Thai Basil

Very nice plating but mediocre food. Flavors didn't quite mesh together. Drinks (thai tea + coffee) were also too sweet and bland, tasting mostly of sugar. Restaurant can feel a little cramped, but vibes were otherwise acceptable. Would only come back for the vegan options, everything else was unimpressive.

Thank you Noi for a wonderful meal. Tried the crispy tofu with cashews at Thai Basil today. This dish was amazing! The presentation was beautiful and I could not wait to try it. The dish had just the right level of heat and spices which created a wonderful flavor. The tofu kept it's light crip texture even though it had this delightful sauce on top of it. The cashews, vegetables, onions and chopped dried red chilies really made a well balanced dish. Truly delicious. Noi, keep working your culinary magic.

Tucked away in Midtown Sacramento is an absolute gem of a Thai restaurant that hits every note just right. We were lucky enough to have Reesie as our server—she was friendly, informative, and made the experience even more enjoyable. I had the Pad See Ew—perfectly wok-fried flat rice noodles with tender chicken, broccoli florets, and egg in a rich sweet soy sauce. The noodles were cooked to perfection: soft yet chewy with that unmistakable smoky flavor you only get from a hot wok. This dish hit the spot—sweet, savory, comforting, and deeply satisfying. We also shared the Krapow Kaidow Bento Box—a street food-inspired lunch featuring minced chicken sautéed in spicy garlic soy sauce with green beans, peppers, Thai basil, and topped with a crispy fried egg. It came with salad, blanched veggies, rice, and an appetizer. Everything was incredibly fresh—from the jasmine rice to the crisp vegetables. You can tell there’s real care and skill behind the scenes in the kitchen. And yes, I did a little deep dive on the hot sauces too! They’ve got the usual red chili Sriracha-style sauce, a tangy red pepper blend, and my favorite: the house fish sauce with chopped fresh Thai chilis, garlic, and maybe a hint of soy and ginger—classic Southeast Asian flavor bomb. We sat outside, and on a beautiful day like today, it’s the perfect spot to enjoy your meal. The patio is peaceful and dog-friendly—they even had water bowls out for the pups. I’m not sure what it’s like on a rainy day, but when the sun’s shining, this place is a real vibe. #MidtownSacEats #ThaiFoodLove #FoodieFinds #SacramentoEats #PadSeeEw #BentoBoxBliss #SupportLocal #DogFriendlyDining #OutdoorVibes #WokThisWay #FreshAndFlavorful

The environment was clean and quiet. My family and I had a good time there since we could sit comfortably and have adequate privacy to chat. The waitress was friendly and patient. The restroom, what I care most, was clean. LOL. We ordered Green and Yellow curry, and we gladly ordered rice for the curry. Please don't miss the rice; otherwise you will regret not having it. Fried rice was awesome, and I mean it as being a person of having fried rice background culturally. Don't forget to go next door, Ginger Elizabeth, for dessert.

I really liked the food here! Came out quick and our waiter was awesome. We came our labor day and there was one guy running the entire floor. He was doing an amazing job. We got the Pad Ki Mow and the chicken skewers. Our food was very fresh and very tasty!

Really nice vegan menu and vegan specials. The atmosphere is nice when it’s not super packed, but it can get loud when it fills up. I couldn’t decide what to choose from the vegan specials but I finally settled on the pumpkin and avocado green curry and it did not disappoint. A great blend of flavors. The tofu satay is the best I’ve ever had, I’ll be dreaming about it for days. Highly recommend this place.

Lacked spicyness to our Tom yum... even though we asked for it. We waited a long time for our food and other tables were served before us ... even though we had arrived 15+ min before all other tables and ordered. A little overpriced.

The restaurant has lots of outdoor seating, which is really nice for sunny days. The Pad Thai was a miss for me, and the Pad See Ew was just okay — I’d love to see traditional Chinese broccoli used instead of American broccoli. On the bright side, the Drunken Noodles were excellent. I also tried the Duck Kao Soy, which was a bit unusual — not the traditional noodles for that dish, though the crispy duck itself was good. Overall, some hits and misses, but there are definitely standout dishes worth trying.

