Ate here last night at the request of a friend who lives in town. I thought the food was really great as well as the service. As someone who has travelled through Thailand eating lots of Thai food I feel I can get a little picky. One thing that I like is they were not afraid to add some spice to their food. They give you an option on mild, med or hot or 1-6 if that helps. So often I get Thai food with no spice and just some chili paste on the side. It was great to have it cooked in with all the flavors. We had fresh wraps with peanut sauce. So good. Salmon Curry, Pad see eww with a kick. Also wonton soup with lots of wontons. We loved it all and again the service was great.
(5)
Rosquete B.
3* Sweet Basil 941 Pearl Eugene Thai Tasty curry lamb Nice cashew salad Food service and food delivery very slow Underwhelming
(3)
Kim P.
Well, that was underwhelming to say the least. My boyfriend and I walked in from the rain a couple minutes early before the restaurant opened and was sat immediately. The service was quick and professional. As soon as we ordered, our food was brought to us by the waiter. The chefs were in such a hurry they forgot a few ingredients in both our dishes, however I would have gladly ate my boyfriends Pad Thai over my rubbery-like Pad See Ew. The Pad Thai had a better flavor but it was lacking the green onion and egg as indicated on the menu. My boyfriend tried my dish and expressed his feelings on it by the following; "The Pad See Ew noodles didn't provide the euphoria I remember it bringing several years ago. I'm sorry I brought you here."
(2)
C. A.
I have to agree with Kim P., the Phad Thai is indeed one of the worst I've had here. While the flavor was good, though OVERLY sweet, it was missing several key ingredients. No egg, no peanuts, and a lack of protein that I ordered. When I inquired, the waitress (also doubling as the bartender) mentioned that the cook has changed her recipe and no longer includes egg or peanuts...though it is still listed with them on their menu. Only 1 star because of slow service and oddly prepared Phad Thai
(1)
Kassy E.
This is one of those places that I always make a point of going to when I am back home. Their Peanut Sauce is out of this world, so I can't speak for the other dishes since I always get the same thing. The dishes are always presented very well with black jasmine rice and other nice touches. The restaurant itself is small so if you are going for dinner, make a reservation, but at lunch time it is easy to get in. Also, speaking as someone who adores a spicy dish, go a level down on what you would normally get. I get medium here and it makes me sweat.
We picked up take-out for lunch on Saturday. All seemed good until I saw a huge, black, long hair amongst the noodles. Blech! I bemoaned the use of less-than-stellar product in the past, but nothing except a major oversight like this one will cause me to drop the uno. We won't be back.
(1)
Nicole D.
This place is a solid 3 star restaurant. Nothing great and it could be considered a little bit over priced because of that. The innards of the restaurant look good, but that doesn't improve the flavor of the food. Very average.
(3)
Dale Z.
I came here for dinner last week. The place was not busy it all on a Thursday evening. The service was quite good. They had a good selection of beers, and they were serving them nice and cold. The food was a tad more expensive than I might has liked, but the quality was decent. The "Fresh Wrapped" roll (Rice paper wrapped with mixed vegetables, noodles, sweet basil, mint, cilantro and tofu. Served with peanut sauce) was pretty good. I would have liked it a bit better with some shrimp or pork in it, instead of just tofu. The Chicken Pad Thai was fine. We also went with the Pork Pad Kee Mao (Fresh wide rice noodles stir-fried with egg, onions, green onions, bell peppers, fresh chili paste, and basil leaves with a side of bean sprouts). The noodles were a bit gummy (sticking to each other) but the flavors were good. Both of these dishes were large enough portions to also cover lunch the next day.
Good food along with consistently good service make this a good spot to hit up. Not a super authentic mom & pop hidden gem Thai spot for the area, buuut it's still pretty awesome. I don't care much for the prices bein kinda high, but if you go during lunch time you can get a bowl of Tom Yum for $3! Cheapskates rejoice!
(5)
David C.
Better than ranked on Yelp. To be sure, they have a wine list that comes straight from Safeway's bargain bin, but if you accept the limited wine list (and at least they don't mark it up excessively), the meals and service are very good. Prompt and honest service (that will be too much for two), an excellent three spice halibut matched with a decent vegetable and shrimp stir-fry. Interesting duo blend of jasmine and black rice, though mine was a tad cooler than it should have been. Ambience was standard. If you avoid the wine list or limit yourself to a glass of house wine quality to quaff your food, you can leave stuffed with a good meal for about $50 for two.
(4)
Eric T.
