I'm all for forgiving small, quirky restaurants for poor service or unpleasant environments as long as the food is really special. It's the reason a lot of "hole-in-the-wall" places stay in business, because you don't go there for anything but amazing, unique food. Basil Spice Thai... is not that kind of place. Don't get me wrong, the food (or at least some of it) was pretty good, but not good enough to make up for the terrible service we got. The first warning sign came when we sat down and were (after a longer-than-usual wait) given our menus. They had wooden covers with Thai images (like an elephant or a shiva) on them. Maybe these covers were once pretty or interesting, but at a table of six only one of us had an intact menu. My image was completely gone, with only a glue stump left - others just had limbs, heads, and tusks broken off. It was actually pretty impressively bad. I will say that the food on the menu looked interesting, with a lot beyond the standard Pad Thai fare. After that, we spend a long time looking around waiting for our server to show up. Eventually we had to go to the desk to ask where our server was. When we finally got a server we ordered a bottle of wine for the table, which also took way too long to arrive. Our food also arrived in a bizarre manner. I have no idea why, but our server kept bringing each dish to me first, actually placing on the table in front of me, then asking who had ordered it. This happened at least twice. I ordered a vegetarian dish, and I repeatedly had to point away meat dishes. It was bizarre and off-putting. Our food also came out oddly paced, so that those who got their food had to sit for several minutes while everyone else's came out too. It all just seemed sloppy and hectic, really poorly done. I actually enjoyed my food, a vegetarian special, because it was different from most other Thai I've had. It was also just the right level of spicy for me (a 2 on a 1-5 spicy scale, per the waiter). Unfortunately one of my friends also ordered a level 2 spicy dish, but hers was waaaay too spicy. So much so that she had trouble eating it. Really a disappointment. Rinse and repeat the slow service when it came time for our check. Maybe try take out next time? At least that'd help the service. Not sure what to do about the spicy problem though. Overall, a very underwhelming experience.
(2)
Byanka S.
I've tried just about every Thai place in St. Louis. Personally, this one is my fav. It's inexpensive and from all the places I've tried, they have the best pad see-iew (which is my favorite dish). Most other places, the pad see-iew tastes like all the other noodles, but Basil Spice makes it how I'm used to: with the sweet soy sauce. I also love spicy dishes. I tried nuah num tok, a salad with beef, and it was really tasty. It was spicy, it had beef, cilantro, lime juice, and red onion. This is going to be my permanent Thai go-to place.
(5)
Sarah V.
This place is among my favorite Thai restaurants. The food is delicious. I recommend the summer rolls and kao pad with shrimp. The service is quick and the atmosphere is laid back. I've always been in and out in under an hour here. The prices are good. The only thing is, prepare to drink water as they do not ask for drink orders unless you specifically request a drink.
(5)
David S.
The food is tasty.
(5)
Astrid M.
I tried this for the first time last weekend. The interior is really lovely and cozy -- I spent the bulk of my meal staring at the various decorations on the walls and in the front window display. Even though I was seated near the door, I didn't feel any drafts when the main door opened and closed. This is important, because draftiness as a result of near-door seating can really ruin a meal for me. As for the meal itself, it was sort of lamertons. Watch out -- the spring rolls are FRIED, rendering them egg rolls in my book. The chicken larb was flavorful, but by no means mind-blowing. Later, my friend got really mad when I tried eating the larb leftovers at his house -- apparently, larb leftovers smell awful if you're not eating them yourself. The best part of the meal, sadly, was picking through the dregs of my friend's seafood panang. If you go, I recommend trying your friend's seafood panang leftovers. Service, though friendly, could have been better. There was hardly anyone dining, but it took considerable miming and flagging gestures to grab the staff's attention.
(2)
Dana C.
First time here after a really bad experience at king and I, which is usually my favorite Thai in the city. I got pad see iew with beef level 2 and my friend got chicken Panang curry level 2. The pad see iew is awesome! Very flavorful, crisp veggies, sweet soy sauce, yummy noodles- first time trying it and I'm sold! The Panang is very good, but still not the best I've had. At my favorite thai place (Thai House in Columbia IL - totally worth the 15 minute drive) they have peas in the panang. I dont have any idea whether that is customary or authentic, but I do know that it's delicious! Next time I come I'll get a level 1, and there will definitely be a next time!
(4)
Johanna C.
Basil Spice is a good place for your standard Thai fare. The quality of my food has varied over several trips, but it's usually satisfying.
I knew from the first bite of my fried spring roll that I would be back. It was that good. Also had the pad thai with chicken (saw it recommended in a lot of Foursquare tips) and cleaned my plate. It was a smaller portion, so don't plan on having leftovers like you would at most Thai places. As I mentioned, the fried spring rolls are amazing. Seriously. But you only get two. Do yourself a favor and get a double order. Service was top knotch as well.
(5)
Tod S.
This place mediocre. The food had good flavor but they charged me 1.45 for a glass of ice water, really. Well that is it for me, I won't return and recommend walking past it because there are plenty of other establishments within walking distance.
(2)
Pepe P.
Terrible. Terrible. Worst Thai food I have ever eaten. Very small quantities for the money. But looking back on it - that is the best part of the experience. Frozen veggies, greasy sauce and cardboard-like meat. Could not have told the difference between the beef and chicken. Same color, same taste, same texture. Terrible.
(1)
Jen J.
We had a less than mediocre dining experience at Basil Spice last Saturday. We ordered a Thai Iced Coffee that tasted like it had 20 bags of sugar. We got appetizers: satay and spring rolls, which were decent (hence the two star rating). But the dinner was bland and tasteless. We ordered a beef stirfry and two curry chicken dishes (Don't remember the names). The friendly server asked for our spiciness preference. Two of us said spicy and the dishes came out with no spice at all. In addition to the mediocre dishes, the portions were not big enough to justify the price. This place is definitely one of the worst Thai restaurants in St. Louis IMO. I am surprised it even got more than two stars from the rest of the reviewers here.
(2)
Jaffa A.
When I first noticed that another Thai restaurant was opening on South Grand, my first thought was "Is this really necessary?" Between the King and I (which I have always been fond of) and all the Thai places on the loop--actually, I think they're all owned by the same family, I have been getting a little sick of the Thai food here. Since I first went in a couple of months ago, Thai Basil has become one of my new favorites (although I have only been there a small handful of times). Their use of fresh veggies and the fact that the overall flavor of the place isn't the same old thing as everything else has won me over. Their selection of vegetarian options is pretty generous and has kept me from straying into the seafood selection, which I am definitely curious about. The khao kratium prik-tai, which is basically stir-fried tofu, garlic, and black pepper, served with rice is excellent. It's spicy and the garlicky flavor is great. Basil Spice does their fried tofu right--crispy and flavorful, but not too greasy or overly battered tasting. The pad khee-mao, which is stir fried noodles (the delicious wide flat kind) with tofu and fresh vegetable in spicy basil sauce was fantastic and I made myself finish it (with a couple of friends eating a few bites) even though I was already full. The summer rolls are a good appetizer and come both peanut and sweet chili sauce, which combined, tasted really good on the nicely presented fresh summer rolls. If you like Thai food or your love for it has waned due to the same thing over and over, give Basil Spice a try (or many).
(5)
Hikaru N.
I visited Thai Basil Spice the other day in an attempt to check out some more restaurants before ending my vacation here in St. Louis. The spring rolls were decent, and the yellow curry was ok. Not particularly great, but not horrible. The ambience was a bit weird as I could not put my finger on what type of crowd it attracts either which slightly confused me. Worth a visit, but do not expect to be blown away.
(3)
Chris M.
Delicious and reasonably priced, very friendly and attentive staff. Better food and experience for the $$ than some of their Thai competitors on South Grand. Can't wait to go back to try more dishes!
(4)
Jeff N.
Okay dishes. Musty dinning room. If you have allergies, avoid.
(2)
Beth D.
Good service but the food was nothing great. It looked like they used frozen vegetables in the dishes and the portions were very small. Good flavor to the food but nothing else spectacular.
(2)
Dean K.
I really hate giving out one star to a place where folks are obviously working hard and trying to make a living, but the food at Basil Spice is not good at all. I went here shortly after they opened and had a noodle dish (pad thai) that was cooked in so much oil that the noodles nearly oozed off the plate. It was an inedible mess. Naturally, it took a while before I went back. But, after hearing friends say good things about the food, I gave it another try. This time around my dining partner's Pad Thai was not nearly as oily, but it still lacked something important: flavor. The same went for the Pad Basil I ordered. (I also asked for this dish hot, 4 out of 5 stars on their heat scale, but I would rate the heat I got a 0.) And then there was the thing they called Chicken Satay: is chicken supposed to crack like a bread stick when you bit into it? One of the things I love about Thai food is the expert balancing of flavors that is present in so many dishes. At Basil Spice, however, there is really no flavor to balance. This is Thai food dumbed down in the same way that Chinese food has been dumbed down for American palates. There are much better places to get good Thai food in town.
Originally, I was trying to get to The King and I but since they were closed on Mondays this was my alternative. The parking is street side and with Grand Avenue as awful as it has bee en for the last year, I drove around the block several times. After stopping almost two blocks away I was able to stroll to the restaurant. The red curry dish, which I ordered to go, was waiting for me upon arrival. The rice was packaged in a type of Styrofoam hot dog container with the curry in a clear plastic bowl. The red curry was a little on the thin side and as I ordered it level four spice, I thought it was extremely mild. The curry had all sorts of vegetables, including carrots and green beans. The large chunks of chicken and bamboo shoots were tasty and made for a hearty meal. At $9, the entree was not bad, but I long for The King and I on most other nights. This was a nice alternative.
(3)
Andrew W.
interesting flavors, not what i'm used to at all, but good for sure! portions for take out were a little on the small side as i almost at two and i'm 135lbs soaking wet. looking for more thai to compare to in st louis, but this one's on the win list!
(4)
Kelly B.
Yum. I just love Thai food and I think Thai Basil Cafe does a decent job of it. Service is friendly, with a small language barrier. Water is never empty. The ambiance is so-so. They made a fair attempt to decorate, but the workmanship is shotty and the ugly white counter and an uglier refrigerator in the main room dampers whatever ambiance they attempted to create. The Thai sweet tea is delish and only $1.50. They have lots of Pad stir fries, curries, and of course , my fav Tom Kha soup. Tom Kha soup (a spicy coconut cream soup with chicken, lemon grass, galanga, Thai peppers, mushrooms, Thai basil, etc.) is one of those things I must have at least once every six weeks and I have resorted to making it myself because so many of the local restaurants charge so much for it! You can get a small bowl here for $4.50, which is reasonable. Still, the menu prices are slightly high (I'm spoiled by the prices at Thai House and Thips Thai - both in Illinois). Overall, it was a nice experience. I had a great meal and was very satisfied.
(4)
Jonathan K.
Delicious Thai food on Grand in Tower Grove South.. We came for the $6.95 lunch specials, hoping for some good and cheap Thai food. The Ba-Mee Mhoo Dang (Egg noodles with Thai style BBQ pork, bean sprouts, green onions, cilantro, green lettuce and crispy wontons) was really tasty with a lot of flavor. On a scale of 1-5 for spiciness I asked for 4, which resulted in my dish being a little spicy. The Sen-Lek Haeng (Rice noodles with bean sprouts, and topped with crispy wontons, green onions and cilantro), was awesome and had a great sauce. The portions were on the smaller side, but for the price it was good enough. Our server was nice and the service was quick and efficient. The atmosphere was interesting with some (maybe traditional? I don't really know...) Thai decorations around the room. I look forward to coming back.
(4)
Sam S.
I find that neither the glowing reviews or the hardened pans of this place are not quite accurate. I had Basil Spice last night and, while not the best Thai meal I've ever had, it was quite good. I always get a kick out Yelp reviews, citing either the BEST or the WORST of one thing that they've ever had. I'm not much for hyberbole so I'll simply recommend Basil Spice as a good place to get a bite to eat. It's simple, cheap and tasty. The service is prompt and friendly as well. The spring rolls were very good, the dish that I had was very good. My only complaint would be that I can't imagine how a place can have bad water in St. Louis. The water had a metallic taste to it which I really don't get. St. Louis is known as having the countries best tap water! Regardless. Good solid place to eat. Nothing special, but I'd go again.
(4)
Mike J.
I love this place. Its not the greatest thai food I've ever had, its not even the best in St. Louis, but it is in my neighborhood and they make very good food for a very affordable price. I love being able to walk to a place and have lunch or dinner for less than $10. If you want something a little more upscale you can always go down the street to King & I, but this place is the best bang for the buck in the Thai genre.
(4)
Aamir B.
I am not writing my review in anger at all yet simple disappointment. I have Dined here in the past and always had a great experience. Yesterday was my first time in a while and I noticed the owner was not working....I also noticed I had one of the worst experience I've ever had. I was welcomed and seated. It took the waiter about 8 minutes to bring me water and ask for my order. I think he forgot about me because he was walking around. It was moderately busy. I ordered A1 fried chicken egg rolls. When I got them they were semi frozen and cold inside. I asked the waiter (Caucasian guy in his 30s) to please make me a fresh batch while I stepped out to smoke. He was apologetic and polite about it. When I came back inside my table was cleared. I guess the busboy thought I left. I decided to sit outside. At this point I never saw the waiter again. A very polite older gentleman brought my food after I went inside 15 minutes after waiting outside to see if my appetizer was ready. I also ordered seafood stir fry with vegetables. This time everything tasted OK. Everything was thoroughly cooked. The waiter never came out to check on me to see if I needed anything else. Never refilled my water. Never asked me if I needed another pepsi. Never asked me if my food tasted good. Nothing whatsoever. I finished my meal in about 20 minutes. Waited almost 10 min and went back inside and asked for the bill. I paid the bill at the register. Honestly. A waste of $20. I know the owner takes pride in her restaurant and works hard. Since she wasn't there the service should still be excellent. This waiter needs some serious training. He was just walking around his seven top the whole time and just checking up on them. I would have left this dude a $10 tip if he had done a good job. I am writing this review not as an insult but honest feedback to a restaurant that used to be good quality!
(2)
Jordan D.
The first time we at here, my husband and I declared it to be our favorite Thai in St. Louis (though, that's not saving much considering I've been hard pressed to find anything rivaling even what I've eaten in Oklahoma City). We visited for the second time, though, and will NEVER be returning. When we came in, we waited a FULL five minutes before being seated. Another five passed before our waitress appeared with menus. We already knew what we wanted, but she ran away so fast, we couldn't put in our order. When she came back 10 minutes later to get our drinks order, she refused to even TAKE our food order saying she'd "be right back." While we waited on our Thai Iced Teas and waters, another party arrived. They were greeted and seated and provided their drinks and appetizers all BEFORE our waters ever arrived at our table. By the time we placed our food orders, these people were being brought their main dishes and chatting happily with another member of the waitstaff. When our food FINALLY came, it was terrible. My husband's curry was not only runny and bland, it had a slick of oil on top. My panang curry was also bland as well as being GRITTY. The food was unpalatable, but we were sick of being there so we flagged the waitress to get our check. I will NEVER return to this place and will warn others not to come here. I would have given only 1 star, but the first time we came, the food was fantastic.
(2)
Jolena S.
Very meh. Everything was cooked properly and the service was good. The flavors of the food just weren't great. Not bad, just meh. The fried tofu appetizer with peanut sauce was pretty bland. He got the chicken red curry, which was good. I got the shrimp See-iew, which was again kind of bland. The shrimp were large and well prepared but the flavor profile of the whole dish just seemed to be lacking.
(3)
Margaret D.
This restaurant used to be very good! Now, it seems they are going thru the motions. Restaurant looked like it needed a good cleaning. Couldn't get past the dust. Food was ordinary....very salty. Nothing's remarkable....stay away!
(1)
Lacey G.
Just ordered Pad kee Mao (takeout). I only took 2 bites it was so awful. Oily noodles, a weird salty flavor and it did not even look like Pad kee Mao normally looks. Don't waste your money here, just got to King and I down the street. I can't believe how terrible this dish was.
(1)
Paul R.
Solid place. Good food in a no frills environment. Service is fast and friendly-ish. Again no frills. The curry is very good. The noodles are so-so. The spring rolls always taste super fresh and I do like the peanut sauce. Good neighborhood place but I wouldn't go out of my way for it.
(3)
Abigail M.
Let me preface this review by saying, Basil Spice used to be the go-to restaurant on south Grand for my husband and I. This used to be our number one pick to eat out together for about 7 years. However, I have been significantly disappointed when eating there in the last 6 months. We had not eaten there in a while when we invited my in-laws to dinner at Basil Spice. We recommended sharing 3 plates or so with the table (since portions used to be quite generous), but they preferred to each get a meal. Thank-goodness, because somehow, although prices had not decreased, the portions on the plates had shrunk to about 1/2-2/3 the size they used to be. We continued to patronize the restaurant, although the decreased meal portions happily encouraged us to explore some of the other Thai/Vietnamese options around (and we found some other restaurants we now prefer). Then in February 2015, we invited a couple to dinner. My husband left a 15% tip (we were paying for both couples, so the check was more than usual). Sadly, when I reconciled our bills (I keep all receipts), my records for that meal didn't match with our credit card statement. Instead of the 15% we put down, we were charged a 20% tip! (I looked back and found the receipt to verify this.) I'm afraid we will not continue to eat at Basil Spice unless there is some extraordinary circumstance or gathering... nor can I now recommend it to my friends. :-(
(1)
Meg M.