First tried this place on a walking tour of the city where our host informed us that the chef owner is Thai and her food is very authentic and she has been a port of the food scene in Sacramento for a while. The food was very good, highlights were the garlic fried rice and surprisingly the asparagus that came with the meat dish, I don't know how they got that flavor and grill taste, absolutely Devine! The servers were very nice but it took quite a while for us to get our order taken and the we were about halfway down with our dinner before we got our drinks. So I deducted 1 star for this two issues, I wouldn't say it was super busy as there were a few open tables but there were only two gals running waitressing so it wasn't too bad. The restaurant smelled so wonderful when you walk in and there are plants everywhere!! Someone there is a green thumb and they had the cutest propagated orchid in the bathroom. Definitely a great place for Thai food, would 10/10 recommend.

Well, I really like the food at this place I I did have a problem. This is more about disability than it is about the ambience or the food itself, I would say it's really about the customer service there. This is the first week out of a hospital for my partner of 23 years and we took a trip to Sacramento to see family. I took him to lunch. He has traumatic brain injury, so his disability is not visible, nor apparent unless you get into a deep conversation with him. He's unable to process what he reads unfortunately, I did not carefully look at what he was ordering, and the item he ordered was very spicy, due to the traumatic brain injury. This is not something he can eat as the injury... If you've had traumatic brain injury or you've known someone traumatic brain injury, exacerbate certain senses and mutes other ones. So he did not eat the food. When we were asked if we wanted a box, we declined and explained that he did not know it was spicy and could not eat it. They did not offer anything other than "sorry,". I went inside to go to the bathroom and pay the bill and as I was in the bathroom, I can hear the two serving people gossiping about us about "how obvious it was spicy because it's on the menu." I left the bathroom and confronted the worker in a very friendly manner to explain that has traumatic brain injury, and it doesn't process everything that he reads. Nor handle spicy food. Explained that he had been in the hospital for near seven months, and this was his first outing. Not only did she not apologize, she didn't even offer to make amends in anyway by lowering the bill which was almost $70. It's not a lot of money, but overall it was very weird. I left with a very sad sunken feeling from that place. The flippancy around his disability and the lack of just care about it all was mind blowing. At the very least they could've took the item off , at minimum they could've apologized.

I found this place because it was close to an event I attended. When I walked in at 4:30 in the afternoon, there were two tables occupied. One had already ordered, the other table had 2 people who had just been handed menus. I waited at the counter and the one server ignored me, so I asked if I could just sit at one of the small tables. He told me to wait and he would get to me. He walked past me to bring water to table one, then went back to the kitchen to get something, then he brought water to table two. Since he was ignoring me, I explained that I wanted to dine in, and again asked if I could take a seat. He began lecturing me on why they have a sign that says "please wait to be seated" which I had overlooked. Seems if he didn't do things in a particular order, it was too much for him to keep track of. With only TWO tables seated? ReallY?! As he motioned me to the table I had asked about, his lecture continued about WHY it was so important for me NOT to be seated before HE was ready. I finally apologized for confusing him, but he persisted with his lecture. When he finally decided to take my order, I asked about the spice level and his only input was that the items with peppers pictured were hot. How hot is hot? He didn't know. I should have LEFT right then! But I only had an hour till my event, so I ordered. I tried the fried "golden pouches" and they had ZERO flavor - no spice at all, not even salt. Then I had tom kha with chicken - one of my all time fave dishes - and it was completely mediocre. Again - WHERE is the flavor? Skip the lecture and the mediocre food and eat ANYWHERE else!

Love this place. One of the best this places in sac. The food is so fresh and tasty. I highly recommend the garlic rice and the drunken noodles. I can say the food is a bit pricier then most this places in the area but definitely worth the price. I suggest no sharing the portions aren't that big and it's so good you won't want to ( the drunken noodles has a lot of lettuce at the bottom) I love have fast the food comes out and is still fresh. The restaurant is cute and I love sitting on the patio.