Hmmmmm....seems Sweet Basil is beginning to lose steam. My daughter is leaving for college next week, so I wanted to take her out to dinner one last time before she heads off to adulthood. Where did she want to go? Sweet Basil. She loves the atmosphere and pad thai....I love the cashew stir-fry, so off we went! The first time I went there I tried the cashew stir-fry and loved it! We have been there maybe six times and every single time my wife gets the cashew stir-fry, and since I know I can steal from her plate, I always try something new.....and am usually disappointed because??? ....yep, her cashew stir-fry is better. Since my wife was not with us and there was no plate of cashew stir-fry to steal from that is what I ordered with a request of broccoli to be tossed in. I couldn't wait! I suppose it is here I should mention the only real complaint I have had with Sweet basil, and seems to be a running theme in other reviews, is the service. It is sub par. Even for Eugene. It was no better last night. Once I received my food the first thing I noticed was the broccoli. All. Two. Pieces. Really? I like Broccoli so much I ask for some to be added, and I get two pieces? Look, I know there are people starving around the world and I should be happy just to have the opportunity to have two pieces of broccoli in my cashew stir-fry, but the reality is I won the lottery when I was born in the U.S. and with a work ethic that keeps me employed. So....yeah. I can afford to eat on occasion at a restaurant and I am complaining there was not enough broccoli. So, then I transfer a little rice to my plate, spoon some of the cashew stir-fry on top of that and proceed eat. Disappointment sets in. Quickly. As I notice the cashews are NOT like they usually are. They are chewy with no bite or crunch whatsoever. Flavorless. Sigh. I know where this is going. As the cashews begin to pile up on the little side plate to which my daughter has discarded here decorative carrot flower and kale, she realizes I am not satisfied with my food. "Are you going to make "a scene?" she asks. Teenagers. "A. You have never seen me make a scene, and B. Yes, I am going to politely tell the server so that it can be fixed, and I can enjoy the meal I am paying hard earned money for." I responded. You see, my daughter, like most people these days, believes mediocrity is OK. As a former corporate trainer for a national franchise...I, however, believe, that for a business to stay in business they need feedback, which is why I love Yelp and feel obligated to ask for what I pay for. Good food, fairly priced, with impeccable service. So....I did just that. It went like this. "How is your meal?" "Well, my wife and I have been here a few times and the cashew stir-fry is always so good, but this time the cashews were...just chewy and tasteless They are usually nice and fresh. Aren't they supposed to be crunchy?" Confused look. "And I ordered broccoli," I said pointing to the two pieces, "but this is all that came in it." "Oh, that's because I didn't charge you for it." "But I wanted to have some broccoli in my stir-fry. I don't mind paying extra" Confused look from the server. Waiting look from me. "Oh. Umm. So, do you want me to get some broccoli for you now?," he asked clearly hoping I would say no. "No. Nevermind." What he should have done...the very moment he discovered there was something wrong would have been to take my plate into the kitchen, indicate the problem to the chef/cook, and returned with brand new steaming plate of F'ING AWESOME CASHEW STIR-FRY with fresh....not stale....cashews and a ton of broccoli. In an establishment truly committed to customer service, the manager would have brought out the food and said thanks for being a guest. Yeah. Not in Eugene. Ain't going to happen. Perhaps it's my Southeast, guest-oriented upbringing, but I really believe that is the way to run a food service business. Fast forward to check out..... The last thing the guy says to me? "Thanks for bringing that to our attention so, we can take better care of our future guests!" I guess to get good service I have to be a future guest. I may be out of luck.
(2)
Kirsten H.
Good Thai food but the prices are a little high for what it is. Staff are nice and on-point and the environment is relaxing. I suggest trying their Tom Kha soup.
(3)
Heidi S.
Poor overall experience. Either the kitchen or the server forgot our salmon dish. Took approximately 20-25 minutes to receive it after the rest of the party was served. We ordered at the same time. The rest if the table was done by then. The restaurant took off 25% of that item - it appeared that way on the check with no reference. Our server was polite and professional enough. Looking around, no one on the staff seems to smile. Why so glum? Aggro kitchen attitude? Lame boss? Understaffed? Service: 1-2 stars. Pan fried wontons were limp and hardly fried (both orders). Both salmon dishes were over cooked (to our taste). Chef special pineapple dish was bland and not very interesting despite being served in half of a pineapple. Scallops were great and flaming 'oh my god' dish was very good and has cool presentation. Food: 2 stars on average. The Thai Five was great and the wine was poured generously. 4 stars.
(2)
Wanderlust C.
Walked in at 8:35 pm on Wednesday 10/29/14 knowing that they are open until 9. I was informed that they were only taking to go orders even though the server was taking an order from a couple that had obviously been seated just minutes ago. The place was quiet but not dead. There were three or four occupied tables. This is just lazy and pathetic business practice. Every patron knows that 9pm means you get seated until 9pm and you are just rude if you walk in 5 min before closing but 25 min...?
(2)
Fatima B.
This place was awful. I had to change my order 3 times because apparently everything I ordered, they were out of. I finally settled on some spicy fried rice with chicken and basil. When my food came there was no basil in it and I was so confused because the basil is the best part in my opinion. I asked my waiter if they had just forgot to add it and when he went to find out what happened, he was told they were out of basil! WTH?!!! It's called Sweet BASIL! How do you run out?! Anyways, at that point I was over it and I just wanted to pay the bill and leave! Needless to say, I will never be going back.
(2)
ashley e.
These people are jerks. I've had lunch here a couple of times. The food is pretty decent Thai. And it's way overpriced - because their busy. Last time we *tried* to eat here, there was a line of people waiting early on a Wednesday. We put our name down, and a minute later, they seated a party who walked in right after us. Five minutes later, they found a table for another group who had just walked in an around us. After fifteen minutes, a third group of diners walks up and gets to sit down and enjoy dinner right away. We walked out. These other people didn't have reservations. It was just that a table for two hadn't yet opened up. They wanted us to wait forever possibly, helping others before us so that not a single chair would be empty in the room. This place *might* be decent if they didn't treat their customers like garbage.
(1)
Gwen P.
Be prepared for tasty food and RIDICULOUSLY BAD customer service. My girlfriend and I had a craving for curry last night, and decided to use our Groupon for this restaurant. She called in the order to go, told the employee that we were using the Groupon, and was told to bring it in when I picked it up. I show up 15 minutes later to get my order and the hostess tells me that they won't honor my Groupon for a to go order, despite it being clearly stated on the deal that it is valid for dine in AND take out. She goes back to tell the owner I'd like to speak to her about this issue, and comes back to tell me that the owner is "too busy" to talk to me, and that it is their strict policy to not allow Groupon users to take their order to go. I ask again to speak to her, the hostess goes back and comes back again with the same answer, and offers no help whatsoever in resolving this situation, aside from "well you could just pay for it", meaning use my own cash to pay for a meal that I already paid for through Groupon. I then said, so if I don't pay for this again you're just going to throw it all away? Then she remarked "well the owner said that it's just like throwing the food away anyways, because we don't make any money with Groupon deals. At this point another server comes over to help, and the hostess disappears into the back again. The server then says that the owner is throwing a fit in the back over this, but that he can ring me up if I add another item to my order so it goes OVER the Groupon deal amount. So I have to spend above and beyond the amount specified just to get my food. While I appreciate the servers attempt to help me, I am appalled at the lack of professionalism on the part of this owner and some of her staff. If you don't want to honor these deals why on earth do you continue to use Groupon to get customers? You not only lost two loyal customers today, but I plan on making your shady business practices and deplorable customer service known to all my friends and relations in Eugene.
(1)
Jason D.
I had the Yellow Curry. Although the flavor was better than most places, they left the vegetable so big that it made it very difficult to eat. But the biggest problem I had was that there was very little curry sauce in my curry... They served me enough food that I had to take half of it home but there was little to no sauce left. Service was ok. Might go back to try again. But is far from making my "must try" recommendation list! p.s. my wife's pad thai was total disgusting! not like any i've ever had and it was the most expensive thing we ordered!