All the times that I have gone down to grand to eat, I have overlooked this place and I really do not know why. I came here with a cousin and my nephew (who's 8 years old, and readily likes to try new foods... even if he does not like everything, he's willing to give it a try!). Well, we came in here on a Monday after going to the Sherlock Holmes exhibition and were hungry. The place itself is rather small, but seems to be somewhat popular. When we arrived there seemed to be a few groups there eating and we thought it was a good sign. We hadn't eaten here before and were quickly greeted and settled at a table. The menu's are pretty simple helpful for an eight year old to understand too! We ordered some spring rolls and chicken dumplings to start off with. The chicken dumplings were very, very good and went over well with the three of us. My nephew really loved them, and wanted another plate of them when we were finished. I liked the spring rolls, I have had better in other places but they were fresh and delicious. We ended up getting my nephew phad thai with shrimp and he thought it was intereting, i am not sure he was a fan. But, as an eight year old, sometimes it takes a while for children to get into something. I ordered the Pad basil and found it to be delicious, but it was missing something but I am not sure what it would be that would make it awesome but it was good. My cousin got one of the curry dishes, can't remember which but he found it to be delicious. I'll probably come back sometime, not sure when.
(3)
Adam R.
Huge portions and great prices. I made the mistake of ordering my food spicy. I couldn't handle it. I teared up like a wimp, but took it home and finished it off with glass of milk. Give it a shot!
(4)
Mobin M.
This is the second time I been here in the last 2 weeks and I'm telling you BEST Thai place in St. Louis! The owners are very nice and sweet and take care of all the guest! I'm glad I found this place because when I want good tasting Thai food I know where to go!!!
(5)
Mindy P.
Basil Spice, with one dinner, quickly has become my favorite Thai restaurant in STL. I got a pineapple fried rice with seafood and it was delicious. Also the chicken dumplings had a lot of flavor and i loved the dipping sauce. The poor server's English was very broken and that was a hurdle, but that will not keep me from going back. I hope to very soon!
(4)
DeAnna K.
Living on S. Grand, I've tried just about all the Asian joints, except for Basil Spice. A friend wanted to try it, so we went for dinner. I can't exactly recall the name of my dish, but it was basically beef, lettuce, and rice covered heavily with what I guess were crushed peanuts. Everything kinda had a funky smell/taste to it. Not very enjoyable to say the least, and not only am I Asian, I eat just about everything. My friend ordered what I was assuming was like a Jasmine tea, but they gave her hot water and and an assortment of English breakfast teas to choose from...A great pairing to any Asian platter. I look to my left, and amongst the Buddha's and other Oriental decor, there is a worn down looking medieval castle with toy dragons and Lego dragons around it covered in dust. I think the majority of people who eat here are Caucasians that basically don't know any better.
(1)
Andria N.
Favorite Pad Thai on Grand for the price and amount. It's spicy, fresh and never too long of a wait. Take-out for the win!
(5)
Cindy H.
Someone did their home work before taking me to lunch. Great service. Cozy atmosphere. Delicious food. Can not wait to come back! Pineapple fried rice with shrimp and khao-nuea sunka for dessert are my favorites.
(5)
Ashley B.
From a person who has lived in Thailand this was by far the worst example of thai food in the US. The rice in both dishes was over cooked and mushy. The vegetable stir fry tasted like it was from a bag of frozen food. Both the pork and chicken were over cooked and chewy. To top it off the water tasted extremely metallic. I would never recommend this to anyone.
(1)
Jeff S.
Great Thai restaurant, heavy on the flavor and the heat. I had the panaang curry while passing through STL and have no complaints.
(4)
Kathy S.
So disappointing! Worst restaurant experience in a very long time. Slowest service ever. It took at least 10 minutes for them to take our order. 30 minutes later one of the staff came to the table to tell me they were out of shrimp!! So I asked for scallops instead. One minute later they brought my husband's food. 10 minutes later they brought mine. I can't imagine going back there.
(1)
Matthew W.
We love this place. Great food and very good prices. The pad see ew is amazing. Compliments with the red curry chicken dish very well. We have been back three times just for those two dishes.
(5)
Stephanie J.
Not good. I would make more authentic Thai food at home and I have no knowledge/experience in doing so. I ordered my Pad Kee Mao very spicy and they straight up dumped crushed red pepper on the center on it. Like half a normal sized bottle of crushed red pepper! Also, they used frozen vegetables which results in a mushy, non-restaurant quality texture. Sadly, S. Grand does not have a good Thai place to add to its mecca.
(1)
Amy E.
Excellent Thai! We had a great dinner that was a great deal! We sat next to a table of St Louis police officers eating dinner-- which is a testament to the quality of the food!
(5)
Bill B.
We went here for meatless meal. Very happy finding a better Thai restaurant in St Louis than the ones we loved in Phoenix.
(4)
Katie S.
Had a very mediocre dinner here with pretty bad service. They got the spices wrong on both of our dishes - one had absolutely no spice and the other was so spicy I couldn't eat it. It's not entirely fair to site someones poor English as a reason for bad service, but I got charged for something I didn't want because we could not find a way to communicate properly. It was overall a bad experience, and we will not be back.
(2)
Liz R.
Very good food. Great vegetarian options, but the summer rolls are average. The sauce on the summer rolls is delicious, which helps make up for it. We always have good service and a good experience.
(4)
Matt S.
I think Basil Spice is the best Thai in STL, this is our go to spot for Thai. We usually get the Pad Thai. All the vegetables and meats are fresh.
(5)
Anna D.
red curry was more of a different taste than what we were expected. I was thinking along the lines of a curry type dish but instead it almost was like a sauteed taste... not bad though, it was actually very tasty! green curry was less creamy than most that i've tasted. it was oiler as well but i did have it with pork so maybe it's just from the meat i selected. I enjoyed the dish the way it was prepared since i demolished it! I would recommend some mushrooms since i was pretty jealous of the red curry's mushrooms. the spring rolls were also delightful. it was fried in some kind of oil that didn't leave a greasy residue. also, the inside was filled with a lot of glass noodles (one of my favorites). the size of the roll itself was larger than average than most places. I also enjoyed the fast of the sauce they gave us.
(4)
Joe S.
I love the area, S.Grand its loaded with international cuisine. My wife and I really enjoy Thai food and having tried numerous spots this is pretty much our go to joint for Thai. The staff speaks pretty much zero English lol but its cool they haven't jacked up any of our orders as of yet. We usually go for their generous portion of delicious Pad Thai and the price is right, its a win - win in my book. Go for it!! you wont regret it.
(4)
Eddy L.
The first thing I noticed about this restaurant when I came in is how underwhelming it was. The decore felt legged from a dollar store. This would not have bothered me at all if the food was amazing but sadly it was not. The food was about the quality of a microwavable Asian dish. I would not recommend this place at all...
(2)
Katherine T.
Pretty good and reasonably priced. Kind of small portions. Not too busy on a Friday night and easily able to accommodate a large crowd.
(3)
Britt W.
I love this place! I always order the Gang Dang w/chicken and it is amazing. Spicy just how I like it but they can modify it to your taste. I used to order the Fried Spring Rolls but I decided to try the Fresh Spring Rolls and I am glad that I did! The servers don't speak the best of English but it is nothing to grapple over, the fully understand what you want to order. The decor also doesn't bother me. I'm not there to judge your decorations, just the food. Would HIGHLY recommend this place.
(5)
Aimee K.
Just thought I should reiterate how much I like this place and how great the staff is to their customers. When we walked up at 10pm last night, I assumed they'd be closing down, but the man working assured us that we should sit down and eat... even though I knew the cooks were probably trying to leave. I was so thankful! The yellow curry (my favorite Thai dish) here rocks pretty hard. It was the perfect level of spicy. The spring rolls we got were so very good and I wish I had more room in my stomach to finish mine! The accompanying sauce was spot on & everything really just tasted fantastic. The yellow curry had huge chunks of potato, perfectly cooked chicken, huge slices of carrots... so yum. The rice, sauce, and veggies all blended together nearly put me on cloud nine after a very long day. We went to pay for our bill and the server told us there was no need to rush, and that we should take our time and enjoy ourselves! What a doll. At 10:30pm on a Monday, I'm pretty sure everyone was ready to get out of there. But alas, they put their need for sleep behind our need for a solid dinner. I really love this place. King & I still has my Thai-loving heart on South Grand, but man, this is a close second.
(4)
Mary Kate M.
I have been to Basil Spice a few times over the last couple of years. I am a tad surprised I never wrote a review for them before, but here goes... Latest visit was last night with Jason and our friend Rhoda. Faithfully, every time, I seem to get the exact same server, the exact same man comes around to each table to refill waters, and another elderly woman always brings out the food. This is definitely a family owned place with great quality food. I usually get the Pad Thai and fresh spring rolls simply because I think it is the best in the city, but last night I tried to go out of my comfort zone. Since realistically this will be my last visit to Basil Spice for a long while (we're moving Monday to Washington DC), I thought I would give my beloved Thai place one last visit. I had to get something different. So, this time I decided on getting their #32, Sen-lek Haeng. Sen-lek Haeng comes with rice noodles, bean sprouts, crispy wantons, green onions, cilantro, and crushed roasted peanuts. You can have them remove any items you may not want in there -- peanuts if you are allergic, or for me, green onions because I don't like them. I asked them to bring me extra crispy wantons also. You can choose which meat you want it to come with. They can bring it with chicken, select seafood, beef, or vegetarian. I opted for chicken for $8.95 for the entree. You can have it as spicy or not spicy as you like. They ask you with a 0-5 scale. I told them 0, but turns out, I actually wanted it spicy. Go figure. I added some spice from the brown sauce that was already on the table. They have certain additives on the table already before you get there along with the chop sticks and extra napkins. Jason ordered something sweeter than what he typically does. He loves spicy anything. Pad See-iew with beef. It's stir fried rice noodles with eggs, carrots, and broccoli in a sweet soy sauce. He rated it on the 4 for spicy. Turns out it was not spicy at all, but more sweet and very tasty. I told him I wanted to trade plates. lol This was before I had asked for the extra wantons and added the spicy brown sauce from the table. Once I did all that, I really liked mine the way it was. If I were to come here next time, I would want to order his dish. I think the only mistake of this meal was Jason ordered some sticky rice. He saw that Rhonda had some rice on her plate, but was unaware that it was simply white rice and not sticky rice. The white rice on her plate had been overcooked and could easily be misunderstood as sticky rice instead of plain white rice. Honest mistake. He got the sticky rice which was only an extra $1. Turns out the stuff is really bland and not that good in my opinion for the one bite I had and could barely swallow. I never thought that I would not like taking a bite of rice. He added some spicy chili sauce to make it more flavorful. He thought it was alright after that, but next time he will know to just ask for plain white rice. I enjoyed our visit. 2 entrees for $8.95, the sticky rice for $1, and no drinks totaling out to be $20 without tip. Not bad, especially with the portions. Oh how I will miss you my Basil Spice! You have always been good to me and I shall always remember you.
(4)
Briana S.
I've gotta say, after hearing mediocre reviews I was pretty impressed with Basil Spice last night. We had an event going on across the street and once it was over my boss and I were famished so--we headed here when most other places were closing down (so were they). We sat outside and our waiter was extremely prompt, helpful, and cheerful even though we sat down when they were closing up shop. At the end of our meal he even said, "don't rush it's alright, there's plenty of people here, so take your time!", pretty nice for people I know probably wanted to get home like the rest of South Grand! We had spring rolls to start and I ordered Gang Dang Curry with medium spice. The spring rolls were nice and crispy (sweet and sour sauce was your normal tangy dip) and everything came out incredibly quickly and piping hot. My steamed rice was nicely cooked as was the chicken and veggies in my dish. I could really taste the sweet basil too which added a nice flavor to the red curry sauce. My tongue was burning, my stomach was full--I was one happy gal.
(4)
Lydia L.
Like the stars indicate...OK. I guess I'll disclose that not only am I of Thai descent, but I was just in Thailand on vacation a couple of months ago. Just moved to STL, and people raved about this being the best Thai in town, although they admitted there's not really any good Thai food here. I was hopeful that this place would be a hole-in-the wall, hidden-gem, but it was pretty average. The waiter was nice, but he didn't know the menu at all. We started with the larb gai, which was appropriately spicy, but oddly served with rice instead of cabbage or lettuce. For entrees, had the fish with red curry and the massaman curry with chicken. The fish dish was really salty, and I guess I couldn't expect for the fish to be fresh. The massaman had undercooked potatoes, but had a generous amount of pineapple. Portion sizes were solid, everything was served with rice, and the family that runs the place was clearly very invested in their business.
(3)
Jessica W.
Just ordered the Pad Thai and Panang Curry for carry out and I wasn't overly impressed. I thought the flavor was kind of bland and there was very little protein (I ordered chicken in both dishes) in either. Next time I want Thai I'll be heading to King and I.
(3)
Derek S.
Was in the mood for some Thai food during my weekend stay in St Louis and Basil Spice came up on my Yelp app. The A/C inside the restaurant is weak, but the service was prompt and friendly. I was surprised they served Lunch Specials on the weekend too! My Pad Thai came out medium spicy. ...,it was the first time someone asked how hot I wanted my Pad Thai... The Pad Thai was mediocre. It was flavorful, but the shrimps were small. If Yelpers say that this is the place for Pad Thai in STL, ...they should come have Thai food in the SF Bay Area!
(3)
Melissa K.
I am searching for a decent Thai place in the city, and we had Basil Spice delivered a few months ago. However, if we try ordering again for delivery, the woman on the phone has said either they aren't offering delivery tonight or that the driver wasn't in our neighborhood (though we had not yet placed an order). Not reliable.
(2)
Mark P.
I made my first visit to Basil Spice last night and I'm sorry to say that I wasn't impressed. Upon being seated, the first thing I noticed was how old and tattered the menus looked. I know it's a minor detail, but they really should update those nasty things. The menu covers are made out of a wood material with a cool looking Thai Buddha or something like that on the front, but the pages in the middle consisted of sticky plastic sleeves with dirty wrinkled up pages slid inside. I felt like I needed to wash my hands after looking through that thing. Anyway, I don't get too bothered by grimy things like that, so let's move on to the food. For starters, we ordered the Chicken Dumplings for $4.95 and the Chicken Satay Gai for $6.95. The dumplings came out fresh and hot, but were nothing special compared to other versions I've tried. After several minutes of waiting for our other appetizer to arrive, our main courses came. The waiter explained that our order had been mixed up in the kitchen and taken to another table. We told him "no worries, just cancel the order". For the main courses, we sampled three different dishes. The Nuah Num Tok for $8.95 (beef salad) was probably the best dish of the night. The tender sliced beef was seasoned well with onions, cilantro and lime juice. Probably the most common dish at a Thai restaurant, Chicken Pad Thai for $8.95, was good, but not any better than the ones I've had around St. Louis. The biggest letdown of the night had to be the Tom Yum Goong Soup (Large bowl for $9.95). I love my Tom You Soup, but I was very disappointed in this one. The flavors just didn't pop for me. To top it all off, the operations just seemed to be out of whack on my visit. Our waiter tried his best to keep up with things, but I sensed that the problems stemmed from kitchen and lack of staff on hand. I'm going with two stars for now, but I'm willing to try this place again to see how the curries are.
(2)
Queena D.
Best thai food in st louis, hands down, especially when i'm needing my pad see-ew or pad thai fix. I have a fondness for the owners as well - friendly and accommodating. The downside: portions are small for what you pay (compared to places like King&I), and there have been times when ive ordered take-out that they forget to include utensils! which is more of an inconvenience than a real problem.
(5)
Andy U.
Best thing: Great Thai food at reasonable price Biggest problem: Interior temperature You can always judge a Thai restaurant by its Pad Thai. Basil Spice is my favorite Pad Thai in St. Louis. It tastes great and its priced well. I never leave feeling like I've spent too much money on something I didn't enjoy. The only drawback would be the interior. The restaurant temperature is not maintained well. Specifically, I have a hard time going there in the winter because it's too cold. They have space heaters placed throughout the room, but if you're not near one you're left cold.
(4)
Harper Z.
Huge menu so if you aren't really sure what you like, there is bound to be something you will enjoy. Service is friendly and the portions are a good size for a great overall value. I love Thai food and thought everything was good but not great. My group tried a variety of things and were all satisfied but not knocked out. I will go back again if I feel the Thai craving.
(4)
Jason B.
went there for dinner w/ my girlfriend Saturday night. I wish they weren't out of spring rolls, but the egg rolls were a good substitute. good Chang beer. nice dinner
(4)
Mandie M.
Never in my life did I think I would enjoy Thai food, but I am so glad I gave it a shot. I am never disappointed with the food here. Maybe it's because I always get the same dish (Pad Thai), but maybe because the food is just that good?!?! I have only dined in once for lunch, but the other visits typically require picking up food to go so I can get back to the office in time for more work. I am not one to enjoy spicy food and so I always order non-spicy and every time I get it just that way. No Spice at all. Just the way I like it. Usually when I go out to eat I say not spicy and I still get some spice, but the kitchen actually listens here and I appreciate that! I will continue to go back again and again.
(4)
Jessica C.
I've been here about five times in the last few years with a friend who swears by this place. When we're on South Grand, she always wants to go here. Mehhhhhh. It's OK. The staff is really nice and I like the cozy atmosphere, but the food is just OK. The appetizers are good (I highly recommend the chicken satay, very coconut-y and with a great peanut sauce), but I've never had an entree that really blew me away. Conversely, my friend swears by Pad Basil fried rice style and I must admit that it's very tasty. It'll do in a pinch or if your friend wants to go, but it's not my first choice for a meal on South Grand.
