sweet Basil is serving up solid Thai and Lao food! We arrived early for dinner on a Saturday and the place was super busy. The wait was long for our food (about 50 minutes), but definitely worth it. Next time, we will call our order in ahead of time.