(3)
Madison M.
Very good food. I came in for lunch and I got the green curry with tofu(#9) and the Thai iced tea with coconut milk. Both were very good. I got the curry mild but it was still very spicy so if you don't like spicy i recommend trying one of their sweet and sour dishes. But the flavor was full and I love that i got not only white rice but also red rice shaped as a star on my plate. very cute and also very delicious. The vegetables were fresh and the tofu was fried but not overly fried. The Thai iced was so good! It was creamy and sweet and just perfect. I love Thai iced tea and so many restaurants try to do it and it's too sweet or too watery or too bitter and this was just right so if you're a Thai iced tea lover then i would definitely order this for your drink. It also comes in a nice glass which isn't necessary but I enjoyed it =) My mom got pad kee Mao and it was also enjoyable. But when it started to cool down it was a little too oily for her. The flavors weren't awful though. Still nice. Just a warning. The atmosphere and decor was lovely. It was Thai themed but not corny or tacky. I really liked it. Clean, stylish, a little dark so it's definitely more of a dinner restaurant but nice for a spur of the moment lunch after shopping. Overall I loved this restaurant. I will be coming back and I hope you try it out too!
(4)
Mary D.
Both my husband and I worked in the food service industry in our 20s and we both cook - often ethnic dishes from various regions. We tried Sweet Basil on the recommendation of a *different review service* (oh the embarrassment!). and were less than impressed by the quality of service and the food itself. We ordered two entrees to share, noted to the server that one serving of rice would be sufficient (one of us does not eat rice or noodles) - and we ended up with two servings of rice. We ordered hot tea, which we waited for for over half an hour, and then only got it after asking for it again. The quality of the food was adequate - but not what I expected from the menu and the recommendation. I understand that managing the simple things like keeping water filled, removing empty plates and keeping tables bussed right away can go by the wayside when the restaurant is busy, but we were in early on a Friday night, and the place seemed to be understaffed - and then staffed with apparently inexperienced waitstaff. Will we go here on our next trip to Eugene? Probably not.
(3)
Pepe O.
We were driving south to California and googled thai food. we decided to try this restaurant on a whim and I am glad we did!! I had the best fresh spring roles I have ever had at Sweet Basil! My daughter fell in love with there mango sticky sweet rice and their prices were very reasonable! I will definitely stop here when passing through again!
(5)
Tanaz P.
I seem to be plagued with mediocrity! This is no exception. The yellow curry with tofu, that I ordered medium spice had zero heat. It tasted more of coconut milk than curry. The veggies were overcooked and bland. The saving grace was the chicken salad, it had slivers of mango and a nice zesty dressing. The chicken was tender and flavorful. The micro greens were nonexistent and it was mostly green leaf lettuce. Unlike the menu's description of the dish. So all in all it was a disappointing dining experience. I doubt i'll try them a third time.
(2)
Steve H.
I went to Manola's Thai Cuisine almost weekly for lunch for many years but stopped several months ago after getting frustrated with them constantly raising their prices. I switched to Sweet Basil for my weekly Thai lunch fix. I enjoy their Pad Thai and Pad Kee Mao. At least for lunch basics like these, Sweet Basil is about a dollar cheaper than Manola's. As for food quality, I think Sweet Basil and Manola's are otherwise pretty comparable. Sweet Basil wins on atmosphere, if that's important to you. One small complaint... on several occasions, they've made my (to-go) pad thai with all three proteins (chicken, shrimp, and tofu) despite the menu explicitly stating "choice of chicken, shrimp, or tofu" and explicitly ordering chicken-only. I now ask the staff to double-check it if I have any concerns, and they do so happily.
(3)
Pani L.
Good: The menu is larger than the express version Meh: Prices are far higher than their Express shop and the portions are smaller The food isn't as good as the UO location Service boarders on hoovering Bad: Nothing stuck out as bad, but I also have no desire to return either given the superiority and better prices at the UO location.
(3)
Lively D.
The ambiance is mellow and lovely even when it's quite busy. The food is amazing too:)!
(5)
Megan H.
My friends and I tried to eat at Sweet Basil last Saturday, but we were rudely turned away by the hostess at 8:05 when they closed at 9:00. She informed us that Thai food may not be a good idea because they were closing in 55 minutes. Next, she told us that there were other restaurants in the area that closed later, and we may want to eat at one of those. Before she told us this, she seated a large party that was still there long after 9:00pm when we walked back to our car. It pains me to say this because I really did love Sweet Basil, but I will not be eating there again and I have told many friends about this unpleasant experience and they too will take their business else where.
(1)
Bill B.
Nice atmosphere, good prices, and tasty food, served by friendly staff. The "wild" (4/5) spiciness was enough to make me almost tear up but still let the flavors blend and shine through. A classy and quite enjoyable option in downtown Eugene.
(4)
Lyn Y.
A friend took me to Sweet Basil when I visited her last week. Great food! I had the pork pad see ew and level 4 spice. It's spicier than the average Thai restaurant, and the portion was huge! I made another meal of tithe next day. Definitely going back to eat here whenever I'm in Eugene. =]
(5)
Monica S.
This restaurant is mediocre. The only thing really going for it is the Tom Ka. When you first walk in, there is this obnoxious curtain you have to walk through. The restaurant was large, fairly empty, and we were sat smack in the middle. Worse? 30 minutes afterward someone was sat DIRECTLY NEXT TO US. REALLY? We ordered the coconut prawn and calamari app. The former barely had any coconut, and the latter was so over-fried the calamari was dried up and nearly inedible. Next the Tom Ka. Very rich and delicious, the experiences saving grace. Finally we had the Massaman. The potatoes were different sizes, thus having varying degrees of cooking-some mushy, some harder. What gives? I'm at a restaurant. Also, whole baby carrots? It should have avocado by the way, not carrots at all, and they were so awkward to eat. There are a lot of Thai places in Eugene, so improving is vital. That groupon only got me through that door once.
(2)
Michele H.