(3)
Christine M.
It was so delicious!! We wanted to go to King and I, but they are closed on Monday so I decided to look up different Thai places. This one seemed just as close and people liked it. It was so good. It wasn't extremely spicy, but that changed once we added the chili pepper spice to it. They also did not have egg plant in any of their dishes, which we were not used to, but it was still amazing. The reason I gave it 4 stars was because the sign said it was closed when it was actually open (causing us to drive back and forth on Grand) and it was kind of cold, although the server turned a space heater towards us which was nice of her. I will definitely be back though!
(4)
John D.
I thought this place had pretty good food. I went with a generic pad thai, which was very good. However I asked for spicy and I'm not sure if it was spicy at all... Hmm. Our waitress was super courteous and didn't bat and eye when we paid in both cash and card. We make things hard in my circle of friends but the waitress seem to not mind. I'm sure I will be back to try other stuff when I am on South Grand!
(4)
Alexis S.
I tried to place an order for take-out. The woman taking the order hung up on me three times. The last time she said she was too busy to take my order and to call back later. Fat chance.
(1)
Dez E.
This is definitely my SO and I's new favorite Thai place. The food is delicious and their sauces are amazing. Honestly, this place is way more authentic than some of the other Thai restaurants in the St. Louis area. This restaurant's got a nice atmosphere and a full menu. The food is really delicious. The Pad-Wuhn-Sen is delicious with a little extra sauce added. The prices are very reasonable. The only slight downside is the lack of or organization within the restaurant. I think there are times when the left doesn't quiteknow what the right is doing. However, the food is delicious. Try the fried spring rolls!
(5)
Allan C.
The food is ok and their lunches are pretty cheap for understandably smaller portions. I do enjoy the chicken pad thai with extra egg for less than 8 bucks. Unfortunately the portions are so small it's getting harder and harder to convince the coworkers to come here! Gah! It'll have to be one of those "I haven't had thai in months and I'm not that hungry so let's go here."
(3)
Stephen H.
Graduation week continues...brought my parents and my baby sister, and had a wonderful late afternoon lunch. Around 2:30 on a drizzly day, you're going to have a restaurant to yourself. I had the pineapple seafood fried rice (sorry, I don't recall the Thai name) on a 3 out of 5 scale of spice (you can order anywhere from 1-5). Loved the dessert....sticky rice and sliced mango and also got the fried banana fritters with ice cream and drizzled honey.
(4)
Sarah F.
Great pad Thai & very affordable. Friendly & polite server. The owner brought us a free plate of summer rolls (non-fried spring rolls) during our meal, too.
(5)
Angela C.
Been on a Thai kick and wanted to try a few new places, but this was a huge let down. The red curry was just okay but pretty bland. My pad-keh-mao tasted more like a stir fry Chinese. It was horrible service and a quick lunch turned into two hours! The only real positive is the lunch menu process.
(2)
Al S.
Basic Spice is a nice, cozy place located in the South Grand area. The staff are extremely friendly. We even received a free order of spring rolls, which was nice. The dumplings were also quite delicious. I am a coconut milk and curry fan and went for the Gang Dang (w/chicken), which was chocked full of various veggies and very tasty. They also actually ask what heat level you prefer as far as the curry is concerned, which is an added plus considering some establishments do not. The prices are a little steep but quality makes up for the added cost. I will return to try another delicious curry entree in the near future!
(4)
Tian Q.
After we parked around South Grand, my crew decided to go to here instead of King of I because it was a block closer, but I don't think we'll be lazy bums again after learning our lessons from Basil Spice. Food: A few hits and a lot of misses -Appetizers: the Satay Gai was good -My friends ordered the generic stuff like simple Pad Thai/Curry/Stir Fry and they weren't pleased. I tasted one of their noodles dish and it completely lacked flavor as well as moisture. I can usually tolerate a lot of food but that was just gross. -I decided to venture out of my comfort zone (aka ordering Pad Thai at every Thai place I go to). I got the Rahd Na (stir fried baby corns, broccoli, and carrots in soybean gravy sauce. Served over stir fried rice noodles with black soy sauce), and the flavor was just right and made my daily intake of veggies go down easy. -Desserts: SKIP THE DESSERTS. Seriously, SKIP THE DESSERTS! I was looking forward to my Khao-Nuea Sunka-Ya (steamed sweet sticky rice with coconut milk topped with Thai egg custard) and Glua Hom Sa-Bai (fried banana crepe) because they sounded really good in descriptions and I usually have good experiences with Thai desserts. However, I was super disappointed when my dessert plates came up. I felt like a kid who was expecting a giant/delicious black forest cake but got a tiny gross muffin instead. The fried banana crepe was literally just banana in egg roll wrap with some honey on top, nothing special at all. The steamed sweet sticky rice dish was sweet in a disgusting way, and the egg custard on the side looked like a pile of poo and tasted like play-do. Service: -Nice people, but also VERY SLOW people. Our server was also a bit forgetful and forgot about the chicken dumplings we ordered so now we'll never know what they taste like since we don't plan on going back again.
(2)
Cherie O.
Basil Spice is one of my favorite restaurants in St. Louis. The food is consistently amazing. I too, start off with the Pad Thai when I first visit a Thai restaurant, and it is simply filling and good. In other visits, I have tried their different curries and panang, and they are really simple, fresh, and tasteful. Their appetizers are always piping hot, and the spiciness of their food is always tempered to your taste buds. I always feel like I can order any random dish off the menu and really will enjoy it. Make sure you try the gang dang and the panang aside from the noodles. Some cons to make it a four star rather than a five star: Servings can be small. They can also be a little stingy with rice on the curry dishes. During the summer, it is always warm inside, even with the overhead fans.
(4)
Leslie B.
I've been here several times and the food never fails to impress! I love. love. love the tom kha gai. Seriously its addictive. The spring rolls are always fresh and delicious as well. I haven't ventured too far from the pad thai so i can't offer any thoughts on the other dishes. Everyone has always been friendly and I have great service every time we eat here. I've also picked up take-out a few times and everything is always packaged nicely with all of the condiments. In a few words - I'm a fan.
(4)
Dan B.
Great food and service, very friendly staff. The decor is nothing fancy, but I go restaurants to eat not for lavish interiors. I highly recommend the Pad Thai!
(4)
Jessica P.
After two years of good intentions, I finally stopped in with a group of friends for dinner last Monday night. We were all very pleased with the experience. The staff was very polite and attentive, but not too attentive. Like a typical creature of habit, I went looking for dishes similar to what I have ordered at other Thai restaurants. Happily, things here were different enough that I felt as though I was ordering something brand new. My fiancee ordered the chicken dumplings as an appetizer. They were $5 for four small dumplings, which seemed a little steep in price, but the quality and flavor was so exceptional he ended up placing a second order! I had two and can attest to their quality and flavor. Our friends ordered the fried tofu, which looked (and they said was) delicious. The clear cucumber sauce that came with it looked particularly tantalizing. For my entree, I ordered the PAD KHEE-MAO; a delicious vegetable and noodle dish with tofu in a spicy basil sauce. I ordered it spicy and it came out just right; not so hot I couldn't taste the flavors, just enough to give it some zip. Others ordered their dishes medium and did not comment on them being too spicy or not enough, so I think their spice gauging is pretty bang on. The vegetables were all really fresh and were cooked so they weren't too crunchy or too mushy. I especially liked that the tofu had a crinkle-cut because it created more crunchy texture in the dish. I think my fiancee ordered the KHAO KRATIAM PRIK-TAI with chicken, which is basically chicken in a black pepper and garlic sauce. They brought the sauce, chicken, and vegetables out on a big platter with a side of rice. It comes with steamed rice, but you can request fried if you like. He asked for the broccoli on the side (of which he gifted to me when it arrived). The carrots that were in the dish were perfectly cooked and were covered in minced garlic, so delish! The sauce itself was the highlight of the dish, and it absorbed beautifully into the rice. All of our dishes seemed to come with this beautiful carrot flower garnish. Attractive AND tasty! We splurged and got dessert, a rare treat, but we are so glad we did! The portion sizes were (gasp!) small, as if they KNOW that Americans are overly indulgent and really just don't have that much room left. Rather than humiliatingly stuffing our faces with the equivalent of an additional meal, dessert modestly topped things off. We ordered the seasonal KHAO-NUEA MAMUANG, which is steamed sweet rice with coconut milk topped with mangoes. Don't skip it, just get it; you won't regret it!!! The rice was tender, mildly sweet, and the mango was perfectly ripe. A great experience, and we will certainly be back!
(4)
Brian E.
Green curry didn't taste much like green curry. It's one of my favorite flavors in the world, but it just wasn't there. Almost positive I wasn't brought out a different curry by mistake. Friendly service gets a star, but I'm not sure I'd go back to this place. I'd like to believe there's better Thai food in the city, but I'm not sure where.
(3)
Paul H.
Went there Friday night with a group and had a good meal and a nice time. The staff was great and my Pad Thai was really good. Definitely worth going too if you are in the neighborhood.
(4)
Krystal H.
This place is so good I try to sneak it in every time I'm in St. Louis. Service is quick & friendly and the food is great every time! They close for a few hours midday so you have to plan around that but it's worth your time. Love love love their pad see ew, chicken satay, summer rolls, various hot teas, pad whun sen, & curry. There are also lots of vegetarian options. Give 'em a try!
(5)
Julie V.
Great food here with a cozy environment. I always start with panang curry at a new Thai place to get the feel for the food. The one here is served with more veggies than most and a medium is right where it should be on my heat scale. The thai iced tea is a good strong blend here too. The place is cozy but not crowded most nights. Just a nice calm and quiet environment. The only thing that surprises me about Thai on Grand tends to be that it's a bit pricey which I suppose means I should venture into the neighborhoods further away from my house to look for a deal but I just don't want to when the food is this good.
(4)
Kurt S.
I really love the food here. The Summer rolls are fresh, bright, and delicious. The fried egg rolls are everything I want in an egg roll. Yum! The fried rice has a certain flair that is highly complimented with a light splash of fish sauce and sweet hot pepper sauce. The yellow curry is equally complimented by the addition of the sauces, but does not stand as strongly on its own. I'll be back!
(5)
Bill K.
By far the worst Thai food I have ever had! The noodles were oily and tasted like burnt oil. There was no flavor to the Pad Kee Mao except the oil. Don't even get me started on the TERRIBLE service. Waited 20 minutes to have our order taken and then never seen the waitress again! Some cute little kid brought the food and check. I will not be back nor would I recommend this place to my enemy.
(1)
Kevin R.
First time here tonight and food and service were good only downside for me is I order a soda and they bring me a can just expect fountain soda at a sit down restaurant
(4)
Allison C.
Excited to have tried Basil Spice last night with a friend. We really enjoyed the atmosphere and the service! The restaurant is small, with about 12-15 tables and outdoor seating when the weather permits. The decor was simple but expressed more culture than other Thai places in St Louis. I ordered their cashew chicken stir fry. My friend ordered the red curry with chicken, after asking several questions to the server about the curries and the spiciness. He was very helpful, and we were both impressed by his knowledge and patience. Our food smelled great. The portion sizes filled us up without making us uncomfortable. And for the price (less than $10 for our chicken entrees), it was about what we expected. The vegetables were fresh and the sauces weren't too salty. If you're looking for an authentic Thai restaurant with reasonable prices and great service, look no further!
(4)
R L.
I fucking love this place. The food is so delicious with a variety of spices and flavors and sauces and... so fresh. I craaaaaave their fried tofu at least once a month. Lovely atmosphere, polite staff, and so reasonably priced. Amazing.
(5)
Melissa T.
Went there during the week at lunch time, there were probably 6 other people there. The decor was really nice, really Thai. First off we started with some appetizers: Spring Rolls and Satay Gai. The thing that impressed me the most about them was the peanut sauce. The best peanut sauce I have ever tasted! However, and this is the reason for three stars, upon eating one of the spring rolls my friend came across a piece of string, maybe half a foot long. The waitress was very nice about it and took it off our bill. I have no idea what it was doing in the spring roll but the group became very wary of the upcoming dishes. Next came the Pad Thai, Pad Khee-Mao, and the Tom Yum Goong. All of these dishes were hot hot hot! The dishes had plenty of vegetables and the soup had a decent amount of jumbo shrimp. Main dishes were delish, but the appetizers were a huge turnoff. Overall i give basil spice an "A OK"
(3)
Nowell G.
Basil Spice really takes on the presentation game. Especially in comparison to 99% of the other Thai restaurants in the area. So you get a wonderful presentation of delicious Thai food, set to as spicy as you would like it to be, and have a little room for the sticky rice dessert, which is simple, yet indulgent. I like the pad thai, of course, but definitely try the pad see iw. Noms. If you like spicy, they can certainly make it spicy for you. Try it, if you can! If you want huge portions, go to a buffet. Sometimes the "Wow" factor in American dining has people so wound up in huge portion sizes that they forget that food is something more than just filler for your stomach. It's about flavor and culture.
(4)
Joe B.
Good food, good service, an ample menu, and fun decor. I just wish there was some way Basil Spice could pull itself away from the Thai-pack that defines so much of South Grand.
(3)
Josh S.
Ate here on Sunday after finding out our original destination was closed. The language barrier was a point of frustration. I see why they have all the menu items numbered, that way all you have to do it say a number or point. It took way too long to convey to the waitress that all I wanted for my son was white rice with a few shrimp. I know it adds to the authenticity of the restaurant but come on, when it hampers the ordering process it becomes a nuisance. That being said, the food was pretty good. I am usually hesitant to order something on the spicy side at Thai restaurants as they seem to vary so I went cautious and ordered my Pad Basil with Chicken at a 3 on a scale of 1 to 5. The dish was very tasty, and while it was a bit spicy, it did not have my mouth on fire which is always a good thing. I think I could have easily gotten my dish a 4 out of 5 and been just fine with it. I still don't know if I got the lunch portion or the regular portion (refer back to the language barrier), either way it was fairly small. I'm hoping it was the lunch portion because if there is a smaller lunch portion I don't know who that would feed. One thing that struck me as unique was that when I ordered a Diet Coke, they brought me out a can of Diet Coke and not a fountain drink. That was something I had not seen in a restaurant in a very long time. Basil Spice did not stand out of the crowd on South Grand which is not necessarily a bad thing, but in this instance it didn't do them any favors either.
Authentic Thai food with some original flourishes. My massaman curry was sweetened with pineapple - I really liked the taste it lent to the sauce but eating hot, mushy pineapple chunks themselves? Not so much. Also, for all the reviewers complaining that the food isn't hot enough - there IS a spice caddy at your table, with two kinds of chili sauce, chili flake, and fish sauce, so you can add more heat. Menu was limited, and the portions were on the small side, but I'd give Basil Spice another chance to really impress me.
(3)
Don K.
If there is one thing St Louis has going for it, is it's abundance of good Southeast Asian eateries. My review for Thai restaurants however are really reviews of each establishments take on the default dish, Pad Thai. While I do enjoy a number of Thai dishes, my mission in life is to find the perfect Pad Thai. So...it has perfect spice, not too peanut-y and they do a good job of balancing the tofu with the meat you choose. Good flavor all and all. Basil Spice is a simple, traditional Thai restaurant that tries not to overcompensate any bland dishes with pomp and circumstance. Just come, enjoy your company and the good food. There isn't anything to write home about or call mum over, but we've never had a bad experience here. It's less crowded than King & I and shhh, the suburbanites coming to the city pre-show or game do not know about it. I didn't give Basil Spice the best Pad Thai award but I do continue to order it from time to time.
(4)
Eva N.
Came in for lunch, and appreciated their lunch menu! Ordered Panang Curry, asked for 4 star spicy. It was delicious! Very flavorful and good-size portion for a value lunch item. Will definitely go back!
(5)
Kat V.
Dinner was wonderful. My bf, my friends and I arrived about 15 minutes before they closed. We were the only ones in the restaurant. Needless to say, the staff were very helpful & wonderful. The pad see ew was a larger portion than the lunch size. In any case, it was good! I only wished they used wider rice noodles. The masamun curry was close the authentic version. The fried tofu & sticky rice with custard were really delish as well. My only problem with the sticky rice with custard was the extra coconut cream added on. The selection of teas were great, but I wished they had chrysanthemum tea.
(4)
Sarah H.
Came here with some friends when I was in town for the holidays. Technically it was our third choice for dinner - we originally planned to go to King and I, but it was closed (Mondays). Then we decided on Pho Grand but there was a half hour wait and we were hungry, so we walked down the street to Basil Spice Thai. The decor is nothing special but we enjoyed our meal. There were plenty of really delicious-sounding vegetarian dishes on the menu and I had a hard time deciding which one to get. I almost went with pad thai, but decided to branch out for once. So I got the Sen Lek Haeng (I just looked up their menu online for the name), which was rice noodles with tofu, carrots, broccoli, bean sprouts, and peanuts. It came with crispy wontons as well. I really liked the sauce, which was light and tangy, and the way the tofu was prepared was nice and chewy but not overly so. Tofu texture can be a disaster but this was not at all. I do want to point out there was a lot of confusion from our waitress over the soup orders. There were four of us at the table. Two ordered Tom Yum Gai, one ordered Tom Kha Gai, and one didn't order soup (me). The waitress repeated this order about four times, and then when the soups arrived she was confused as to who was supposed to get what - and there was a fourth soup brought to the table even though only three were ordered. They gave me the extra Tom Kha Gai for free and it was really yummy, so I guess the language barrier turned out to be a food win for me. Would I go back? Sure, why not, but I won't be beating down the door.