Not going to lie the food was good but the price was a lot! I'll blame it on the location but I was a bit bummed at the price verse portion, the service was okay and could have been better considering we were the only people in the restaurant. Can't say I will return but if you're in the area and want some Thai this place definitely has good food if it's in your budget and you are okay with smaller portions

The 4 stars is mostly for the great service we had. We came in at 8:35 not knowing they closed at 9. We started rushing when we found out and they were so kind and told us please don't rush that we were okay. The food was good too. I loved their peanut sauce. I would come back!

The restaurant is really nice inside. They have plenty of seating. The also have a nice outdoor area, which would be really nice for those warm sunny days. The food was ok, I didn' think it was very good. Perhaps other items in their menu are tastier. Yet, we did have an overall food experience with staff. We had the green curry, yellow curry, and fried spring rolls. Both curries were not spicy. They come with rice. The service was good. The staff was quick to take our order and we received our food quickly.

Thai Basil never fails to amaze me. Their food is so good and the service is even better. The ambiance is always chill. Never that loud or crowded. People come in at waves so it's definitely a spot to check out if you're in the mood for Thai. I ate every last bit of my Pad-See-Ew. Amazing. Oh and this place has vegan options!

Great spot for Thai food in Downtown Sac! Visited with my family & loved the vegetarian options! Entirely vegan menu available which offers great variety. Ordered panang curry, pad Thai, Thai spicy fried rice, and holy tofu. Would not recommend holy tofu as it is very dry, but rest of the dishes were flavorful and perfectly spiced. Absolutely delicious. Only downside is that the portions are rather small given the prices of the dishes. Service was fantastic - restaurant seems to be short staffed, but employees were working hard to reduce wait times overall. Food came quickly! Ambiance is nice inside. Would suggest sitting outside on a nice day. Recommend this spot!

Upon entering we were told to seat ourselves where we pleased. This place is so quaint and clean. Our server Erick was extremely knowledgeable about the menu and suggestions. We ordered Calamari as an appetizer and our entree were the Salad Bai Yok Chicken & Kow Pad just egg and beef. The food was served heat hot and the taste was so flavorful & fresh with both orders. We will be back

Went here for a work lunch & enjoyed my experience. I got the drunken noodles, which I found to be on the saltier side, but the texture was perfect for me - not too dry and also not overly saucy. Also, the chicken was ground, which was unexpected but not bad. Probably not my top Thai spot, but decent and worth a try if you're in the area.

Amount of food vs price. This review is only for their salad rolls. They're incredibly small for $12.50, not worth it.

Service and ambience were very nice. Patio was very clean and enjoyable with the shade. Ordered the pineapple fried rice which includes shrimp and chicken. For the price of $25, I expected a larger amount of protein. Two shrimp and a few slices of chicken was very underwhelming.

My wife and I stopped by again for an impromptu lunch and the food and service were outstanding again. We loved this place and you will too.

Excellent service, quaint vibes, and savory food. There are a few solid Thai places in Sacramento, and this is one of them. If you're into Thai food, and haven't been here yet, add it to your list. There were serveral menu items I thought I needed to come back and try, and definitely plan to in the near future. I reccomend the thai curry dish. Delish!

Super clean and very friendly staff. Two people walked up to meet me. The restaurant was about half full. Very patient as this was my first visit and very friendly with good suggestions. It smells great inside! Very charming atmosphere. Definitely great for date night or family time. Premium prices for entrees but not too far off the market prices. Food was really good. Had the garlic noodles with prawns and chicken pad Thai. Very good, portions were fair. Definitely will visit again.

Cute thai place located on the corner. Street parking, not too bad. If you are into Thai food, this place should be more than satisfactory. Let's talk about the food though. We ordered: Fresh spring roll w/shrimp Pad Thai w/shrimp & chicken Papaya salad Yellow curry w/chicken Everything was tasty. Depending on the time of day, it can get busy

I've been here a few times and I remember the first time I ate here and had their Pas-See-Ew (my favorite Thai dish), it had more noodles than vegetables. I came here again and had the same meal with the Impossible meat, but with more vegetables. However, the Impossible meat was too salty. Coming here again, I was not too satisfied, my dish had not enough veggies and my mom had their fish and chips and was not satisfied as it was too fried. Won't be going here again. Pretty disappointed.