The food is good, but everything is so frustrating that it is not worth going. After four or five completely mixed up orders, I stopped going to my 2 time a week favorite lunch spot. It has been a good 8 months since I had been there. But, I decided last night to give it another try - I miss their House Special Curry. I called in my order (I rarely eat at the restaurant - they have very strong lillies, and they make the restaurant smell funny). I was told that everything would be ready in 15-20 minutes, very reasonable considering that it was not quite 5:00 yet. At 5:20, I walked in the door. It took ten minutes to pay, and as soon as I paid I was told that my order would be another 15-20 minutes due to a large "pony" order coming in. When I asked to cancel my order, the server was incredibly rude. He said "when do you need it?", I told him "now - when it was supposed to be ready at 5:15.", He grabbed my card out of my hand, swiped it, and voided my transaction. He half heartedly looked for some sort of coupon, but then was more concerned with the people walking in. I told him to not bother, I won't be back. And I won't. I guess I better find another place for good Thai, I cannot stand to deal with the mess and frustration that has happened the last 5 times I have tried to order from them!
(1)
Jesse F.
DO NOT GO THERE! Our first time here was great; maybe that's why we came back three times. Each out of the three times we came back we were overly disappointed. We ordered appetizers and entrees, waiter forgot our appetizers and brought out our entrees plus the wait was significantly long. Food is usually always good but my sister ordered the pad thai and found a long black hair. YUCK. Our last time here was aggravating! After we ordered we were served with our food in a timely manner. My boyfriend ordered the seared tuna salad with mango and thai dressing and it wasn't anything great for $16. Two guys sat next to us and were being a little loud towards the bar area and I remember the waiter cussing after they had left. After we ordered our waitress pretty much disappeared for an hour, too busy setting tables and ignoring us in the process. Definitely not coming back to this establishment. Food is mediocre and service is unbelievably terrible.
(1)
Dr Tim L L.
TOO LOUD. Okay food in an insanely noisy place. Not a good place if you want to talk with friends while you eat. Food is okay. I did not care for some of their combinations.
(2)
Jana F.
I made a reservation for a large group (20) of people for a Saturday night at 6pm. The table was ready to go when we arrived. Cocktails were too sweet and too spendy. Waitstaff slow, aloof, not very attentive (maybe because they could count on that 18% gratuity no matter what). The worst part of the experience was definitely the food itself. Several ordered pad thai or pad kee mao with medium heat, only for it to be way too spicy to consume. My husband is a native of New Mexico and loves spicy food, has even had ghost peppers, and could not eat his dinner. We brought the problem to the attention of the waitress, who thought we were joking and mentioned something about the cooks having a contest to see who could make the spiciest dish. After a while, she gave us a glass of ice cubes and some coconut ice cream on the house, which was really quite good. I had the crispy honey duck. It was a sloppy pile of overcooked spinach, broccoli, and duck drowning in an overly sweet and salty broth. The duck was nice in the middle, but the ends were tough and hard - inedible. For $19, I think it should have all been good. All in all, I was embarassed that I invited my friends to this place. If you decide to try it, think about ordering your dinner mild and getting chile sauce on the side. Looking forward to trying Sabai next.
(2)
Michael C.
Late lunch here today, first time patron. Had heard good things but very underwhelmed. Nice presentation, and friendly service, but food so so, portions small, and very salty.
(2)
Eric P.
The spicy coconut soup special is a Tom Kah on steroids. This soup is good on hot or cold days. The Beef panang is your standard fair, nice and creamy. The black rice is also a nice touch. One of they best Thai restaurants in this region.
(5)
Trey F.
I ordered the Pad See Ew and it was super meh. Not much flavor and all the noodles were stuck together. I would search for an alternative if you are a fan of Pad See Ew. The prices were not that cheap, either.
(2)
Vi B.
Just let me get it out there: I love Thai food. I love it. Read my profile; my current (or forever) crush is Thai beef salad. Okay, so every time I go to a new Thai restaurant, I always try their beef salad, because I want to see how it compares from restaurant to restaurant. When I visited friends in Eugene over the weekend I thought we'd go out and try Sweet Basil, which was in smack dab downtown. The place is nice in comparison to the other restaurants around, but I wouldn't call it high class. But I didn't care about the ambiance; I was starved and just wanted good food. I am willing to pay a *somewhat* good chunk of money for eats, if I can justify the quality and time involved to make it. However, the food was pretty sub-par and I was shocked to see how much it cost (since it wasn't very good). I get FANTASTIC Thai food at "dingy" places here in Portland, and the fact that I went to a "nicer" restaurant in Eugene (with not so "nice" prices), I thought the food would at least be comparable. Here's a breakdown: Drinks: Lemonade and Thai Iced tea. The iced tea was SO SUGARY that it tasted like pure syrup (with a little bit of milk). The lemonade tasted like high-fructose lemon syrup with a little bit of water. I watered down the lemonade 4 times before it was easily drinkable. Food: Tom Yum soup, Shrimp Pad Thai, Chicken curry, and, of course, beef salad. The soup didn't have any noodles (which my friend thought was in it, as it usually does), the pad thai portion was quite small, the chicken curry was adequate, and the beef salad, oh... The beef salad. I love the idea of it so much that I ate over half of it, but I couldn't eat any more than that: the dish tasted like it was LYING in a bowl of nuoc mam (for those of you who don't know what that is, it's a dressing made of fish sauce and lemon juice). I know the place sounds terrible because I made the food sound inedible, but I do have to say I had a good time sitting with my friends outside, with a waiter who was very friendly. I probably wouldn't go here again; I think my hope for this nice restaurant is diminished. But no fear: I will never give up hope to find the perfect beef salad.
(3)
adam m.
Calamari appetizer and lobster pad thai main dish- both were amazing!!! Very friendly and polite staff round out the experience. I would totally eat here again and recommend it to any of my friends.
(5)
Albany F.
Pros: food was decent, lot of choices. Great location by all the bars. Good portion size. Good atmosphere for a date. Great presentation of each dish. Cons:over priced! too tight Of sitting, feel like everyone can hear our conversation. Service was ok, difficult to get waiters attention during rush hour. Hard to find parking.
(3)
Anna K.