(3)
Jonathan J.
So, as anyone who knows me can attest, I am a very adventurous eater. Give me your swine, your offal, your game- I'll try just about anything put in front of me. That makes the fact that I only ever order one thing at Basil Spice such an aberrant pattern of behavior. I go to Basil Spice for the best Tom Ka Gai that I have ever had. That's it. I have had transcendent experiences with this soup. I won't go into too much detail about what it does to me, but lets just say its all good. So, what makes their Tom Ka better than all the rest? The answer that keeps coming to mind as i write is that it JUST IS BETTER. I know this seems like a copout, so just let me just try and explain. Its all about the broth. That lemongrass, galangal (a cousin to ginger), and fish sauce concoction- oh, that sweet, sweet fish sauce funk. Throw in whole mushrooms, thai basil, ribbons of tender chicken breast, quartered tomatoes that burst when bitten into, and a dusting of crushed red pepper and you have a symphony on your hands (I guess it would be in your mouth in this case). This soup is all about balance in the broth and Basil Spice has nailed it. The sweet coconut, the biting and almost medicinal galangal, the perfume of lemongrass and basil, the bright acidity of the tomatoes, and the depth of flavor provided by the right amount of fish sauce funkiness... Am I rambling? Anyway, go to Basil Spice. Try their Tom Ka. I've had some of their other food and it has all been good, very good. I just have an addiction that only their Tom Ka can feed. I hope this has been helpful. I'm off for another bowl. Maybe I'll see you there sometime.
(4)
Crystal R.
Two stars so far...... We finally got to go here last night after I talked them up to my friends. We called ahead to make sure they were wheelchair accessible since one of my friends was in a chair (one of those 400lb motor car ones). When I got there we were the 1st ones and we got some summer rolls (which were okay, but no where near as good as Pho Grand IMO). I also got the Thai iced coffee and thought it was a little too sweet for me. When my friends got there we noticed there was a step to get in and we asked for a ramp. They had no clue what we were talking about. We reminded them that we already called ahead and they said they were accessible but I don't think they even know what that means. We had to leave and were given no apology whatsoever. We ended up walking down the street in the rain to The King and I who did have a ramp. What a mess of a night.
(2)
Ed R.
This is our go-to spot in town for Thai. In fairness, we live right around the corner. But the staff is super friendly and the owner is too. She always remembers us, even if it's been a while. I've tried probably 40-50% of the menu and have never been disappointed. And it's inexpensive!
(5)
Anthony K.
This place was decent for St. Louis - the pad kee mao the people I were with had was spicy enough to be authentic. My kang pa nang was sweet and the pork pieces were well marinated. It could compare to any place in the Bay Area, where decent Thai food floods the cities. Also, the help was very courteous. The only thing that they could stand to improve is the wait time for our food - I think we waited 30 minutes for our food after ordering.
(4)
Karen R.
Really a damn shame they have decent food--will never go back again because they can't get their act together when it comes time to settle the bill. My sister and I ate there on October 25th and decided to split the bill. We paid by credit card and went our merry way. On Tuesday, I discovered my account over drawn. Upon investigation, I found the charged me for the full amount of dinner + my half. Confirmed with my sis--they charged her her half too. My bank said I had to contact the merchant. The merchant said I have to wait, that it's not their fault they ran the card for too much money and they would not take responsibility. I asked them to contact my bank with the erroneous authorization code so the bank would correct my account. But no go--they say I have to contact my bank. (Yup the oh, it's not our responsibility, it's so n so's cycle) As of today, they have been paid 109.56 for our 51.78 bill as well, I have incurred $116 in overdraft fees. I am filing fraud charges with my bank, so I will recover my funds...however, I have to wait for this to be settled. Despite admitting they knew they made a mistake and contacted their cc company--who by the way told them to run the charge again, Basil Spice refuses to take ownership for the problem and make things right. I also know this is not a one time thing--a couple friends dined there last spring and had a similar experience (payment was part cash and part charge actual charges were 1 and a half times on the credit card.)
(1)
Christal V.
This place could be a lot better! From the service to the meal...service was extremely slow and my Tom Yum Shrimp Soup was very lackluster. It hardly had any flavor, except for heat, which I do enjoy spicy, but for some reason on a scale of 1-5, this particular evening I decided to go with a 2...so I certainly should have been able to taste flavor over the spicy heat.
(3)
Rusha S.
I come here whenever I'm craving take-out Thai. I think it's better than some of the other options in the area. I've had a few of their noodles and entrees, and have no complaints about anything.
(3)
Bryan E.
Went in and tried the lunch special and had the pad thai and wow the food was awesome. The service was fast and friendly! I highly recomend this place for a great gastranomic experience!
(5)
Krystal L.
I really enjoyed my lunch at Basil Spice. Very cozy atmosphere, spicy food, friendly service.
(4)
Timothy G.
Good Thai food and reasonably priced.
(3)
Rebecca T.
Pad Thai is better at King & I, but the 2 dishes & app we had were solid. Spicy basil noodle dish is worth getting again. I'm at about 3.5 stars here, it's worth trying and we'll try this place again from time to time.
(3)
Julia W.
Yes, oh my, yes! After a heinous experience at a Thai spot on Delmar, I sort of fell off the Thai wagon--quite sad considering I ate it at least once a week while living in Chicago. Anyway, I had gone far too long without my green curry and decided to give Basil Spice a try this weekend. Hoo. Ray. Friendly, efficient service, relaxed atmosphere, reasonable prices and GOOOOOD food. Thank goodness. Justin enjoyed the tom yum, which nicely cleaned out his sinuses; we gobbled down the summer rolls which were fresh, fresh, fresh and came with two subtly spicy sauces (no overly sweet stuff here!); and the curries were great--just enough spice tingle, but no searing pain (although I'm sure they could up the ante if you asked). I docked a star because I'm fairly certain the peas and carrots in my curry were, um... frozen vegetable medley. Come on, guys, you can do better than that--you just proved it with your fresh veggie summer rolls! Still, if Basil Spice was in my 'hood, I'd be here all the time. I can't wait to head back and work my way through their menu. Yum!
(4)
Annee T.
My sisters, my parents, my sort-of boyfriend and I came here for dinner after a nice evening stroll in Tower Grove Park. We ran into a ton of dinner choices on this street, a kind of Berkeley or Santa Cruz-esque strip in the middle of St. Louis. There was an Afghan joint, I believe some Iraqi, the lovely Pho Grand, another Thai place. But ultimately we settled on Basil Spice. I got pad kee mao with pork, my sister got pad kee mao with chicken, and my dad got - you guessed it - pad kee mao with shrimp. We weren't that creative, but at least we picked a good dish. Our food showed up piping hot, fresh-tasting, and very spicy. I guess they are true to their name. I had to keep sipping water to make to make the faint burn go away - maybe I'm a pansy - but that's a good thing as far as I'm concerned. My other sister got something so spicy it caused her to remark, "I'm too white for this shit." Finally, the boy's creamy kang pa nang was delicious, with just the right amount of sweetness. I caught him licking the plate. We left with full hearts and tummies. The End.
(4)
Kyle M.
Went on a Saturday night around 6, there was only 1 other table seated. The staff were very nice, and service was fair. The decor and atmosphere were a bit blah for me and seemed to need a good cleaning. We love Thai food but none of us were impressed with our dishes. The food wasn't packed with flavor like we expect - one noodle dish had a very bland brown gravy, and another had a weird texture to the chicken. Our fried spring rolls were soggy. Frankly there are just too many better options for Thai food (even within a block) for us to go back.
(2)
Jason W.
Although this place doesn't look like a gem, don't forget try all the places in South Grand to find your favorite. All of my friends enjoyed their meal, but I think King and I serves better panang curry, which is what I usually get. Many of their items, however, are great.
(3)
Raya K.
Came here for the first time yesterday and was impressed with the pad kee mao I ordered (with tofu). Minus one star because my tofu was cold when it got to me. I will definitely be back to try out their curries etc. Far exceeds Blue Elephant in Clayton in regards to authenticity and flavor.
(4)
Jennifer B.
Basil Spice Thai is a new restaurant that is still working out the kinks, but there are hints of greatness here. The staff was friendly, but seemed a little stressed as they were busy when we went in for dinner. We started with the spring rolls, which I believe have their origins in Vietnam rather than Thailand. Nevertheless, they were very tasty and quickly disappeared. There was nothing new or innovative about them, instead the focus was on perfection of a classic. For my entree I got chicken skewers, and I loved it. There was some spice, but the overall heat was not intense. My palate enjoyed the many layers of flavor of the chicken. The main reason I ordered was the peanut sauce, and it did not disappoint. This meal was delicious. My friend ordered some spicy dish, but it did not bring the bulging eyes and head sweats that some other Thai restaurants do when he orders spicy. I'm therefore wondering if they safe the real spice for Thai customers, if they stray from extreme spice or if his resistance has simply grown over the years. Service time was a little slow, and there was confusion when we had questions about the menu. Still, the staff tried very hard to give us a great experience, and I attribute these very minor flaws to being a new restaurant that has a lot to live up to.
(4)
Sarah D.
Yummm. That's what I'm thinking as I write this review. Basil Spice is better, in my opinion, than King and I. I'm not usually the person to go to a place and repeatedly order the same dish, but I do here. Gang ga rhee is the jam. A yellow curry dish with onion, carrots and potatoes, your choice of spiciness. I eat this dish every time!! Order it and you too will be in love. A few honorable mentions: Thai tea, pad thai and summer rolls. I've tasted other things, but at this point, I have gang ga rhee on the brain.
(4)
Courtney D.
like many others, i ended up here after Lemongrass was closed due to a death in the family. we went with friends who've eaten here before and really enjoy it. and i was really excited after we received some of the most delicious spring rolls i've ever had the pleasure of eating. but the entrees reminded me of a bad chinese takeout restaurant, only skimpier. each place looked pretty much identical save a few tweaks to the sauce. all included the same crinkle-cut carrots and crinkle cut tofu (????) with the other half of the plate occupied by a mound of rice. portions of this size are usually reserved for lunch specials, as far as i can tell. i asked if there were any vegetarian soups and was informed that i could order any of the soups with tofu instead of chicken/shrimp. what resulted was a bowl of fish sauce with the same pile of vegetable that appeared on all the plates, plus the disconcerting addition of canned button mushrooms. blech. it was edible, but really mediocre, and i do not expect to return. ever.
(2)
I Know W.
after multiple visits I won't go again. there are plenty of other places on both sides of their entrance. food 75% was bad one dish was ok tasting, service stunk (i'm cool with ethnic differences in service - this wasn't close to being ok), prices are decent if the food was any good.
(2)
Caroline P.
Food was fine, ample, and a good value in every way. The dining room is musty. Service was good. Disappointed by the use of canned mushrooms and dried thai bird chilies in my soup.
(3)
Liz Z.
first of all...why does it take you 30 min. to get a glass of water around here, after we "chased down" a waitress? really?? i don't mean to sound "EC (east coast) snobbish," but if i wanted take out thai food, i'd go for cheap. and better. NOW, that the wait service is off my mind, i'll go on to the crux of the review: the food. or the supposedly authentic thai food. i've been to quite a few thai restaurants in the U.S. (and in thailand) so i consider myself a pseudo-expert on what pad thai should taste like, along w/ red curry. i was disappointed on both counts. the pad thai noodles looked (and tasted) like those straightened ramen noodles. it was spicy enough, but i could've done better with the spice sauce tray on the table. now, about that supposed gang dang dish: who puts frozen mixed vegetables (you know the one with cubed carrot pieces & peas) in your red curry and call that authentic thai? i tried to wipe the shock off my face when i picked at it w/ my chopsticks. it was my first time at this establishment and i may have caught them off on a "bad" day, but it will be my last. i'm sure STL has enough thai restaurants to keep me happy so that i will not have to succumb to this one again. ever.
(2)
H. S.
I haven't had a chance to try any other good Thai places but by this is the best one yet..definitely better than "I and King" which is on the same block. Any who, I had the shrimp pad thai and it was pretty good..I think the reason why I gave 4 stars is the service was horrible, our waitress barely came back to check on us or even ask if we needed anything. But the food is good, and reasonably priced. I will probably go there again when I have another Thai craving! but nothing like the bay area (San Francisco) with Asian foods...or any type of food for that matter :)
(4)
Hilary P.
Having moved from a city where there is an authentic Thai restaurant on every corner, I was worried there were no good Thai restaurants in St. Louis (based on my experiences at the Thai restaurants on Delmar). I then heard about Basil Spice and The King and I and eagerly ventured to south Grand. Basil Spice is thoroughly delicious. The pad Thai is bursting with flavor, and the service is great. I will definitely be back to south grand to explore further.
(4)
Tracey L.
Hot Stuff! "Spice", I believe is the key word here. If you like it hot-n-spicy, you will not be disappointed. Those seeking more timid Thai should head down the street to King & I, but if you think you're up for the challenge, give Basil Spice a try. Service is exceptional.
(3)
Stephanie I.
I actually came here because King & I was closed when we tried to go (Monday). I got their pad thai, which I actually liked more than the one at King & I. Their Thai iced tea is also good as well - different than other ones I've had but still very good. Portions are medium-sized. I was full, but I think a few of my guy friends were not. Overall great good!
(4)
Michelle B.
don't expect to see any basil in your meal. in fact all the veggies are cheap and frozen. it shows in the bland flavor.
(1)
Jay D.
If I go more than about a week without my Basil Spice I start going through the beginning symptoms of withdrawal. Sometimes I think they have the best pad thai in town, it's definitely at least one of the best. Everything else I have tried has been excellent. The servers are extremely nice and I hope this place does well, it's absolutely worth a try.
(5)
Rasee G.
I was born and raised in Thailand so I know my Thai food. The Other Half and I shared an order of fried spring rolls (delicious) and he got the "Pad Med Ma-muang," which is chicken stir-fried with cashews, and I got the Panang chicken. Both dishes were lovely! I was surprised by how good the chicken in cashews were and the Panang had such a rich, creamy coconut flavor. The server was lovely and the food arrived quickly. We were surprised to see how empty the restaurant was on a Sunday evening, but we went at about 5 pm so it was quite early. I wanted to try the sticky rice with Thai custard for dessert, but was simply too full. Maybe next time. And there will definitely be a next time. What a nice find.
(4)
Chad E.
This place is nice and open. The food is great and the staff is very friendly. I don't really have anything insightful to say, so you'll just have to go to experience the goodness.
(5)
Susan I.
While my dining companion loved their panang curry with chicken, my pad thai with beef was atrocious. I consider myself a pad thai connoisseur (only because I must have it weekly) and the beef in this dish tasted mealy and game-y. My server noticed that I was pushing the beef pieces to the side and said, "you don't like the beef?" And when I told her it tasted bad, she said, "sorry," and moved on to the next table. While I'm sure this was a rare incident, the combination of horrible tasting beef and the fact that the server didn't offer to remedy the situation once she noticed that I did not like the dish makes me not want to return again. I give Basil Spice 2 stars because my dining companion enjoyed their dish, but I have definitely tasted better pad thai and had better service elsewhere.
(2)
Alison M.
Normally, I would go down the street to "King and I" for Thai food but I have a coupon for Basil Spice so BF and I decided to try it out. When we walked in, it was an interesting layout, almost loft-like with high ceilings and really weird decorations (read: not very good, like some artistically-lacking teenager tried to put up uneven paintings and other non-matching items). There was only one other table in the whole place on a weekday night, and they were so loud and laughing the whole time, we sort of derived some entertainment from them (some people might have been put off, but we're pretty easy-going). As for the food, it was okay. I can't even remember what I had but it was some derivation of a dry noodle dish. It was mediocre at best. When we paid our bill, they handed us this business card with a handwritten "10% off your next visit" on it. Hmm, lacking in business, mayhaps? Definitely would opt to go to King and I in the future for my Thai food needs.
(3)
auburn b.
Probably not what you're looking for. Food had more of an indian flavor to me, and I don't like that.
(2)
Linda E.
We've been here often enough not to remember everything we've ordered. It's a favorite among several good Southeast Asian restaurants in the neighborhood. One of the best appetizers are chicken-stuffed dumplings. The first time we ordered them they were perfect - light, fresh, just right - a flavor explosion in your mouth. That time we split an order among three of us; since then we've had to order more so we each got enough! We've shared some good chicken and seafood curries and like the spice. Always worth going back. Service is always thoughtful - one night when it was rather crowded, we settled for a smaller table for our group. When a larger one opened up, the waitress offered to move us to it before we noticed.
Takes Reservations : No Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch, Dinner Parking : Street Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Beer & Wine Only Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : No
Catherine W.