A Needed Review Update - Service Has Been Better SITREP I love this restaurant location since it's in my hood, but I've been disappointed over this last decade with hit & miss service and some disappointing preparations over previous favorite dishes. THE SETUP I have to give props to seeing a more consistent improvement in what has been my prior experience and a continued cost-efficient pricing of dishes on better price points when compared to other nearby Thai establishments. MENU FAVES The Yellow Curry Chicken - with steamed rice - seems to have gotten more flavorful and hearty. I like this. The Tom Kha (Spicy Coconut Milk Soup) remains my standard favorite to-go item I get from this spot and is always a great *home remedy* for clearing out the head when congested. THE LOWDOWN Bumping up my previous review by 1-Star (3 Stars to 4 Stars).

Thai basil is at the corner of J and 25st. If you park on 25th street you can park for free on 2 hours. They open at 11:30am. Our party of 7 arrived at 11:30am and were immediately seated. Menus and Water was immediately brought to our table. For the table we ordered the Chicken satay and cucumber salad. Both were really good. I love the peanut sauce for the chicken satay. The cucumber salad was very fresh and crisp. I had the green curry without any meat. It was delicious. Compared to last time the servicing size is much larger. I had enough left over for dinner. The green curry included- egg plant, green beans, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, red and green bell peppers, and other veggies. It was really filling. I wish the bowl of rice was larger.

Thai Basil is on the corner of 24th and J St. Hubby and I dropped in for dinner on a weekend. It wasn't busy and we were seated immediately with menus. Seemed to take a while before anyone came to take our orders. But, the food came out fairly quickly. We tried the following: Fried Spring Rolls (veggies, tofu, bean thread noodles with sweet and sour sauce), Pad See Ew (rice noodles, egg, broccoli in a sweet soy sauce), Pad Kra Pow (bell peppers, mushrooms, Thai basil in a spicy garlic chili soy sauce), steamed rice, and Thai iced tea. The Fried Egg Rolls were bland. The Pad See Ew was overly salty. The Pad Kra Pow had decent flavor but there wasn't much basil flavor (seemed like there were only 2-3 sprigs) and the tofu was too firm and tasteless. Even the Thai Iced Tea wasn't flavorful. Cute restaurant but the customer service from our waiter was indifferent when we tried to engage with him.

There is not enough room here to write all of the wonderful things about the food & service!

Literally so delicious! We got the Pad Thai which was a 12/10 but we ate it too fast to take a picture. The server JOE WAS AMAZING! HE WAS THE BEST SERVER IN THE WORLD. He was quick, attentive, and exceptional. The restaurant was clean and a great atmosphere. The fig tree was absolutely stunninggggg

So I've been going to this place for over 10 years- no complaints for the most part until tonight. I walked in with my mom and it seemed to be a full house, no wait, and a table had just become open once we walked in. Just about 5 min of standing waiting to get seated- the server finally notices us and tells us "hey guys, we aren't taking anymore guests tonight, you can sit at the table that just opened but just warning we have other things going on and so I may not get to you." Sooo basically we can't help you today and please just leave. Which is what we did. We took our business else and I will continue. Never have I gone into a place and was told we can't help you. Terrible.

Recently became a vegan. And by far this has been the best restaurant for vegan food in the Sacramento area. I had the impossible garlic noodles, a seasonal dish. It was so good! Service was quick. I came by myself and sat outside. Good vibes; also good for dates or small gatherings.

We had a great time sitting out on the patio here. It was not to busy of a sidewalk but a little bit of people watching to be had... and parking where you could watch your car. The server actually asked if either of us was vegan and gave us the vegan menu!!! Awesome! My green curry was flavorful and filling. My husband got something with a bunch of seafood and he also enjoyed his. The server was attentive and friendly. I'd actually look for her again to take care of us. I wish I got her name. They have beer and wine which is good enough for us. Not sure if they have liquor or not but plenty of places nearby do for an after dinner drink. I was so stuffed I didn't get to try dessert but they gives us a reason to come back now, doesn't it ?!