Really delicious but they could be a little more clean. Flies everywhere. It doesn't bother me that much because the food is AMAZING but it would probably help business to clean up a little
(3)
Lisa F.
Let me start out by saying I am an avid fan of sweet basil express. I eat there regularly and enjoy it every time. I had never been to the actual restaurant and had heard that it was worth eating at first via friends and then in the Eugene magazine for the best Thai iced tea around. And I admit the drink was good, probably the only redeeming thing about the excursion. Upon arriving we were greeted with a rather cold welcome and promptly scooted into the furthest table in the back next to a screaming child. We had thought maybe there were reservations or something of the sort (pre-prom dinners perhaps?) No. It wasn't as if we looked like rif-raf. We had just come from school and shopping so perhaps our make-up was a tad faded, and it is Eugene after all. Come on. One of the advantages of sitting right next to the kitchen, the waitress was hovering next to us like a hawk. One of the disadvantages of sitting right next to the kitchen, the waitress was hovering next to us like a hawk... curiously; however, we were left thirstily through most of the night. Once we ordered it was a relatively short waiting time till our food came. (Usually we get the steamed veggies with chicken and house curry at express. It was 4 extra dollars since it wasn't lunch special.) Instead of chicken she got cold tofu. The Rice had a spine. Some of the vegetables were over cooked and some were undercooked (I have no idea how that feat was managed..) The curry was drastically lacking curry. I think it is rather understandable that we didn't leave a very generous tip.
(2)
Nick S.
I'm in Eugene at least once a week on business and recently my party and I ate at the Sweet basil on pearl st. OMG food was awesome as usual. The Halibut was awesome. The food was great but the halibut was excellent. The drinks flowed and the service was right on. Try this place you won't regret it.
(5)
Sarah R.
Yum! I love Thai food & this place didn't disappoint. We had the pot stickers, Tom Kha, & Pad Thai. The pot stickers & Tom Kha were great, everyone loved both. The pad thai was good, but not great. All in all we had a great experience & the food didn't disappoint.
(4)
Rosalee R.
Yum! Best Thai food in town. I love the green curry with tofu. I eat here all the time and have never been dissapointed. Try it! I'm not sure what happened, but things have changed here since my last review. The food has been inconsistent. And kinda gross, actually. Oh well. Time to branch out.
(3)
Jeff T.
This place makes weak attempt at "high-brow" Thai food -- something that should never exist anyhow. The atmosphere is moderately trendy, the food is average, the service is adequate, and the prices are high. For better food, service, and prices, choose Ta Ra Rin, which is just a few blocks away.
(3)
Mary C.
Best Thai food I've had in Eugene so far. I have been wanting to try this place for the longest time! I just usually go to Ta Ra Rin cause the parking is a little more convenient. Not any more!!! The shinning star at Sweet Basil for me is the Pad Thai. (I know, such a boring dish) but that's what makes this place so amazing. I never new Pad Thai could taste so good!!! I took my family and inlaws here and everyone had a great time and great food! Best Thai Food in Eugene for sure!
(5)
Eva G.
Sweet Basil, you're a pretty place, but you need to be more consistent with your food. If you can't even have consistently good pad thai then you're in trouble right off. Your prices are too high for such small servings. Either lower the price, or make the servings a bit bigger. Other Thai places in Eugene offer more vegetarian options.
(3)
Grace C.
Ok, my roommate, her mom and I ended up trying this place out after driving around Eugene on a Sunday night finding that many places are closed... I usually eat at the Sweet Basil Express since that is closer to campus and really the main dishes there are exactly the same and about $3 less. I had Green Curry with Chicken and found it to be average sliding towards good but a bit too spicy even though I ordered mild. That might just be inexperience with this particular restaurant on my part. The best part was the rice which was a combination of both a normal white rice as well a black sticky rice on top. Very texturally tasty with the curry. They even shaped it into a star mold which I found rather cute.
(3)
R S.
We are here with the family for New Year's dinner. Delicious. Pad Kee Mao w shrimp- very fresh and yummy. Pad See Yew- also really good. And the Penang curry - great. Our server was super sweet and the atmosphere was cool.
(5)
Channing C.
Oh, man... That picture of Pad Thai on here? NOT what we received. Ours was so ridiculously dry! :( And the chicken was cooked to death, so dry... And the whole thing was so flavorless other than being kind of hot. No lime with it... I was sooo disappointed. Even the fresh wraps were mostly bean sprouts! The tofu in them tasted bad which was really weird. I didn't think those wraps could be messed up but they managed it somehow. Jeez... We also ordered the Pad Kee Mow (Drunken Noodles) which were also very, very dry and the chicken was the same and again it was so flavorless... Other than being hot. I'm sorry but making something spicy does not make up for lack of flavor and sauce. :( I can't stress enough how bummed I am after paying $26 for Thai food and getting this... We didn't even come close to finishing it which is really unusual for us. We aren't rich, man... We eat our leftovers. And I am a crafty cook but I really can't fix this. Totally just wasted $26. :( Never eating there again!
(1)
Robby C.
First of all, one day my camera will indeed be fixed and these posts will be updated with actual images so please bear with the absence of photographs for now. The atmosphere here is a bit overwhelming and probably one of the nicer interiors that we have seen compared to similar establishments. As for the food, the beef massamun curry seemed a bit pricey though it was necessary to try as a benchmark for the other restaurants within the area. Beef was tender and the potatoes were well cooked though the curry itself seemed to overpower a majority of the dish. No quite sure if it is a Eugene method to cooking, but it seems that the two places we have tried have included hefty portions of onions and unnecessary vegetables. Perhaps it is because we have been large advocates of meat, but there is something about curry and an abundance of vegetables that does not go over well with me. Is it worth trying? For now the answer is yes, but we have faith that there is a restaurant that would rival our beloved Mae Phim Thai in downtown Seattle. Trust me, when we get our camera fixed, there will be pictures posted for comparison.
(3)
Amber F.