I'm all for forgiving small, quirky restaurants for poor service or unpleasant environments as long as the food is really special. It's the reason a lot of "hole-in-the-wall" places stay in business, because you don't go there for anything but amazing, unique food. Basil Spice Thai... is not that kind of place. Don't get me wrong, the food (or at least some of it) was pretty good, but not good enough to make up for the terrible service we got. The first warning sign came when we sat down and were (after a longer-than-usual wait) given our menus. They had wooden covers with Thai images (like an elephant or a shiva) on them. Maybe these covers were once pretty or interesting, but at a table of six only one of us had an intact menu. My image was completely gone, with only a glue stump left - others just had limbs, heads, and tusks broken off. It was actually pretty impressively bad. I will say that the food on the menu looked interesting, with a lot beyond the standard Pad Thai fare. After that, we spend a long time looking around waiting for our server to show up. Eventually we had to go to the desk to ask where our server was. When we finally got a server we ordered a bottle of wine for the table, which also took way too long to arrive. Our food also arrived in a bizarre manner. I have no idea why, but our server kept bringing each dish to me first, actually placing on the table in front of me, then asking who had ordered it. This happened at least twice. I ordered a vegetarian dish, and I repeatedly had to point away meat dishes. It was bizarre and off-putting. Our food also came out oddly paced, so that those who got their food had to sit for several minutes while everyone else's came out too. It all just seemed sloppy and hectic, really poorly done. I actually enjoyed my food, a vegetarian special, because it was different from most other Thai I've had. It was also just the right level of spicy for me (a 2 on a 1-5 spicy scale, per the waiter). Unfortunately one of my friends also ordered a level 2 spicy dish, but hers was waaaay too spicy. So much so that she had trouble eating it. Really a disappointment. Rinse and repeat the slow service when it came time for our check. Maybe try take out next time? At least that'd help the service. Not sure what to do about the spicy problem though. Overall, a very underwhelming experience.
(2)Byanka S.
I've tried just about every Thai place in St. Louis. Personally, this one is my fav. It's inexpensive and from all the places I've tried, they have the best pad see-iew (which is my favorite dish). Most other places, the pad see-iew tastes like all the other noodles, but Basil Spice makes it how I'm used to: with the sweet soy sauce. I also love spicy dishes. I tried nuah num tok, a salad with beef, and it was really tasty. It was spicy, it had beef, cilantro, lime juice, and red onion. This is going to be my permanent Thai go-to place.
(5)Sarah V.
This place is among my favorite Thai restaurants. The food is delicious. I recommend the summer rolls and kao pad with shrimp. The service is quick and the atmosphere is laid back. I've always been in and out in under an hour here. The prices are good. The only thing is, prepare to drink water as they do not ask for drink orders unless you specifically request a drink.
(5)David S.
The food is tasty.
(5)Astrid M.
I tried this for the first time last weekend. The interior is really lovely and cozy -- I spent the bulk of my meal staring at the various decorations on the walls and in the front window display. Even though I was seated near the door, I didn't feel any drafts when the main door opened and closed. This is important, because draftiness as a result of near-door seating can really ruin a meal for me. As for the meal itself, it was sort of lamertons. Watch out -- the spring rolls are FRIED, rendering them egg rolls in my book. The chicken larb was flavorful, but by no means mind-blowing. Later, my friend got really mad when I tried eating the larb leftovers at his house -- apparently, larb leftovers smell awful if you're not eating them yourself. The best part of the meal, sadly, was picking through the dregs of my friend's seafood panang. If you go, I recommend trying your friend's seafood panang leftovers. Service, though friendly, could have been better. There was hardly anyone dining, but it took considerable miming and flagging gestures to grab the staff's attention.
(2)Dana C.
First time here after a really bad experience at king and I, which is usually my favorite Thai in the city. I got pad see iew with beef level 2 and my friend got chicken Panang curry level 2. The pad see iew is awesome! Very flavorful, crisp veggies, sweet soy sauce, yummy noodles- first time trying it and I'm sold! The Panang is very good, but still not the best I've had. At my favorite thai place (Thai House in Columbia IL - totally worth the 15 minute drive) they have peas in the panang. I dont have any idea whether that is customary or authentic, but I do know that it's delicious! Next time I come I'll get a level 1, and there will definitely be a next time!
(4)Johanna C.
Basil Spice is a good place for your standard Thai fare. The quality of my food has varied over several trips, but it's usually satisfying.
(4)Arun S.
Decent Thai food. Nothing special. Nice Thai iced coffee.
(4)Danielle H.
I knew from the first bite of my fried spring roll that I would be back. It was that good. Also had the pad thai with chicken (saw it recommended in a lot of Foursquare tips) and cleaned my plate. It was a smaller portion, so don't plan on having leftovers like you would at most Thai places. As I mentioned, the fried spring rolls are amazing. Seriously. But you only get two. Do yourself a favor and get a double order. Service was top knotch as well.
(5)Tod S.
This place mediocre. The food had good flavor but they charged me 1.45 for a glass of ice water, really. Well that is it for me, I won't return and recommend walking past it because there are plenty of other establishments within walking distance.
(2)Pepe P.
Terrible. Terrible. Worst Thai food I have ever eaten. Very small quantities for the money. But looking back on it - that is the best part of the experience. Frozen veggies, greasy sauce and cardboard-like meat. Could not have told the difference between the beef and chicken. Same color, same taste, same texture. Terrible.
(1)Jen J.
We had a less than mediocre dining experience at Basil Spice last Saturday. We ordered a Thai Iced Coffee that tasted like it had 20 bags of sugar. We got appetizers: satay and spring rolls, which were decent (hence the two star rating). But the dinner was bland and tasteless. We ordered a beef stirfry and two curry chicken dishes (Don't remember the names). The friendly server asked for our spiciness preference. Two of us said spicy and the dishes came out with no spice at all. In addition to the mediocre dishes, the portions were not big enough to justify the price. This place is definitely one of the worst Thai restaurants in St. Louis IMO. I am surprised it even got more than two stars from the rest of the reviewers here.
(2)Jaffa A.
When I first noticed that another Thai restaurant was opening on South Grand, my first thought was "Is this really necessary?" Between the King and I (which I have always been fond of) and all the Thai places on the loop--actually, I think they're all owned by the same family, I have been getting a little sick of the Thai food here. Since I first went in a couple of months ago, Thai Basil has become one of my new favorites (although I have only been there a small handful of times). Their use of fresh veggies and the fact that the overall flavor of the place isn't the same old thing as everything else has won me over. Their selection of vegetarian options is pretty generous and has kept me from straying into the seafood selection, which I am definitely curious about. The khao kratium prik-tai, which is basically stir-fried tofu, garlic, and black pepper, served with rice is excellent. It's spicy and the garlicky flavor is great. Basil Spice does their fried tofu right--crispy and flavorful, but not too greasy or overly battered tasting. The pad khee-mao, which is stir fried noodles (the delicious wide flat kind) with tofu and fresh vegetable in spicy basil sauce was fantastic and I made myself finish it (with a couple of friends eating a few bites) even though I was already full. The summer rolls are a good appetizer and come both peanut and sweet chili sauce, which combined, tasted really good on the nicely presented fresh summer rolls. If you like Thai food or your love for it has waned due to the same thing over and over, give Basil Spice a try (or many).
(5)Hikaru N.
I visited Thai Basil Spice the other day in an attempt to check out some more restaurants before ending my vacation here in St. Louis. The spring rolls were decent, and the yellow curry was ok. Not particularly great, but not horrible. The ambience was a bit weird as I could not put my finger on what type of crowd it attracts either which slightly confused me. Worth a visit, but do not expect to be blown away.
(3)Chris M.
Delicious and reasonably priced, very friendly and attentive staff. Better food and experience for the $$ than some of their Thai competitors on South Grand. Can't wait to go back to try more dishes!
(4)Jeff N.
Okay dishes. Musty dinning room. If you have allergies, avoid.
(2)Beth D.
Good service but the food was nothing great. It looked like they used frozen vegetables in the dishes and the portions were very small. Good flavor to the food but nothing else spectacular.
(2)Dean K.
I really hate giving out one star to a place where folks are obviously working hard and trying to make a living, but the food at Basil Spice is not good at all. I went here shortly after they opened and had a noodle dish (pad thai) that was cooked in so much oil that the noodles nearly oozed off the plate. It was an inedible mess. Naturally, it took a while before I went back. But, after hearing friends say good things about the food, I gave it another try. This time around my dining partner's Pad Thai was not nearly as oily, but it still lacked something important: flavor. The same went for the Pad Basil I ordered. (I also asked for this dish hot, 4 out of 5 stars on their heat scale, but I would rate the heat I got a 0.) And then there was the thing they called Chicken Satay: is chicken supposed to crack like a bread stick when you bit into it? One of the things I love about Thai food is the expert balancing of flavors that is present in so many dishes. At Basil Spice, however, there is really no flavor to balance. This is Thai food dumbed down in the same way that Chinese food has been dumbed down for American palates. There are much better places to get good Thai food in town.
(1)valiha s.
I adore this place. I've never had a bad meal here and think the people who work here are so nice. We've had nearly everything on the menu! Recommend: (we always get tofu and love how it's prepared) Gang (Red Curry, green is good but I prefer red) or Panang Pad See-iew Pad Khee-Mao Pad Wuhn-Sen also like to get these stir-fry entrées with tofu... Pad Med Ma-Muang Pad Khing or Pad Basil oh, and can't forget! Veggie Spring Rolls and Thai Iced tea Get your dish a little spicy and get a thai tea to cool the spice... oh so good! And in my opinion is much better than any other Thai place in St. Louis. We've recently moved to Chicago and haven't found a Basil Spice replacement! I miss you!!!
(5)Anthony A.
Originally, I was trying to get to The King and I but since they were closed on Mondays this was my alternative. The parking is street side and with Grand Avenue as awful as it has bee en for the last year, I drove around the block several times. After stopping almost two blocks away I was able to stroll to the restaurant. The red curry dish, which I ordered to go, was waiting for me upon arrival. The rice was packaged in a type of Styrofoam hot dog container with the curry in a clear plastic bowl. The red curry was a little on the thin side and as I ordered it level four spice, I thought it was extremely mild. The curry had all sorts of vegetables, including carrots and green beans. The large chunks of chicken and bamboo shoots were tasty and made for a hearty meal. At $9, the entree was not bad, but I long for The King and I on most other nights. This was a nice alternative.
(3)Andrew W.
interesting flavors, not what i'm used to at all, but good for sure! portions for take out were a little on the small side as i almost at two and i'm 135lbs soaking wet. looking for more thai to compare to in st louis, but this one's on the win list!
(4)Kelly B.
Yum. I just love Thai food and I think Thai Basil Cafe does a decent job of it. Service is friendly, with a small language barrier. Water is never empty. The ambiance is so-so. They made a fair attempt to decorate, but the workmanship is shotty and the ugly white counter and an uglier refrigerator in the main room dampers whatever ambiance they attempted to create. The Thai sweet tea is delish and only $1.50. They have lots of Pad stir fries, curries, and of course , my fav Tom Kha soup. Tom Kha soup (a spicy coconut cream soup with chicken, lemon grass, galanga, Thai peppers, mushrooms, Thai basil, etc.) is one of those things I must have at least once every six weeks and I have resorted to making it myself because so many of the local restaurants charge so much for it! You can get a small bowl here for $4.50, which is reasonable. Still, the menu prices are slightly high (I'm spoiled by the prices at Thai House and Thips Thai - both in Illinois). Overall, it was a nice experience. I had a great meal and was very satisfied.
(4)Jonathan K.
Delicious Thai food on Grand in Tower Grove South.. We came for the $6.95 lunch specials, hoping for some good and cheap Thai food. The Ba-Mee Mhoo Dang (Egg noodles with Thai style BBQ pork, bean sprouts, green onions, cilantro, green lettuce and crispy wontons) was really tasty with a lot of flavor. On a scale of 1-5 for spiciness I asked for 4, which resulted in my dish being a little spicy. The Sen-Lek Haeng (Rice noodles with bean sprouts, and topped with crispy wontons, green onions and cilantro), was awesome and had a great sauce. The portions were on the smaller side, but for the price it was good enough. Our server was nice and the service was quick and efficient. The atmosphere was interesting with some (maybe traditional? I don't really know...) Thai decorations around the room. I look forward to coming back.
(4)Sam S.
I find that neither the glowing reviews or the hardened pans of this place are not quite accurate. I had Basil Spice last night and, while not the best Thai meal I've ever had, it was quite good. I always get a kick out Yelp reviews, citing either the BEST or the WORST of one thing that they've ever had. I'm not much for hyberbole so I'll simply recommend Basil Spice as a good place to get a bite to eat. It's simple, cheap and tasty. The service is prompt and friendly as well. The spring rolls were very good, the dish that I had was very good. My only complaint would be that I can't imagine how a place can have bad water in St. Louis. The water had a metallic taste to it which I really don't get. St. Louis is known as having the countries best tap water! Regardless. Good solid place to eat. Nothing special, but I'd go again.
(4)Mike J.
I love this place. Its not the greatest thai food I've ever had, its not even the best in St. Louis, but it is in my neighborhood and they make very good food for a very affordable price. I love being able to walk to a place and have lunch or dinner for less than $10. If you want something a little more upscale you can always go down the street to King & I, but this place is the best bang for the buck in the Thai genre.
(4)Aamir B.
I am not writing my review in anger at all yet simple disappointment. I have Dined here in the past and always had a great experience. Yesterday was my first time in a while and I noticed the owner was not working....I also noticed I had one of the worst experience I've ever had. I was welcomed and seated. It took the waiter about 8 minutes to bring me water and ask for my order. I think he forgot about me because he was walking around. It was moderately busy. I ordered A1 fried chicken egg rolls. When I got them they were semi frozen and cold inside. I asked the waiter (Caucasian guy in his 30s) to please make me a fresh batch while I stepped out to smoke. He was apologetic and polite about it. When I came back inside my table was cleared. I guess the busboy thought I left. I decided to sit outside. At this point I never saw the waiter again. A very polite older gentleman brought my food after I went inside 15 minutes after waiting outside to see if my appetizer was ready. I also ordered seafood stir fry with vegetables. This time everything tasted OK. Everything was thoroughly cooked. The waiter never came out to check on me to see if I needed anything else. Never refilled my water. Never asked me if I needed another pepsi. Never asked me if my food tasted good. Nothing whatsoever. I finished my meal in about 20 minutes. Waited almost 10 min and went back inside and asked for the bill. I paid the bill at the register. Honestly. A waste of $20. I know the owner takes pride in her restaurant and works hard. Since she wasn't there the service should still be excellent. This waiter needs some serious training. He was just walking around his seven top the whole time and just checking up on them. I would have left this dude a $10 tip if he had done a good job. I am writing this review not as an insult but honest feedback to a restaurant that used to be good quality!
(2)Jordan D.
The first time we at here, my husband and I declared it to be our favorite Thai in St. Louis (though, that's not saving much considering I've been hard pressed to find anything rivaling even what I've eaten in Oklahoma City). We visited for the second time, though, and will NEVER be returning. When we came in, we waited a FULL five minutes before being seated. Another five passed before our waitress appeared with menus. We already knew what we wanted, but she ran away so fast, we couldn't put in our order. When she came back 10 minutes later to get our drinks order, she refused to even TAKE our food order saying she'd "be right back." While we waited on our Thai Iced Teas and waters, another party arrived. They were greeted and seated and provided their drinks and appetizers all BEFORE our waters ever arrived at our table. By the time we placed our food orders, these people were being brought their main dishes and chatting happily with another member of the waitstaff. When our food FINALLY came, it was terrible. My husband's curry was not only runny and bland, it had a slick of oil on top. My panang curry was also bland as well as being GRITTY. The food was unpalatable, but we were sick of being there so we flagged the waitress to get our check. I will NEVER return to this place and will warn others not to come here. I would have given only 1 star, but the first time we came, the food was fantastic.
(2)Jolena S.
Very meh. Everything was cooked properly and the service was good. The flavors of the food just weren't great. Not bad, just meh. The fried tofu appetizer with peanut sauce was pretty bland. He got the chicken red curry, which was good. I got the shrimp See-iew, which was again kind of bland. The shrimp were large and well prepared but the flavor profile of the whole dish just seemed to be lacking.
(3)Margaret D.
This restaurant used to be very good! Now, it seems they are going thru the motions. Restaurant looked like it needed a good cleaning. Couldn't get past the dust. Food was ordinary....very salty. Nothing's remarkable....stay away!
(1)Lacey G.
Just ordered Pad kee Mao (takeout). I only took 2 bites it was so awful. Oily noodles, a weird salty flavor and it did not even look like Pad kee Mao normally looks. Don't waste your money here, just got to King and I down the street. I can't believe how terrible this dish was.
(1)Paul R.
Solid place. Good food in a no frills environment. Service is fast and friendly-ish. Again no frills. The curry is very good. The noodles are so-so. The spring rolls always taste super fresh and I do like the peanut sauce. Good neighborhood place but I wouldn't go out of my way for it.
(3)Abigail M.
Let me preface this review by saying, Basil Spice used to be the go-to restaurant on south Grand for my husband and I. This used to be our number one pick to eat out together for about 7 years. However, I have been significantly disappointed when eating there in the last 6 months. We had not eaten there in a while when we invited my in-laws to dinner at Basil Spice. We recommended sharing 3 plates or so with the table (since portions used to be quite generous), but they preferred to each get a meal. Thank-goodness, because somehow, although prices had not decreased, the portions on the plates had shrunk to about 1/2-2/3 the size they used to be. We continued to patronize the restaurant, although the decreased meal portions happily encouraged us to explore some of the other Thai/Vietnamese options around (and we found some other restaurants we now prefer). Then in February 2015, we invited a couple to dinner. My husband left a 15% tip (we were paying for both couples, so the check was more than usual). Sadly, when I reconciled our bills (I keep all receipts), my records for that meal didn't match with our credit card statement. Instead of the 15% we put down, we were charged a 20% tip! (I looked back and found the receipt to verify this.) I'm afraid we will not continue to eat at Basil Spice unless there is some extraordinary circumstance or gathering... nor can I now recommend it to my friends. :-(
(1)Meg M.