To celebrate my supervisor's promotion, my colleague's and I decided to celebrate her over some delicious food. When we asked if she had any preferences, she suggested Thai Basil. Ironically, Thai Basil is a restaurant that I have had bookmarked on Yelp for years; however, since I'm rarely in the midtown area, I did not have the chance to check it out. Aside from celebrating our supervisor's promotion, this would be the first time some of us met in-person...so this was a highly anticipated occasion for me. When I walked into the establishment, I immediately headed to the table where my colleagues were seated. Since it was past the traditional lunchtime, they were not busy. However, I can imagine that it's packed during lunchtime and on the weekends. Shortly after my arrival, an employee made her way around the table and took our orders. I ordered the Pad-Kee-Mow (Drunken Noodles) with chicken. Roughly 15 minutes later our orders arrived. As advertised, the Pad-Kee-Mow was spicy and very flavorful. It took me back to March 2020, when my wife and I were in Thailand enjoying the food & culture, while the world was in the process of being forever changed. The spring rolls that my supervisor ordered for us to share were delicious and paired well with the various sauces that the restaurant offered. From the looks on everyone's faces, I think we all enjoyed our meals. My only beef (and I use this word loosely) is that I felt like the customer service lacked warmth. Yes we received our food in a timely manner and yes the staff did a great job of keeping our waters full. However, the staff didn't seem welcoming/inviting. Nevertheless, the food was delicious and I look forward to returning and trying another option on their menu!

Our favorite Thai spot in midtown/downtown Sacramento. Their seasonal menu is great and the vegan options are exceptional, in addition to the classics.

Not the best service from staff. Place was almost empty and they just left us standing the counter for 5 minutes. The Thai tea was not that great, bitted, not creamy and overpriced.

Cute neighborhood, ok Thai food. I'd say this is a rounded up 3 star review. The menu has all the hits and then I saw the seasonal menu with an an array of unique options with lamb and lobster. We ended up ordering a few thing from both menus. In the end, it was eh, closing in on fine. First off the pad see ew had shredded lettuce in it. That's a first. It didn't take away from the dish, but there was no need for it. However, the beef was perfectly cooked and tender. The noodles well prepared, as well. The lobster dumplings are a hard pass. A wee bit fishy, the meat tough; it didn't work. The avocado curry was the highlight of the meal. Interesting spot, for sure. Coming from the Bay Area, I'm spoiled with incredible Thai, so unfortunately, a return visit would be a pass for me. Overall, ehhh, I've had worse and I've had a lot better.

Delicious food, clean and great service! We got the tofu salad rolls, Pad Thai and panang curry. Excited to have found this gem :) will definitely be coming back to try more dishes.

My new fave Thai restaurant! Come for the food, stay for the service! I absolutely loved this Curry Noodle Soup!

Thai Basil has been on my list for a while. Every time we would pass this J street restaurant I'd want to stop in to try it and I've had multiple people suggest it as well. The inside is small, but cute with four tops and two tops as well as some outdoor seating. Our server was nice and mad good about checking on us. It took a while to decide on our order, but we ended up trying some of their seasonal special as well as their beef drunken noodles. I tried an avocado curry for the first time, it was green curry based and had a half an avocado, peppers, sweet potatoes and we added tofu. The flavor was creamy, especially with the avocado. The flavor on the drunken noodles was great. This was the first time I had drunken noodles served over fresh lettuce and I almost wonder if it would make a great salad with extra lettuce and sauce added. We ordered beef with this dish and it was tender and flavorful, but I wish there was more of it. My Thai tea was delicious too. So glad I finally had the chance to try this spot and support another local spot.

Great service , clean restaraunts , and yummy food It's a comfy vibe and lots to choose from

Love this place, great service, chill atmosphere and the food is always delicious. The veggies are always fresh and sauces are perfect to where you can still taste the veggies.

The place is small and quaint. Great for a couple for dinner. The service was fast and the waitress did check on us twice. I ordered the calamari, Spicy Rice, Pad Thai and a salad. All of the dishes came out fast and tasted fresh. I would recommend.

Full disclosure: I have been never liked Thai food and I loved everything! We had the RP3, Pad Thai, and friend rice. The service from Joe was outstanding! We will be back for sure!