How does a restaurant get Pad Thai to taste like ketchup? It was the nastiest thing I've ever had in my mouth... and I have had some seriously nasty stuff in my mouth before! ;) I did like the atmosphere and decor... though I am not totally sure why they have that curtain draped so close to the entrance the way they do. They have a large mural and decent bar with an alright color scheme. I'll move on with this though, because I should probably be talking about the food more. The dish I got was actually okay (the pad thai was my date's), but sort of bland and not very spicy even though I had ordered a medium spiciness to it. So that was sort of disappointing. It had a black rice that I enjoyed. Their soda was not calibrated by the way which drives me crazy. If I am going to actually have a soda and leach phosphorous from my bones, I at least want it to taste like like there is a ton of corn syrup in it! Overall, no way I am going there to eat pad thai ever again, but might give it another chance for something else. I don't know though, because I really enjoy Ring of Fire for Thai and would rather spend money on a sure thing, you know?
(2)
Shane O.
This has been a somewhat-favorite of mine since I moved to Eugene. I tend to appreciate a restaurant with a good atmosphere and decent service, and on top of it I have found myself content with each meal I have eaten here. It is nice when a restaurant feels like it is hopping, and in the summer a late afternoon lunch seated outdoors is very nice. Side note: this is one of our favorite spots to catch a light dinner and drinks when we are out with our pup. To relate to the other critiques here, I have never ordered the Pad Thai, but then again I am more adventurous than that. I find it incredibly predictable to judge a Thai restaurant based upon its Pad Thai. If I were to judge them on their curry, it becomes an entirely different story. The combination of Basmati and Forbidden/black rices pairs perfectly with most of their curries, which have been sufficiently spicy each and every time I've ordered it. On the appetizer front, the Fresh Wraps are perfect when something refreshing is sought after. The drink menu is rather more daring than some of the other spots in town, my partner's favorite mixed drink is the Thai ice tea based "Thai Me Up". And with a regular selection of good beer on tap, I am happy as well. My main critique is that I've never been enticed by a single special as a vegetarian. How long should it take to come up with a new veggie dish?
(3)
Chris F.
Went here for lunch to check out somewhere new. I ordered the pad Thai, yuk. It smelled odd and was very bland. To top it off, the chicken in the dish was boiled! It definitely tasted boiled as well as having a boiled texture. Also ordered mine medium spicy. Rather than the cooks mixing the pepper flakes in properly, they sprinkled some across the top. So now, Im making a mess trying to mix it in, and having some bites that are bland with others that are hot. I am the first to admit I am pretty picky, but come on! The poster below talking about the dish smelling like a wet animal was pretty accurate. I love Thai food however I will not be returning to this establishment. On the positive side, the server was very friendly and the Thai iced tea was ok.
(2)
Peter H.
Fantastic "OMG" appetizer.. It's a must! Great atmosphere, a tad expensive, but what can you do. Best Thai food in Oregon.
(4)
Roxy R.
Food is okay, but SMALL portions for the price! This isn't a place I'd be inclined to visit again. Sorry, Basil!
(3)
Bobby D.
I went here for dinner the other day and ordered up my usual curry dish. It came out in a reasonable amount of time, but seemed a little on the cool side. The food was good as far as the flavor goes, but it was missing a generous portion. I was hungry when I walked in and hungry when I walked out. I guess it helps to order appetizers and not just the meal. The price was 11.00 for the dinner only. The service was real good and the waiter was very friendly. However, if you want a generous portion of food (and you should get it for $11) this ain't the place - in my opinion.
(3)
LISHA Y.
very good food. great service. the spicy-ness of the noodles have more heat than spicy flavor.
(4)
Jo J.
The Best Thai food restaurant in Eugene!! House special curry is to die for! EXCELLENT!!
(5)
Doug S.
I've been here a couple of times since I moved back to Eugene. I have to admit: the food here is just as good (if not better) than the "authentic" restaurants in Portland and San Francisco! Eugene: we have a winner here! The place is always busy during lunch time, but they always have an open seat for you and your date. The food comes out fast and is always hot! No complaints here, my friends! Swing on by: you'll probably see me eating the Cashew Chicken!
(5)
R P.
Amazing thai food, some of the best ive ever had, and I am a huge thai food fanatic. Great service as well, I highly recommend coming here, best thai in town.
(5)
David Q.
The phad thai is probably the best I have had. The appetizers were delicious. I had a drink called a sunny siam that was delicious.
(5)
Jackie Z.
I am not sure what the other reviewers are talking about their Pad Thai was excellent! I also had their Tom Yum which was so yummy with lots of mushrooms.. my fav.. I went with 3 others so we had a lot of food so I tried a lot we had their sampler as well with fried tofu and spring rolls.. DELISH! We had a June Special Coconut Veggies very fresh coconut milk. Super yummy! Their Thai Iced Tea is so good too!
(5)
Olivia P.
Meh. Me and mi familia shared some takeout from this joint not more than an hour or two ago. Duck and pineapple curry was lackluster, more heat than flavor. The chicken satay was dry, the peanut sauce uninspired, the mint and cilantro in the spring rolls was full of stems and/or totally wilted, and the pad thai was a gluey mess. The only reason this joint gets a second star at all is the thom kha gai soup, which was so good I almost gave it a third star. Two or three types of mushrooms, delicious, super-spicy broth, plenty of lemongrass and galangal...mmmm, deliciousness. I hoarded the thom kha and filled my bowl with rice, skipped out on most of the other stuff.
(2)
Yasmien H.
This place was okay. The Panang Curry was really mild and not as flavorful as I'd like. The Chicken Pad Thai was Okay, the ambiance was nice and the waitress was nice. It was okay but there's so many Thai restaurants that are awesome that I wouldn't come back again.
(3)
Flora H.
Up until last night I have always loved Sweet Basil's food - delish Thai food, super fresh ingredients. However, my curry contained mini carrots that were not fresh. When we asked the waitress about them she said they were from Cisco and probably just a bad batch. I always thought they used the freshest ingredients, but was wrong. An otherwise delish dish was ruined by these chlorine soaked, stale quickie carrots. I suggest they buy and use local veggies - they are so plentiful here! I won't be going back soon. Bummer.
(2)
Andria M.