All the times that I have gone down to grand to eat, I have overlooked this place and I really do not know why. I came here with a cousin and my nephew (who's 8 years old, and readily likes to try new foods... even if he does not like everything, he's willing to give it a try!). Well, we came in here on a Monday after going to the Sherlock Holmes exhibition and were hungry. The place itself is rather small, but seems to be somewhat popular. When we arrived there seemed to be a few groups there eating and we thought it was a good sign. We hadn't eaten here before and were quickly greeted and settled at a table. The menu's are pretty simple helpful for an eight year old to understand too! We ordered some spring rolls and chicken dumplings to start off with. The chicken dumplings were very, very good and went over well with the three of us. My nephew really loved them, and wanted another plate of them when we were finished. I liked the spring rolls, I have had better in other places but they were fresh and delicious. We ended up getting my nephew phad thai with shrimp and he thought it was intereting, i am not sure he was a fan. But, as an eight year old, sometimes it takes a while for children to get into something. I ordered the Pad basil and found it to be delicious, but it was missing something but I am not sure what it would be that would make it awesome but it was good. My cousin got one of the curry dishes, can't remember which but he found it to be delicious. I'll probably come back sometime, not sure when.
(3)Adam R.
Huge portions and great prices. I made the mistake of ordering my food spicy. I couldn't handle it. I teared up like a wimp, but took it home and finished it off with glass of milk. Give it a shot!
(4)Mobin M.
This is the second time I been here in the last 2 weeks and I'm telling you BEST Thai place in St. Louis! The owners are very nice and sweet and take care of all the guest! I'm glad I found this place because when I want good tasting Thai food I know where to go!!!
(5)Mindy P.
Basil Spice, with one dinner, quickly has become my favorite Thai restaurant in STL. I got a pineapple fried rice with seafood and it was delicious. Also the chicken dumplings had a lot of flavor and i loved the dipping sauce. The poor server's English was very broken and that was a hurdle, but that will not keep me from going back. I hope to very soon!
(4)DeAnna K.
Living on S. Grand, I've tried just about all the Asian joints, except for Basil Spice. A friend wanted to try it, so we went for dinner. I can't exactly recall the name of my dish, but it was basically beef, lettuce, and rice covered heavily with what I guess were crushed peanuts. Everything kinda had a funky smell/taste to it. Not very enjoyable to say the least, and not only am I Asian, I eat just about everything. My friend ordered what I was assuming was like a Jasmine tea, but they gave her hot water and and an assortment of English breakfast teas to choose from...A great pairing to any Asian platter. I look to my left, and amongst the Buddha's and other Oriental decor, there is a worn down looking medieval castle with toy dragons and Lego dragons around it covered in dust. I think the majority of people who eat here are Caucasians that basically don't know any better.
(1)Andria N.
Favorite Pad Thai on Grand for the price and amount. It's spicy, fresh and never too long of a wait. Take-out for the win!
(5)Cindy H.
Someone did their home work before taking me to lunch. Great service. Cozy atmosphere. Delicious food. Can not wait to come back! Pineapple fried rice with shrimp and khao-nuea sunka for dessert are my favorites.
(5)Ashley B.
From a person who has lived in Thailand this was by far the worst example of thai food in the US. The rice in both dishes was over cooked and mushy. The vegetable stir fry tasted like it was from a bag of frozen food. Both the pork and chicken were over cooked and chewy. To top it off the water tasted extremely metallic. I would never recommend this to anyone.
(1)Jeff S.
Great Thai restaurant, heavy on the flavor and the heat. I had the panaang curry while passing through STL and have no complaints.
(4)Kathy S.
So disappointing! Worst restaurant experience in a very long time. Slowest service ever. It took at least 10 minutes for them to take our order. 30 minutes later one of the staff came to the table to tell me they were out of shrimp!! So I asked for scallops instead. One minute later they brought my husband's food. 10 minutes later they brought mine. I can't imagine going back there.
(1)Matthew W.
We love this place. Great food and very good prices. The pad see ew is amazing. Compliments with the red curry chicken dish very well. We have been back three times just for those two dishes.
(5)Stephanie J.
Not good. I would make more authentic Thai food at home and I have no knowledge/experience in doing so. I ordered my Pad Kee Mao very spicy and they straight up dumped crushed red pepper on the center on it. Like half a normal sized bottle of crushed red pepper! Also, they used frozen vegetables which results in a mushy, non-restaurant quality texture. Sadly, S. Grand does not have a good Thai place to add to its mecca.
(1)Amy E.
Excellent Thai! We had a great dinner that was a great deal! We sat next to a table of St Louis police officers eating dinner-- which is a testament to the quality of the food!
(5)Bill B.
We went here for meatless meal. Very happy finding a better Thai restaurant in St Louis than the ones we loved in Phoenix.
(4)Katie S.
Had a very mediocre dinner here with pretty bad service. They got the spices wrong on both of our dishes - one had absolutely no spice and the other was so spicy I couldn't eat it. It's not entirely fair to site someones poor English as a reason for bad service, but I got charged for something I didn't want because we could not find a way to communicate properly. It was overall a bad experience, and we will not be back.
(2)Liz R.
Very good food. Great vegetarian options, but the summer rolls are average. The sauce on the summer rolls is delicious, which helps make up for it. We always have good service and a good experience.
(4)Matt S.
I think Basil Spice is the best Thai in STL, this is our go to spot for Thai. We usually get the Pad Thai. All the vegetables and meats are fresh.
(5)Anna D.
red curry was more of a different taste than what we were expected. I was thinking along the lines of a curry type dish but instead it almost was like a sauteed taste... not bad though, it was actually very tasty! green curry was less creamy than most that i've tasted. it was oiler as well but i did have it with pork so maybe it's just from the meat i selected. I enjoyed the dish the way it was prepared since i demolished it! I would recommend some mushrooms since i was pretty jealous of the red curry's mushrooms. the spring rolls were also delightful. it was fried in some kind of oil that didn't leave a greasy residue. also, the inside was filled with a lot of glass noodles (one of my favorites). the size of the roll itself was larger than average than most places. I also enjoyed the fast of the sauce they gave us.
(4)Joe S.
I love the area, S.Grand its loaded with international cuisine. My wife and I really enjoy Thai food and having tried numerous spots this is pretty much our go to joint for Thai. The staff speaks pretty much zero English lol but its cool they haven't jacked up any of our orders as of yet. We usually go for their generous portion of delicious Pad Thai and the price is right, its a win - win in my book. Go for it!! you wont regret it.
(4)Eddy L.
The first thing I noticed about this restaurant when I came in is how underwhelming it was. The decore felt legged from a dollar store. This would not have bothered me at all if the food was amazing but sadly it was not. The food was about the quality of a microwavable Asian dish. I would not recommend this place at all...
(2)Katherine T.
Pretty good and reasonably priced. Kind of small portions. Not too busy on a Friday night and easily able to accommodate a large crowd.
(3)Britt W.
I love this place! I always order the Gang Dang w/chicken and it is amazing. Spicy just how I like it but they can modify it to your taste. I used to order the Fried Spring Rolls but I decided to try the Fresh Spring Rolls and I am glad that I did! The servers don't speak the best of English but it is nothing to grapple over, the fully understand what you want to order. The decor also doesn't bother me. I'm not there to judge your decorations, just the food. Would HIGHLY recommend this place.
(5)Aimee K.
Just thought I should reiterate how much I like this place and how great the staff is to their customers. When we walked up at 10pm last night, I assumed they'd be closing down, but the man working assured us that we should sit down and eat... even though I knew the cooks were probably trying to leave. I was so thankful! The yellow curry (my favorite Thai dish) here rocks pretty hard. It was the perfect level of spicy. The spring rolls we got were so very good and I wish I had more room in my stomach to finish mine! The accompanying sauce was spot on & everything really just tasted fantastic. The yellow curry had huge chunks of potato, perfectly cooked chicken, huge slices of carrots... so yum. The rice, sauce, and veggies all blended together nearly put me on cloud nine after a very long day. We went to pay for our bill and the server told us there was no need to rush, and that we should take our time and enjoy ourselves! What a doll. At 10:30pm on a Monday, I'm pretty sure everyone was ready to get out of there. But alas, they put their need for sleep behind our need for a solid dinner. I really love this place. King & I still has my Thai-loving heart on South Grand, but man, this is a close second.
(4)Mary Kate M.
I have been to Basil Spice a few times over the last couple of years. I am a tad surprised I never wrote a review for them before, but here goes... Latest visit was last night with Jason and our friend Rhoda. Faithfully, every time, I seem to get the exact same server, the exact same man comes around to each table to refill waters, and another elderly woman always brings out the food. This is definitely a family owned place with great quality food. I usually get the Pad Thai and fresh spring rolls simply because I think it is the best in the city, but last night I tried to go out of my comfort zone. Since realistically this will be my last visit to Basil Spice for a long while (we're moving Monday to Washington DC), I thought I would give my beloved Thai place one last visit. I had to get something different. So, this time I decided on getting their #32, Sen-lek Haeng. Sen-lek Haeng comes with rice noodles, bean sprouts, crispy wantons, green onions, cilantro, and crushed roasted peanuts. You can have them remove any items you may not want in there -- peanuts if you are allergic, or for me, green onions because I don't like them. I asked them to bring me extra crispy wantons also. You can choose which meat you want it to come with. They can bring it with chicken, select seafood, beef, or vegetarian. I opted for chicken for $8.95 for the entree. You can have it as spicy or not spicy as you like. They ask you with a 0-5 scale. I told them 0, but turns out, I actually wanted it spicy. Go figure. I added some spice from the brown sauce that was already on the table. They have certain additives on the table already before you get there along with the chop sticks and extra napkins. Jason ordered something sweeter than what he typically does. He loves spicy anything. Pad See-iew with beef. It's stir fried rice noodles with eggs, carrots, and broccoli in a sweet soy sauce. He rated it on the 4 for spicy. Turns out it was not spicy at all, but more sweet and very tasty. I told him I wanted to trade plates. lol This was before I had asked for the extra wantons and added the spicy brown sauce from the table. Once I did all that, I really liked mine the way it was. If I were to come here next time, I would want to order his dish. I think the only mistake of this meal was Jason ordered some sticky rice. He saw that Rhonda had some rice on her plate, but was unaware that it was simply white rice and not sticky rice. The white rice on her plate had been overcooked and could easily be misunderstood as sticky rice instead of plain white rice. Honest mistake. He got the sticky rice which was only an extra $1. Turns out the stuff is really bland and not that good in my opinion for the one bite I had and could barely swallow. I never thought that I would not like taking a bite of rice. He added some spicy chili sauce to make it more flavorful. He thought it was alright after that, but next time he will know to just ask for plain white rice. I enjoyed our visit. 2 entrees for $8.95, the sticky rice for $1, and no drinks totaling out to be $20 without tip. Not bad, especially with the portions. Oh how I will miss you my Basil Spice! You have always been good to me and I shall always remember you.
(4)Briana S.
I've gotta say, after hearing mediocre reviews I was pretty impressed with Basil Spice last night. We had an event going on across the street and once it was over my boss and I were famished so--we headed here when most other places were closing down (so were they). We sat outside and our waiter was extremely prompt, helpful, and cheerful even though we sat down when they were closing up shop. At the end of our meal he even said, "don't rush it's alright, there's plenty of people here, so take your time!", pretty nice for people I know probably wanted to get home like the rest of South Grand! We had spring rolls to start and I ordered Gang Dang Curry with medium spice. The spring rolls were nice and crispy (sweet and sour sauce was your normal tangy dip) and everything came out incredibly quickly and piping hot. My steamed rice was nicely cooked as was the chicken and veggies in my dish. I could really taste the sweet basil too which added a nice flavor to the red curry sauce. My tongue was burning, my stomach was full--I was one happy gal.
(4)Lydia L.
Like the stars indicate...OK. I guess I'll disclose that not only am I of Thai descent, but I was just in Thailand on vacation a couple of months ago. Just moved to STL, and people raved about this being the best Thai in town, although they admitted there's not really any good Thai food here. I was hopeful that this place would be a hole-in-the wall, hidden-gem, but it was pretty average. The waiter was nice, but he didn't know the menu at all. We started with the larb gai, which was appropriately spicy, but oddly served with rice instead of cabbage or lettuce. For entrees, had the fish with red curry and the massaman curry with chicken. The fish dish was really salty, and I guess I couldn't expect for the fish to be fresh. The massaman had undercooked potatoes, but had a generous amount of pineapple. Portion sizes were solid, everything was served with rice, and the family that runs the place was clearly very invested in their business.
(3)Jessica W.
Just ordered the Pad Thai and Panang Curry for carry out and I wasn't overly impressed. I thought the flavor was kind of bland and there was very little protein (I ordered chicken in both dishes) in either. Next time I want Thai I'll be heading to King and I.
(3)Derek S.
Was in the mood for some Thai food during my weekend stay in St Louis and Basil Spice came up on my Yelp app. The A/C inside the restaurant is weak, but the service was prompt and friendly. I was surprised they served Lunch Specials on the weekend too! My Pad Thai came out medium spicy. ...,it was the first time someone asked how hot I wanted my Pad Thai... The Pad Thai was mediocre. It was flavorful, but the shrimps were small. If Yelpers say that this is the place for Pad Thai in STL, ...they should come have Thai food in the SF Bay Area!
(3)Melissa K.
I am searching for a decent Thai place in the city, and we had Basil Spice delivered a few months ago. However, if we try ordering again for delivery, the woman on the phone has said either they aren't offering delivery tonight or that the driver wasn't in our neighborhood (though we had not yet placed an order). Not reliable.
(2)Mark P.
I made my first visit to Basil Spice last night and I'm sorry to say that I wasn't impressed. Upon being seated, the first thing I noticed was how old and tattered the menus looked. I know it's a minor detail, but they really should update those nasty things. The menu covers are made out of a wood material with a cool looking Thai Buddha or something like that on the front, but the pages in the middle consisted of sticky plastic sleeves with dirty wrinkled up pages slid inside. I felt like I needed to wash my hands after looking through that thing. Anyway, I don't get too bothered by grimy things like that, so let's move on to the food. For starters, we ordered the Chicken Dumplings for $4.95 and the Chicken Satay Gai for $6.95. The dumplings came out fresh and hot, but were nothing special compared to other versions I've tried. After several minutes of waiting for our other appetizer to arrive, our main courses came. The waiter explained that our order had been mixed up in the kitchen and taken to another table. We told him "no worries, just cancel the order". For the main courses, we sampled three different dishes. The Nuah Num Tok for $8.95 (beef salad) was probably the best dish of the night. The tender sliced beef was seasoned well with onions, cilantro and lime juice. Probably the most common dish at a Thai restaurant, Chicken Pad Thai for $8.95, was good, but not any better than the ones I've had around St. Louis. The biggest letdown of the night had to be the Tom Yum Goong Soup (Large bowl for $9.95). I love my Tom You Soup, but I was very disappointed in this one. The flavors just didn't pop for me. To top it all off, the operations just seemed to be out of whack on my visit. Our waiter tried his best to keep up with things, but I sensed that the problems stemmed from kitchen and lack of staff on hand. I'm going with two stars for now, but I'm willing to try this place again to see how the curries are.
(2)Queena D.
Best thai food in st louis, hands down, especially when i'm needing my pad see-ew or pad thai fix. I have a fondness for the owners as well - friendly and accommodating. The downside: portions are small for what you pay (compared to places like King&I), and there have been times when ive ordered take-out that they forget to include utensils! which is more of an inconvenience than a real problem.
(5)Andy U.
Best thing: Great Thai food at reasonable price Biggest problem: Interior temperature You can always judge a Thai restaurant by its Pad Thai. Basil Spice is my favorite Pad Thai in St. Louis. It tastes great and its priced well. I never leave feeling like I've spent too much money on something I didn't enjoy. The only drawback would be the interior. The restaurant temperature is not maintained well. Specifically, I have a hard time going there in the winter because it's too cold. They have space heaters placed throughout the room, but if you're not near one you're left cold.
(4)Harper Z.
Huge menu so if you aren't really sure what you like, there is bound to be something you will enjoy. Service is friendly and the portions are a good size for a great overall value. I love Thai food and thought everything was good but not great. My group tried a variety of things and were all satisfied but not knocked out. I will go back again if I feel the Thai craving.
(4)Jason B.
went there for dinner w/ my girlfriend Saturday night. I wish they weren't out of spring rolls, but the egg rolls were a good substitute. good Chang beer. nice dinner
(4)Mandie M.
Never in my life did I think I would enjoy Thai food, but I am so glad I gave it a shot. I am never disappointed with the food here. Maybe it's because I always get the same dish (Pad Thai), but maybe because the food is just that good?!?! I have only dined in once for lunch, but the other visits typically require picking up food to go so I can get back to the office in time for more work. I am not one to enjoy spicy food and so I always order non-spicy and every time I get it just that way. No Spice at all. Just the way I like it. Usually when I go out to eat I say not spicy and I still get some spice, but the kitchen actually listens here and I appreciate that! I will continue to go back again and again.
(4)Jessica C.
I've been here about five times in the last few years with a friend who swears by this place. When we're on South Grand, she always wants to go here. Mehhhhhh. It's OK. The staff is really nice and I like the cozy atmosphere, but the food is just OK. The appetizers are good (I highly recommend the chicken satay, very coconut-y and with a great peanut sauce), but I've never had an entree that really blew me away. Conversely, my friend swears by Pad Basil fried rice style and I must admit that it's very tasty. It'll do in a pinch or if your friend wants to go, but it's not my first choice for a meal on South Grand.