Service is really bad. The waiter is rude and has no patience. Food is so bland. I got the drunken noodles and it doesn't even come with any veggies. It's just the noodles on a bed of lettuce. Egg rolls seemed like they were frozen and fried. Mango Sticky Rice was also so bland, the coconut milk had no flavor or sweetness. The mango was so sour and mushy. Literally the worst Thai restaurant I've ever been to.

I have been calling and even walk in and not even one employee said one word to me as I stood at front counter to put in an order so I walk out....

Always a quick service and delicious food. I ordered Thai basil fried rice and pork thai chow mein. Came out delicious

Let me start by saying the food here is 10000/10. I got the drunken noodles and the black sticky rice with coconut ice cream and wow I drool just thinking of the dessert. The only reason I give this place a 4.7 is because for the prize, the portion wasn't that big. The sparking sake was also amazing great, I got a big bottle for about $15 which filled up my glass twice. My server was very friendly and immediately greeted me when I came. The restaurant itself is in a beautiful area in midtown so I'd recommend this spot for solo dining or coming with friends and family. Very comfortable and pretty.

You're walking up and ypur eye catches the green paint of the building. There are tables inside and out. If you're going for dinner, highly recommend getting there at 5 or soon after. It fills up very quickly. The menu is extensive and there is a vegan only menu as well. Wow oh wow, blown away by all the dishes we ordered. We went for the Vegan chef challenge. Yum yum. Everything thing is good, just have to close your eyes and pick if you can't pick. Staff was super friendly and helpful. Highly recommend.

I'm officially obsessed! My favorite Thai in Sacramento! Everything tastes as if it's made from scratch. It tastes so fresh and I feel great after eating, not weighed down. I love the house blend of hot tea! The green curry is absolutely delicious and I also get the drunken noodles. I would bet that all of the menu items are great! The service is fast and it is beautiful inside.

I have been a strong advocate for this wonderful restaurant for years. A household member is vegetarian and we appreciate the options. Today, ordered two vegan items to find chicken in the alleged vegan green curry. I called the restaurant and they were callous and unresponsive. People that are lifelong vegetarians trusted (in the past) this restaurant to confirm today they are now haphazard with their cooking. Do better. I would not recommend any vegetarian eat here. After being a solid customer that gets take out once a week, for years, my family is never retuning.

Thai Basil is a Sacramento classic Thai restaurant. In the heart of a street that has everything from music to gluten free desserts- this is just the start of a good evening in the city of farm to fork. The inside is casual and cozy. The menu has the classic Thai dishes and drinks but the seasonal menu is something special. They have creative dishes that rotate and I urge you not to skip over their special bites. Another great aspect of this restaurant is dietary accommodations! They have gluten free, vegan, vegetarian, and pescatarian accommodations for all! Dairy free? They got coconut milk! Can't handle wheat? They have the best gluten free naan I've ever had. All in all if you find yourself thinking "I want to go out with friends for dinner tonight but not sure where to go..." well I have your answer for you! THAI BASIL!

Had my 81st birthday party dinner at this place last night. The food was absolutely wonderful and our waiter could not have been more efficient and kind. I had so much food that I took a full serving home and just finished it today for lunch. So I hardly recommend this location. I love Veg, which is just above it and as I understand it run by the same people. Plus, it's close to babes donuts and across the street from icing on the cupcake so you're in a wonderful neighborhood. I forgot say that I'm vegan and they have an extensive vegan menu including cheesecake. Really what more could you ask for?

We enjoyed a wonderful date night at Basil Thai tonight. The food and wine were delicious, our server was attentive and friendly- all topped off with welcoming ambience and music. We highly recommend it.

I used to love Thai basil. I've eaten there many many times over the years but unfortunately today I had the Thai basil salad steak salad. Which was surprisingly horrible. I could not eat it because it was so salty when I received my salad, the veggies/lettuce was wilted, and not as fresh as it usually is. I was very disappointed.

Five star This place was fabulous. Food was off the hook. Portions were amazing. Food was flavorful, avocado, spring rolls, and crispy tofu pad Thai and Thai tea was what I had. I go back every week now.