I've eaten at Sweet Basil many times since they opened several years ago. It's my favorite Thai food in town. Prices have gone up over the years but it's still a reasonably priced dinner ($11 for most basic entrees). The atmosphere is really pretty. I love the painted mural of a Thai market. The house curry is tasty as well as the usual Thai suspects - Phad Thai, Cashew Chicken, Phad Kee Mao, Phad See Ew. Fresh wraps are tasty and I appreciate that they have local microbrews on draft. This is our "go-to" place whenever we have a date night. Dishes are generous and difficult to finish on your own. Overall, a solid Thai restaurant with a nice atmosphere that's a step-up from the usual Thai cafe.
(4)
Chris B.
We ate at Sweet Basil for the first time tonight. We thought it was quite good for Eugene. Unlike other reviewers, our service was fine, no rude menu throwing or ignoring us, etc. And, we even had our young kids (3 and 5) with us! The food was quite tasty, with nice presentation to go along with it. I rate this restaurant as one of the better ones in Eugene so far. We will definitely be going back, so I hope our good experience wasn't a fluke.
(4)
Heather W.
If you like Pad Kee Mao, it's my opinion that Sweet Basil's is the best in Eugene. I love the dramatic tapestries too.
(5)
Don J.
My old lady loves Thai food. That being said, she loved Sweet Basil and wants to go back. We ordered the pad thai and some chicken vegetable stir fry. The stir fry was good, but the pad thai tasted like a wet animal. Very stinky too.
(2)
L Z.
No where close to the best Thai I've had, but this place is really good for Eugene. The service is always great and they have some great things on their menu - duck with scallions and ginger (delicious)!
(4)
Meggie W.
The food was okay, but I just couldn't get past the cramped quarters. And my eggplant with garlic sauce dish hardly had any eggplant! Boo!
(2)
Anthony R.
Solid Thai fare in an elegant dining room. The chefs at Sweet Basil take great care to make sure your food not only tastes good but looks good as well. This is no greasy spoon, but slightly upscale dining at pretty reasonable prices. The Pad Kee Mao here is not the best in town, but it's serviceable. the other "litmus test" dish, the Fish Cakes, are merely good--like many Thai restaurants, Sweet Basil makes them too large. If not eaten right away, they lose the hot-crisp appeal and become simply soggy and chewy. If you order these, be waiting at the kitchen door to grab them as soon as they emerge from the hot oil. The Pad Thai is good, curries are good, stir fries are good. The food here is just good--not great, but certainly better than a lot of what's out there. Standouts include the Larb (salad of ground chicken or tofu with lime juice, lemongrass, chiles), the Beef Salad, the Lobster Ball appetizer, and the the Tom Yum soup, which is some of the best I've ever had anywhere. The cute "Basil Bar" on the south wall of the restaurant mixes fun cocktails.
(3)
R R.
I used to love this place. It was the best Thai in Eugene. They used to have stellar Tom Yum, great rice dishes. But the last time I was here it was cheap stir fry with celery and carrots, doused in oil. Disgusting. I hope they clean up their act! If not, they probably won't last.
(2)
Jessica R.
I go to Sweet Basil about once a month for lunch with a friend. The location is convenient for us both, and we're always seated and served very quickly. I've had mixed luck with the cashew gai lately--the chicken is a little dry. The presentation is a bit charming, though, and the prices are reasonable.
(3)
Sheila B.
Best food I've had in Eugene thus far. Excellent service, presentation outstanding, and lovely atmosphere. Thanks!
(5)
Maeve G.
Fool me once, shame on you... You know the rest. I made a second visit to this place this summer thinking my awful first experience might have been due to not having been open that long, still working the kinks out, etc... Nope. Just as bad as the first time. The food is NOT good at all (too salty and weird aftertastes) and the service is a joke. This is Eugene, not NYC. I don't need some holier than thou hostess to walk by me ten times before she seats me, only to throw menus on my table and not send a waitress over for fifteen minutes. I could go on, but I'll just close with: I will NEVER go to this place again.
(1)
Laura H.
So they have this thing here called "Oh My God." It's an appetizer. And it's on fire! So you should definitely get that.
(4)
Molly T.
The food is not to blame for this rating. I really liked the peanut sauce house curry and the plum sauce that came with our appetizer. But terrible service doesn't make me want to return to a restaurant. Our actual waiter was fine, if inattentive, but when we arrived, we stood a foot from another employee for a good few minutes before even being greeted, and then had specials menus thrown rudely onto our table. Not to mention there were three shrimp in my dish. I've heard all good things, but I came away unimpressed and uncomfortable.
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch, Dinner Parking : Street Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : No Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : Free Has TV : Yes Dogs Allowed : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : No
K J.
Ate here last night at the request of a friend who lives in town. I thought the food was really great as well as the service. As someone who has travelled through Thailand eating lots of Thai food I feel I can get a little picky. One thing that I like is they were not afraid to add some spice to their food. They give you an option on mild, med or hot or 1-6 if that helps. So often I get Thai food with no spice and just some chili paste on the side. It was great to have it cooked in with all the flavors. We had fresh wraps with peanut sauce. So good. Salmon Curry, Pad see eww with a kick. Also wonton soup with lots of wontons. We loved it all and again the service was great.
(5)Rosquete B.
3* Sweet Basil 941 Pearl Eugene Thai Tasty curry lamb Nice cashew salad Food service and food delivery very slow Underwhelming
(3)Kim P.
Well, that was underwhelming to say the least. My boyfriend and I walked in from the rain a couple minutes early before the restaurant opened and was sat immediately. The service was quick and professional. As soon as we ordered, our food was brought to us by the waiter. The chefs were in such a hurry they forgot a few ingredients in both our dishes, however I would have gladly ate my boyfriends Pad Thai over my rubbery-like Pad See Ew. The Pad Thai had a better flavor but it was lacking the green onion and egg as indicated on the menu. My boyfriend tried my dish and expressed his feelings on it by the following; "The Pad See Ew noodles didn't provide the euphoria I remember it bringing several years ago. I'm sorry I brought you here."
(2)C. A.
I have to agree with Kim P., the Phad Thai is indeed one of the worst I've had here. While the flavor was good, though OVERLY sweet, it was missing several key ingredients. No egg, no peanuts, and a lack of protein that I ordered. When I inquired, the waitress (also doubling as the bartender) mentioned that the cook has changed her recipe and no longer includes egg or peanuts...though it is still listed with them on their menu. Only 1 star because of slow service and oddly prepared Phad Thai
(1)Kassy E.