(3)Christine M.
It was so delicious!! We wanted to go to King and I, but they are closed on Monday so I decided to look up different Thai places. This one seemed just as close and people liked it. It was so good. It wasn't extremely spicy, but that changed once we added the chili pepper spice to it. They also did not have egg plant in any of their dishes, which we were not used to, but it was still amazing. The reason I gave it 4 stars was because the sign said it was closed when it was actually open (causing us to drive back and forth on Grand) and it was kind of cold, although the server turned a space heater towards us which was nice of her. I will definitely be back though!
(4)John D.
I thought this place had pretty good food. I went with a generic pad thai, which was very good. However I asked for spicy and I'm not sure if it was spicy at all... Hmm. Our waitress was super courteous and didn't bat and eye when we paid in both cash and card. We make things hard in my circle of friends but the waitress seem to not mind. I'm sure I will be back to try other stuff when I am on South Grand!
(4)Alexis S.
I tried to place an order for take-out. The woman taking the order hung up on me three times. The last time she said she was too busy to take my order and to call back later. Fat chance.
(1)Dez E.
This is definitely my SO and I's new favorite Thai place. The food is delicious and their sauces are amazing. Honestly, this place is way more authentic than some of the other Thai restaurants in the St. Louis area. This restaurant's got a nice atmosphere and a full menu. The food is really delicious. The Pad-Wuhn-Sen is delicious with a little extra sauce added. The prices are very reasonable. The only slight downside is the lack of or organization within the restaurant. I think there are times when the left doesn't quiteknow what the right is doing. However, the food is delicious. Try the fried spring rolls!
(5)Allan C.
The food is ok and their lunches are pretty cheap for understandably smaller portions. I do enjoy the chicken pad thai with extra egg for less than 8 bucks. Unfortunately the portions are so small it's getting harder and harder to convince the coworkers to come here! Gah! It'll have to be one of those "I haven't had thai in months and I'm not that hungry so let's go here."
(3)Stephen H.
Graduation week continues...brought my parents and my baby sister, and had a wonderful late afternoon lunch. Around 2:30 on a drizzly day, you're going to have a restaurant to yourself. I had the pineapple seafood fried rice (sorry, I don't recall the Thai name) on a 3 out of 5 scale of spice (you can order anywhere from 1-5). Loved the dessert....sticky rice and sliced mango and also got the fried banana fritters with ice cream and drizzled honey.
(4)Sarah F.
Great pad Thai & very affordable. Friendly & polite server. The owner brought us a free plate of summer rolls (non-fried spring rolls) during our meal, too.
(5)Angela C.
Been on a Thai kick and wanted to try a few new places, but this was a huge let down. The red curry was just okay but pretty bland. My pad-keh-mao tasted more like a stir fry Chinese. It was horrible service and a quick lunch turned into two hours! The only real positive is the lunch menu process.
(2)Al S.
Basic Spice is a nice, cozy place located in the South Grand area. The staff are extremely friendly. We even received a free order of spring rolls, which was nice. The dumplings were also quite delicious. I am a coconut milk and curry fan and went for the Gang Dang (w/chicken), which was chocked full of various veggies and very tasty. They also actually ask what heat level you prefer as far as the curry is concerned, which is an added plus considering some establishments do not. The prices are a little steep but quality makes up for the added cost. I will return to try another delicious curry entree in the near future!
(4)Tian Q.
After we parked around South Grand, my crew decided to go to here instead of King of I because it was a block closer, but I don't think we'll be lazy bums again after learning our lessons from Basil Spice. Food: A few hits and a lot of misses -Appetizers: the Satay Gai was good -My friends ordered the generic stuff like simple Pad Thai/Curry/Stir Fry and they weren't pleased. I tasted one of their noodles dish and it completely lacked flavor as well as moisture. I can usually tolerate a lot of food but that was just gross. -I decided to venture out of my comfort zone (aka ordering Pad Thai at every Thai place I go to). I got the Rahd Na (stir fried baby corns, broccoli, and carrots in soybean gravy sauce. Served over stir fried rice noodles with black soy sauce), and the flavor was just right and made my daily intake of veggies go down easy. -Desserts: SKIP THE DESSERTS. Seriously, SKIP THE DESSERTS! I was looking forward to my Khao-Nuea Sunka-Ya (steamed sweet sticky rice with coconut milk topped with Thai egg custard) and Glua Hom Sa-Bai (fried banana crepe) because they sounded really good in descriptions and I usually have good experiences with Thai desserts. However, I was super disappointed when my dessert plates came up. I felt like a kid who was expecting a giant/delicious black forest cake but got a tiny gross muffin instead. The fried banana crepe was literally just banana in egg roll wrap with some honey on top, nothing special at all. The steamed sweet sticky rice dish was sweet in a disgusting way, and the egg custard on the side looked like a pile of poo and tasted like play-do. Service: -Nice people, but also VERY SLOW people. Our server was also a bit forgetful and forgot about the chicken dumplings we ordered so now we'll never know what they taste like since we don't plan on going back again.
(2)Cherie O.
Basil Spice is one of my favorite restaurants in St. Louis. The food is consistently amazing. I too, start off with the Pad Thai when I first visit a Thai restaurant, and it is simply filling and good. In other visits, I have tried their different curries and panang, and they are really simple, fresh, and tasteful. Their appetizers are always piping hot, and the spiciness of their food is always tempered to your taste buds. I always feel like I can order any random dish off the menu and really will enjoy it. Make sure you try the gang dang and the panang aside from the noodles. Some cons to make it a four star rather than a five star: Servings can be small. They can also be a little stingy with rice on the curry dishes. During the summer, it is always warm inside, even with the overhead fans.
(4)Leslie B.
I've been here several times and the food never fails to impress! I love. love. love the tom kha gai. Seriously its addictive. The spring rolls are always fresh and delicious as well. I haven't ventured too far from the pad thai so i can't offer any thoughts on the other dishes. Everyone has always been friendly and I have great service every time we eat here. I've also picked up take-out a few times and everything is always packaged nicely with all of the condiments. In a few words - I'm a fan.
(4)Dan B.
Great food and service, very friendly staff. The decor is nothing fancy, but I go restaurants to eat not for lavish interiors. I highly recommend the Pad Thai!
(4)Jessica P.
After two years of good intentions, I finally stopped in with a group of friends for dinner last Monday night. We were all very pleased with the experience. The staff was very polite and attentive, but not too attentive. Like a typical creature of habit, I went looking for dishes similar to what I have ordered at other Thai restaurants. Happily, things here were different enough that I felt as though I was ordering something brand new. My fiancee ordered the chicken dumplings as an appetizer. They were $5 for four small dumplings, which seemed a little steep in price, but the quality and flavor was so exceptional he ended up placing a second order! I had two and can attest to their quality and flavor. Our friends ordered the fried tofu, which looked (and they said was) delicious. The clear cucumber sauce that came with it looked particularly tantalizing. For my entree, I ordered the PAD KHEE-MAO; a delicious vegetable and noodle dish with tofu in a spicy basil sauce. I ordered it spicy and it came out just right; not so hot I couldn't taste the flavors, just enough to give it some zip. Others ordered their dishes medium and did not comment on them being too spicy or not enough, so I think their spice gauging is pretty bang on. The vegetables were all really fresh and were cooked so they weren't too crunchy or too mushy. I especially liked that the tofu had a crinkle-cut because it created more crunchy texture in the dish. I think my fiancee ordered the KHAO KRATIAM PRIK-TAI with chicken, which is basically chicken in a black pepper and garlic sauce. They brought the sauce, chicken, and vegetables out on a big platter with a side of rice. It comes with steamed rice, but you can request fried if you like. He asked for the broccoli on the side (of which he gifted to me when it arrived). The carrots that were in the dish were perfectly cooked and were covered in minced garlic, so delish! The sauce itself was the highlight of the dish, and it absorbed beautifully into the rice. All of our dishes seemed to come with this beautiful carrot flower garnish. Attractive AND tasty! We splurged and got dessert, a rare treat, but we are so glad we did! The portion sizes were (gasp!) small, as if they KNOW that Americans are overly indulgent and really just don't have that much room left. Rather than humiliatingly stuffing our faces with the equivalent of an additional meal, dessert modestly topped things off. We ordered the seasonal KHAO-NUEA MAMUANG, which is steamed sweet rice with coconut milk topped with mangoes. Don't skip it, just get it; you won't regret it!!! The rice was tender, mildly sweet, and the mango was perfectly ripe. A great experience, and we will certainly be back!
(4)Brian E.
Green curry didn't taste much like green curry. It's one of my favorite flavors in the world, but it just wasn't there. Almost positive I wasn't brought out a different curry by mistake. Friendly service gets a star, but I'm not sure I'd go back to this place. I'd like to believe there's better Thai food in the city, but I'm not sure where.
(3)Paul H.
Went there Friday night with a group and had a good meal and a nice time. The staff was great and my Pad Thai was really good. Definitely worth going too if you are in the neighborhood.
(4)Krystal H.
This place is so good I try to sneak it in every time I'm in St. Louis. Service is quick & friendly and the food is great every time! They close for a few hours midday so you have to plan around that but it's worth your time. Love love love their pad see ew, chicken satay, summer rolls, various hot teas, pad whun sen, & curry. There are also lots of vegetarian options. Give 'em a try!
(5)Julie V.
Great food here with a cozy environment. I always start with panang curry at a new Thai place to get the feel for the food. The one here is served with more veggies than most and a medium is right where it should be on my heat scale. The thai iced tea is a good strong blend here too. The place is cozy but not crowded most nights. Just a nice calm and quiet environment. The only thing that surprises me about Thai on Grand tends to be that it's a bit pricey which I suppose means I should venture into the neighborhoods further away from my house to look for a deal but I just don't want to when the food is this good.
(4)Kurt S.
I really love the food here. The Summer rolls are fresh, bright, and delicious. The fried egg rolls are everything I want in an egg roll. Yum! The fried rice has a certain flair that is highly complimented with a light splash of fish sauce and sweet hot pepper sauce. The yellow curry is equally complimented by the addition of the sauces, but does not stand as strongly on its own. I'll be back!
(5)Bill K.
By far the worst Thai food I have ever had! The noodles were oily and tasted like burnt oil. There was no flavor to the Pad Kee Mao except the oil. Don't even get me started on the TERRIBLE service. Waited 20 minutes to have our order taken and then never seen the waitress again! Some cute little kid brought the food and check. I will not be back nor would I recommend this place to my enemy.
(1)Kevin R.
First time here tonight and food and service were good only downside for me is I order a soda and they bring me a can just expect fountain soda at a sit down restaurant
(4)Allison C.
Excited to have tried Basil Spice last night with a friend. We really enjoyed the atmosphere and the service! The restaurant is small, with about 12-15 tables and outdoor seating when the weather permits. The decor was simple but expressed more culture than other Thai places in St Louis. I ordered their cashew chicken stir fry. My friend ordered the red curry with chicken, after asking several questions to the server about the curries and the spiciness. He was very helpful, and we were both impressed by his knowledge and patience. Our food smelled great. The portion sizes filled us up without making us uncomfortable. And for the price (less than $10 for our chicken entrees), it was about what we expected. The vegetables were fresh and the sauces weren't too salty. If you're looking for an authentic Thai restaurant with reasonable prices and great service, look no further!
(4)R L.
I fucking love this place. The food is so delicious with a variety of spices and flavors and sauces and... so fresh. I craaaaaave their fried tofu at least once a month. Lovely atmosphere, polite staff, and so reasonably priced. Amazing.
(5)Melissa T.
Went there during the week at lunch time, there were probably 6 other people there. The decor was really nice, really Thai. First off we started with some appetizers: Spring Rolls and Satay Gai. The thing that impressed me the most about them was the peanut sauce. The best peanut sauce I have ever tasted! However, and this is the reason for three stars, upon eating one of the spring rolls my friend came across a piece of string, maybe half a foot long. The waitress was very nice about it and took it off our bill. I have no idea what it was doing in the spring roll but the group became very wary of the upcoming dishes. Next came the Pad Thai, Pad Khee-Mao, and the Tom Yum Goong. All of these dishes were hot hot hot! The dishes had plenty of vegetables and the soup had a decent amount of jumbo shrimp. Main dishes were delish, but the appetizers were a huge turnoff. Overall i give basil spice an "A OK"
(3)Nowell G.
Basil Spice really takes on the presentation game. Especially in comparison to 99% of the other Thai restaurants in the area. So you get a wonderful presentation of delicious Thai food, set to as spicy as you would like it to be, and have a little room for the sticky rice dessert, which is simple, yet indulgent. I like the pad thai, of course, but definitely try the pad see iw. Noms. If you like spicy, they can certainly make it spicy for you. Try it, if you can! If you want huge portions, go to a buffet. Sometimes the "Wow" factor in American dining has people so wound up in huge portion sizes that they forget that food is something more than just filler for your stomach. It's about flavor and culture.
(4)Joe B.
Good food, good service, an ample menu, and fun decor. I just wish there was some way Basil Spice could pull itself away from the Thai-pack that defines so much of South Grand.
(3)Josh S.
Ate here on Sunday after finding out our original destination was closed. The language barrier was a point of frustration. I see why they have all the menu items numbered, that way all you have to do it say a number or point. It took way too long to convey to the waitress that all I wanted for my son was white rice with a few shrimp. I know it adds to the authenticity of the restaurant but come on, when it hampers the ordering process it becomes a nuisance. That being said, the food was pretty good. I am usually hesitant to order something on the spicy side at Thai restaurants as they seem to vary so I went cautious and ordered my Pad Basil with Chicken at a 3 on a scale of 1 to 5. The dish was very tasty, and while it was a bit spicy, it did not have my mouth on fire which is always a good thing. I think I could have easily gotten my dish a 4 out of 5 and been just fine with it. I still don't know if I got the lunch portion or the regular portion (refer back to the language barrier), either way it was fairly small. I'm hoping it was the lunch portion because if there is a smaller lunch portion I don't know who that would feed. One thing that struck me as unique was that when I ordered a Diet Coke, they brought me out a can of Diet Coke and not a fountain drink. That was something I had not seen in a restaurant in a very long time. Basil Spice did not stand out of the crowd on South Grand which is not necessarily a bad thing, but in this instance it didn't do them any favors either.
(3)Erich v.
My favorite Thai restaurant to date. I have eaten here several times, both dine-in and carry out. The restaurant is honestly not much to look at. It is sparsely furnished and features numerous Asian knick-knacks. However, whereas the design lacks, the menu more than makes up for it. I think Basil Spice has the best Spring Rolls in the area. They are so crispy, but not burnt. They have a lighter texture, despite being fried. This allows the flavors of the filling to come through. Another appetizer I really enjoy is the Satay Gai, which are basically grilled chicken skewers. These have always been grilled to perfection and taste great. I typically order either the Chicken or Seafood Pad Thai as an entrée. No matter what meat your order, the stir fry is very tasty and comes with bean sprouts, egg, and tofu that is cooked to perfection. They also add chopped peanuts, which enhance the texture of the dish so well. You are also able to control the spiciness of your food, which is nice. They carry a few types of deserts and a couple of different Asian beers and sakes. It is a reasonable place to eat and the food seems to be fresh and well prepared. I have recommended Basil Spice to several friends, who have all enjoyed it. I hope you do too!
(4)Bridgid C.
Authentic Thai food with some original flourishes. My massaman curry was sweetened with pineapple - I really liked the taste it lent to the sauce but eating hot, mushy pineapple chunks themselves? Not so much. Also, for all the reviewers complaining that the food isn't hot enough - there IS a spice caddy at your table, with two kinds of chili sauce, chili flake, and fish sauce, so you can add more heat. Menu was limited, and the portions were on the small side, but I'd give Basil Spice another chance to really impress me.
(3)Don K.
If there is one thing St Louis has going for it, is it's abundance of good Southeast Asian eateries. My review for Thai restaurants however are really reviews of each establishments take on the default dish, Pad Thai. While I do enjoy a number of Thai dishes, my mission in life is to find the perfect Pad Thai. So...it has perfect spice, not too peanut-y and they do a good job of balancing the tofu with the meat you choose. Good flavor all and all. Basil Spice is a simple, traditional Thai restaurant that tries not to overcompensate any bland dishes with pomp and circumstance. Just come, enjoy your company and the good food. There isn't anything to write home about or call mum over, but we've never had a bad experience here. It's less crowded than King & I and shhh, the suburbanites coming to the city pre-show or game do not know about it. I didn't give Basil Spice the best Pad Thai award but I do continue to order it from time to time.
(4)Eva N.
Came in for lunch, and appreciated their lunch menu! Ordered Panang Curry, asked for 4 star spicy. It was delicious! Very flavorful and good-size portion for a value lunch item. Will definitely go back!
(5)Kat V.
Dinner was wonderful. My bf, my friends and I arrived about 15 minutes before they closed. We were the only ones in the restaurant. Needless to say, the staff were very helpful & wonderful. The pad see ew was a larger portion than the lunch size. In any case, it was good! I only wished they used wider rice noodles. The masamun curry was close the authentic version. The fried tofu & sticky rice with custard were really delish as well. My only problem with the sticky rice with custard was the extra coconut cream added on. The selection of teas were great, but I wished they had chrysanthemum tea.
(4)Sarah H.
Came here with some friends when I was in town for the holidays. Technically it was our third choice for dinner - we originally planned to go to King and I, but it was closed (Mondays). Then we decided on Pho Grand but there was a half hour wait and we were hungry, so we walked down the street to Basil Spice Thai. The decor is nothing special but we enjoyed our meal. There were plenty of really delicious-sounding vegetarian dishes on the menu and I had a hard time deciding which one to get. I almost went with pad thai, but decided to branch out for once. So I got the Sen Lek Haeng (I just looked up their menu online for the name), which was rice noodles with tofu, carrots, broccoli, bean sprouts, and peanuts. It came with crispy wontons as well. I really liked the sauce, which was light and tangy, and the way the tofu was prepared was nice and chewy but not overly so. Tofu texture can be a disaster but this was not at all. I do want to point out there was a lot of confusion from our waitress over the soup orders. There were four of us at the table. Two ordered Tom Yum Gai, one ordered Tom Kha Gai, and one didn't order soup (me). The waitress repeated this order about four times, and then when the soups arrived she was confused as to who was supposed to get what - and there was a fourth soup brought to the table even though only three were ordered. They gave me the extra Tom Kha Gai for free and it was really yummy, so I guess the language barrier turned out to be a food win for me. Would I go back? Sure, why not, but I won't be beating down the door.
(3)Jonathan J.
So, as anyone who knows me can attest, I am a very adventurous eater. Give me your swine, your offal, your game- I'll try just about anything put in front of me. That makes the fact that I only ever order one thing at Basil Spice such an aberrant pattern of behavior. I go to Basil Spice for the best Tom Ka Gai that I have ever had. That's it. I have had transcendent experiences with this soup. I won't go into too much detail about what it does to me, but lets just say its all good. So, what makes their Tom Ka better than all the rest? The answer that keeps coming to mind as i write is that it JUST IS BETTER. I know this seems like a copout, so just let me just try and explain. Its all about the broth. That lemongrass, galangal (a cousin to ginger), and fish sauce concoction- oh, that sweet, sweet fish sauce funk. Throw in whole mushrooms, thai basil, ribbons of tender chicken breast, quartered tomatoes that burst when bitten into, and a dusting of crushed red pepper and you have a symphony on your hands (I guess it would be in your mouth in this case). This soup is all about balance in the broth and Basil Spice has nailed it. The sweet coconut, the biting and almost medicinal galangal, the perfume of lemongrass and basil, the bright acidity of the tomatoes, and the depth of flavor provided by the right amount of fish sauce funkiness... Am I rambling? Anyway, go to Basil Spice. Try their Tom Ka. I've had some of their other food and it has all been good, very good. I just have an addiction that only their Tom Ka can feed. I hope this has been helpful. I'm off for another bowl. Maybe I'll see you there sometime.
(4)Crystal R.
Two stars so far...... We finally got to go here last night after I talked them up to my friends. We called ahead to make sure they were wheelchair accessible since one of my friends was in a chair (one of those 400lb motor car ones). When I got there we were the 1st ones and we got some summer rolls (which were okay, but no where near as good as Pho Grand IMO). I also got the Thai iced coffee and thought it was a little too sweet for me. When my friends got there we noticed there was a step to get in and we asked for a ramp. They had no clue what we were talking about. We reminded them that we already called ahead and they said they were accessible but I don't think they even know what that means. We had to leave and were given no apology whatsoever. We ended up walking down the street in the rain to The King and I who did have a ramp. What a mess of a night.
(2)Ed R.
This is our go-to spot in town for Thai. In fairness, we live right around the corner. But the staff is super friendly and the owner is too. She always remembers us, even if it's been a while. I've tried probably 40-50% of the menu and have never been disappointed. And it's inexpensive!
(5)Anthony K.
This place was decent for St. Louis - the pad kee mao the people I were with had was spicy enough to be authentic. My kang pa nang was sweet and the pork pieces were well marinated. It could compare to any place in the Bay Area, where decent Thai food floods the cities. Also, the help was very courteous. The only thing that they could stand to improve is the wait time for our food - I think we waited 30 minutes for our food after ordering.
(4)Karen R.
Really a damn shame they have decent food--will never go back again because they can't get their act together when it comes time to settle the bill. My sister and I ate there on October 25th and decided to split the bill. We paid by credit card and went our merry way. On Tuesday, I discovered my account over drawn. Upon investigation, I found the charged me for the full amount of dinner + my half. Confirmed with my sis--they charged her her half too. My bank said I had to contact the merchant. The merchant said I have to wait, that it's not their fault they ran the card for too much money and they would not take responsibility. I asked them to contact my bank with the erroneous authorization code so the bank would correct my account. But no go--they say I have to contact my bank. (Yup the oh, it's not our responsibility, it's so n so's cycle) As of today, they have been paid 109.56 for our 51.78 bill as well, I have incurred $116 in overdraft fees. I am filing fraud charges with my bank, so I will recover my funds...however, I have to wait for this to be settled. Despite admitting they knew they made a mistake and contacted their cc company--who by the way told them to run the charge again, Basil Spice refuses to take ownership for the problem and make things right. I also know this is not a one time thing--a couple friends dined there last spring and had a similar experience (payment was part cash and part charge actual charges were 1 and a half times on the credit card.)
(1)Christal V.
This place could be a lot better! From the service to the meal...service was extremely slow and my Tom Yum Shrimp Soup was very lackluster. It hardly had any flavor, except for heat, which I do enjoy spicy, but for some reason on a scale of 1-5, this particular evening I decided to go with a 2...so I certainly should have been able to taste flavor over the spicy heat.
(3)Rusha S.
I come here whenever I'm craving take-out Thai. I think it's better than some of the other options in the area. I've had a few of their noodles and entrees, and have no complaints about anything.
(3)Bryan E.
Went in and tried the lunch special and had the pad thai and wow the food was awesome. The service was fast and friendly! I highly recomend this place for a great gastranomic experience!
(5)Krystal L.
I really enjoyed my lunch at Basil Spice. Very cozy atmosphere, spicy food, friendly service.
(4)Timothy G.
Good Thai food and reasonably priced.
(3)Rebecca T.
Pad Thai is better at King & I, but the 2 dishes & app we had were solid. Spicy basil noodle dish is worth getting again. I'm at about 3.5 stars here, it's worth trying and we'll try this place again from time to time.
(3)Julia W.
Yes, oh my, yes! After a heinous experience at a Thai spot on Delmar, I sort of fell off the Thai wagon--quite sad considering I ate it at least once a week while living in Chicago. Anyway, I had gone far too long without my green curry and decided to give Basil Spice a try this weekend. Hoo. Ray. Friendly, efficient service, relaxed atmosphere, reasonable prices and GOOOOOD food. Thank goodness. Justin enjoyed the tom yum, which nicely cleaned out his sinuses; we gobbled down the summer rolls which were fresh, fresh, fresh and came with two subtly spicy sauces (no overly sweet stuff here!); and the curries were great--just enough spice tingle, but no searing pain (although I'm sure they could up the ante if you asked). I docked a star because I'm fairly certain the peas and carrots in my curry were, um... frozen vegetable medley. Come on, guys, you can do better than that--you just proved it with your fresh veggie summer rolls! Still, if Basil Spice was in my 'hood, I'd be here all the time. I can't wait to head back and work my way through their menu. Yum!
(4)Annee T.
My sisters, my parents, my sort-of boyfriend and I came here for dinner after a nice evening stroll in Tower Grove Park. We ran into a ton of dinner choices on this street, a kind of Berkeley or Santa Cruz-esque strip in the middle of St. Louis. There was an Afghan joint, I believe some Iraqi, the lovely Pho Grand, another Thai place. But ultimately we settled on Basil Spice. I got pad kee mao with pork, my sister got pad kee mao with chicken, and my dad got - you guessed it - pad kee mao with shrimp. We weren't that creative, but at least we picked a good dish. Our food showed up piping hot, fresh-tasting, and very spicy. I guess they are true to their name. I had to keep sipping water to make to make the faint burn go away - maybe I'm a pansy - but that's a good thing as far as I'm concerned. My other sister got something so spicy it caused her to remark, "I'm too white for this shit." Finally, the boy's creamy kang pa nang was delicious, with just the right amount of sweetness. I caught him licking the plate. We left with full hearts and tummies. The End.
(4)Kyle M.
Went on a Saturday night around 6, there was only 1 other table seated. The staff were very nice, and service was fair. The decor and atmosphere were a bit blah for me and seemed to need a good cleaning. We love Thai food but none of us were impressed with our dishes. The food wasn't packed with flavor like we expect - one noodle dish had a very bland brown gravy, and another had a weird texture to the chicken. Our fried spring rolls were soggy. Frankly there are just too many better options for Thai food (even within a block) for us to go back.
(2)Jason W.
Although this place doesn't look like a gem, don't forget try all the places in South Grand to find your favorite. All of my friends enjoyed their meal, but I think King and I serves better panang curry, which is what I usually get. Many of their items, however, are great.
(3)Raya K.
Came here for the first time yesterday and was impressed with the pad kee mao I ordered (with tofu). Minus one star because my tofu was cold when it got to me. I will definitely be back to try out their curries etc. Far exceeds Blue Elephant in Clayton in regards to authenticity and flavor.
(4)Jennifer B.
Basil Spice Thai is a new restaurant that is still working out the kinks, but there are hints of greatness here. The staff was friendly, but seemed a little stressed as they were busy when we went in for dinner. We started with the spring rolls, which I believe have their origins in Vietnam rather than Thailand. Nevertheless, they were very tasty and quickly disappeared. There was nothing new or innovative about them, instead the focus was on perfection of a classic. For my entree I got chicken skewers, and I loved it. There was some spice, but the overall heat was not intense. My palate enjoyed the many layers of flavor of the chicken. The main reason I ordered was the peanut sauce, and it did not disappoint. This meal was delicious. My friend ordered some spicy dish, but it did not bring the bulging eyes and head sweats that some other Thai restaurants do when he orders spicy. I'm therefore wondering if they safe the real spice for Thai customers, if they stray from extreme spice or if his resistance has simply grown over the years. Service time was a little slow, and there was confusion when we had questions about the menu. Still, the staff tried very hard to give us a great experience, and I attribute these very minor flaws to being a new restaurant that has a lot to live up to.
(4)Sarah D.
Yummm. That's what I'm thinking as I write this review. Basil Spice is better, in my opinion, than King and I. I'm not usually the person to go to a place and repeatedly order the same dish, but I do here. Gang ga rhee is the jam. A yellow curry dish with onion, carrots and potatoes, your choice of spiciness. I eat this dish every time!! Order it and you too will be in love. A few honorable mentions: Thai tea, pad thai and summer rolls. I've tasted other things, but at this point, I have gang ga rhee on the brain.
(4)Courtney D.
like many others, i ended up here after Lemongrass was closed due to a death in the family. we went with friends who've eaten here before and really enjoy it. and i was really excited after we received some of the most delicious spring rolls i've ever had the pleasure of eating. but the entrees reminded me of a bad chinese takeout restaurant, only skimpier. each place looked pretty much identical save a few tweaks to the sauce. all included the same crinkle-cut carrots and crinkle cut tofu (????) with the other half of the plate occupied by a mound of rice. portions of this size are usually reserved for lunch specials, as far as i can tell. i asked if there were any vegetarian soups and was informed that i could order any of the soups with tofu instead of chicken/shrimp. what resulted was a bowl of fish sauce with the same pile of vegetable that appeared on all the plates, plus the disconcerting addition of canned button mushrooms. blech. it was edible, but really mediocre, and i do not expect to return. ever.
(2)I Know W.
after multiple visits I won't go again. there are plenty of other places on both sides of their entrance. food 75% was bad one dish was ok tasting, service stunk (i'm cool with ethnic differences in service - this wasn't close to being ok), prices are decent if the food was any good.
(2)Caroline P.
Food was fine, ample, and a good value in every way. The dining room is musty. Service was good. Disappointed by the use of canned mushrooms and dried thai bird chilies in my soup.
(3)Liz Z.
first of all...why does it take you 30 min. to get a glass of water around here, after we "chased down" a waitress? really?? i don't mean to sound "EC (east coast) snobbish," but if i wanted take out thai food, i'd go for cheap. and better. NOW, that the wait service is off my mind, i'll go on to the crux of the review: the food. or the supposedly authentic thai food. i've been to quite a few thai restaurants in the U.S. (and in thailand) so i consider myself a pseudo-expert on what pad thai should taste like, along w/ red curry. i was disappointed on both counts. the pad thai noodles looked (and tasted) like those straightened ramen noodles. it was spicy enough, but i could've done better with the spice sauce tray on the table. now, about that supposed gang dang dish: who puts frozen mixed vegetables (you know the one with cubed carrot pieces & peas) in your red curry and call that authentic thai? i tried to wipe the shock off my face when i picked at it w/ my chopsticks. it was my first time at this establishment and i may have caught them off on a "bad" day, but it will be my last. i'm sure STL has enough thai restaurants to keep me happy so that i will not have to succumb to this one again. ever.
(2)H. S.
I haven't had a chance to try any other good Thai places but by this is the best one yet..definitely better than "I and King" which is on the same block. Any who, I had the shrimp pad thai and it was pretty good..I think the reason why I gave 4 stars is the service was horrible, our waitress barely came back to check on us or even ask if we needed anything. But the food is good, and reasonably priced. I will probably go there again when I have another Thai craving! but nothing like the bay area (San Francisco) with Asian foods...or any type of food for that matter :)
(4)Hilary P.
Having moved from a city where there is an authentic Thai restaurant on every corner, I was worried there were no good Thai restaurants in St. Louis (based on my experiences at the Thai restaurants on Delmar). I then heard about Basil Spice and The King and I and eagerly ventured to south Grand. Basil Spice is thoroughly delicious. The pad Thai is bursting with flavor, and the service is great. I will definitely be back to south grand to explore further.
(4)Tracey L.
Hot Stuff! "Spice", I believe is the key word here. If you like it hot-n-spicy, you will not be disappointed. Those seeking more timid Thai should head down the street to King & I, but if you think you're up for the challenge, give Basil Spice a try. Service is exceptional.
(3)Stephanie I.
I actually came here because King & I was closed when we tried to go (Monday). I got their pad thai, which I actually liked more than the one at King & I. Their Thai iced tea is also good as well - different than other ones I've had but still very good. Portions are medium-sized. I was full, but I think a few of my guy friends were not. Overall great good!
(4)Michelle B.
don't expect to see any basil in your meal. in fact all the veggies are cheap and frozen. it shows in the bland flavor.
(1)Jay D.
If I go more than about a week without my Basil Spice I start going through the beginning symptoms of withdrawal. Sometimes I think they have the best pad thai in town, it's definitely at least one of the best. Everything else I have tried has been excellent. The servers are extremely nice and I hope this place does well, it's absolutely worth a try.
(5)Rasee G.
I was born and raised in Thailand so I know my Thai food. The Other Half and I shared an order of fried spring rolls (delicious) and he got the "Pad Med Ma-muang," which is chicken stir-fried with cashews, and I got the Panang chicken. Both dishes were lovely! I was surprised by how good the chicken in cashews were and the Panang had such a rich, creamy coconut flavor. The server was lovely and the food arrived quickly. We were surprised to see how empty the restaurant was on a Sunday evening, but we went at about 5 pm so it was quite early. I wanted to try the sticky rice with Thai custard for dessert, but was simply too full. Maybe next time. And there will definitely be a next time. What a nice find.
(4)Chad E.
This place is nice and open. The food is great and the staff is very friendly. I don't really have anything insightful to say, so you'll just have to go to experience the goodness.
(5)Susan I.
While my dining companion loved their panang curry with chicken, my pad thai with beef was atrocious. I consider myself a pad thai connoisseur (only because I must have it weekly) and the beef in this dish tasted mealy and game-y. My server noticed that I was pushing the beef pieces to the side and said, "you don't like the beef?" And when I told her it tasted bad, she said, "sorry," and moved on to the next table. While I'm sure this was a rare incident, the combination of horrible tasting beef and the fact that the server didn't offer to remedy the situation once she noticed that I did not like the dish makes me not want to return again. I give Basil Spice 2 stars because my dining companion enjoyed their dish, but I have definitely tasted better pad thai and had better service elsewhere.
(2)Alison M.
Normally, I would go down the street to "King and I" for Thai food but I have a coupon for Basil Spice so BF and I decided to try it out. When we walked in, it was an interesting layout, almost loft-like with high ceilings and really weird decorations (read: not very good, like some artistically-lacking teenager tried to put up uneven paintings and other non-matching items). There was only one other table in the whole place on a weekday night, and they were so loud and laughing the whole time, we sort of derived some entertainment from them (some people might have been put off, but we're pretty easy-going). As for the food, it was okay. I can't even remember what I had but it was some derivation of a dry noodle dish. It was mediocre at best. When we paid our bill, they handed us this business card with a handwritten "10% off your next visit" on it. Hmm, lacking in business, mayhaps? Definitely would opt to go to King and I in the future for my Thai food needs.
(3)auburn b.
Probably not what you're looking for. Food had more of an indian flavor to me, and I don't like that.
(2)Linda E.
We've been here often enough not to remember everything we've ordered. It's a favorite among several good Southeast Asian restaurants in the neighborhood. One of the best appetizers are chicken-stuffed dumplings. The first time we ordered them they were perfect - light, fresh, just right - a flavor explosion in your mouth. That time we split an order among three of us; since then we've had to order more so we each got enough! We've shared some good chicken and seafood curries and like the spice. Always worth going back. Service is always thoughtful - one night when it was rather crowded, we settled for a smaller table for our group. When a larger one opened up, the waitress offered to move us to it before we noticed.
(4)