This is one of those places that I always make a point of going to when I am back home. Their Peanut Sauce is out of this world, so I can't speak for the other dishes since I always get the same thing. The dishes are always presented very well with black jasmine rice and other nice touches. The restaurant itself is small so if you are going for dinner, make a reservation, but at lunch time it is easy to get in. Also, speaking as someone who adores a spicy dish, go a level down on what you would normally get. I get medium here and it makes me sweat.
(5)Dina S.
The Hawaiian fried rice was bland and the cashews were not cooked enough if at all. The stir fry sauce was forgettable. I don't suggest this dish because even with all of the different toppings it lacked flavor and didn't really combine together when sautéed. The I love veggies dish had a more flavorful sauce and two types of rice were served with it. I would not rave about the dish but it was OK. The thai iced tea was fantastic and I would suggest trying it here. We dined outside so I can't review the interior. One reason for the low stars is the $13.00 price on the Hawaiian fried rice and the fact that our waiter didn't bother to check on us once. He never came back to ask if we were OK or needed another thai iced tea or anything. He never bothered to ask how our food was either. He never brought us our check. We literally didn't see him again until we took the initiative to stand up to pay and then he came out. However, the guy serving water did refill our carafe. So one star for the thai iced tea and half a star for the water service with the other half star being awarded for the two types of rice served in a star shape with the I love veggies dish.
(2)Dawn C.
We picked up take-out for lunch on Saturday. All seemed good until I saw a huge, black, long hair amongst the noodles. Blech! I bemoaned the use of less-than-stellar product in the past, but nothing except a major oversight like this one will cause me to drop the uno. We won't be back.
(1)Nicole D.
This place is a solid 3 star restaurant. Nothing great and it could be considered a little bit over priced because of that. The innards of the restaurant look good, but that doesn't improve the flavor of the food. Very average.
(3)Dale Z.
I came here for dinner last week. The place was not busy it all on a Thursday evening. The service was quite good. They had a good selection of beers, and they were serving them nice and cold. The food was a tad more expensive than I might has liked, but the quality was decent. The "Fresh Wrapped" roll (Rice paper wrapped with mixed vegetables, noodles, sweet basil, mint, cilantro and tofu. Served with peanut sauce) was pretty good. I would have liked it a bit better with some shrimp or pork in it, instead of just tofu. The Chicken Pad Thai was fine. We also went with the Pork Pad Kee Mao (Fresh wide rice noodles stir-fried with egg, onions, green onions, bell peppers, fresh chili paste, and basil leaves with a side of bean sprouts). The noodles were a bit gummy (sticking to each other) but the flavors were good. Both of these dishes were large enough portions to also cover lunch the next day.
(3)Matt H.
The redeeming grace was the Thai iced tea and the Oh My God appetizer. Other than that, my pad see ew was atrocious. I was actually sickened by the smell of it by the longer it sat at my table. The meat was incredibly dried out and tasted old and was rubbery as if it had been reheated from a previous day. They were out of the wide noodles and replaced them with pad Thai noodles which did not compare. I sent my entrée back. When it comes to ambience and table service, this place has it down, but the food was seriously lacking. If you want great food, visit their campus location. I've never had anything bad from there.
(2)Manda S.
Good food along with consistently good service make this a good spot to hit up. Not a super authentic mom & pop hidden gem Thai spot for the area, buuut it's still pretty awesome. I don't care much for the prices bein kinda high, but if you go during lunch time you can get a bowl of Tom Yum for $3! Cheapskates rejoice!
(5)David C.
Better than ranked on Yelp. To be sure, they have a wine list that comes straight from Safeway's bargain bin, but if you accept the limited wine list (and at least they don't mark it up excessively), the meals and service are very good. Prompt and honest service (that will be too much for two), an excellent three spice halibut matched with a decent vegetable and shrimp stir-fry. Interesting duo blend of jasmine and black rice, though mine was a tad cooler than it should have been. Ambience was standard. If you avoid the wine list or limit yourself to a glass of house wine quality to quaff your food, you can leave stuffed with a good meal for about $50 for two.
(4)Eric T.
Hmmmmm....seems Sweet Basil is beginning to lose steam. My daughter is leaving for college next week, so I wanted to take her out to dinner one last time before she heads off to adulthood. Where did she want to go? Sweet Basil. She loves the atmosphere and pad thai....I love the cashew stir-fry, so off we went! The first time I went there I tried the cashew stir-fry and loved it! We have been there maybe six times and every single time my wife gets the cashew stir-fry, and since I know I can steal from her plate, I always try something new.....and am usually disappointed because??? ....yep, her cashew stir-fry is better. Since my wife was not with us and there was no plate of cashew stir-fry to steal from that is what I ordered with a request of broccoli to be tossed in. I couldn't wait! I suppose it is here I should mention the only real complaint I have had with Sweet basil, and seems to be a running theme in other reviews, is the service. It is sub par. Even for Eugene. It was no better last night. Once I received my food the first thing I noticed was the broccoli. All. Two. Pieces. Really? I like Broccoli so much I ask for some to be added, and I get two pieces? Look, I know there are people starving around the world and I should be happy just to have the opportunity to have two pieces of broccoli in my cashew stir-fry, but the reality is I won the lottery when I was born in the U.S. and with a work ethic that keeps me employed. So....yeah. I can afford to eat on occasion at a restaurant and I am complaining there was not enough broccoli. So, then I transfer a little rice to my plate, spoon some of the cashew stir-fry on top of that and proceed eat. Disappointment sets in. Quickly. As I notice the cashews are NOT like they usually are. They are chewy with no bite or crunch whatsoever. Flavorless. Sigh. I know where this is going. As the cashews begin to pile up on the little side plate to which my daughter has discarded here decorative carrot flower and kale, she realizes I am not satisfied with my food. "Are you going to make "a scene?" she asks. Teenagers. "A. You have never seen me make a scene, and B. Yes, I am going to politely tell the server so that it can be fixed, and I can enjoy the meal I am paying hard earned money for." I responded. You see, my daughter, like most people these days, believes mediocrity is OK. As a former corporate trainer for a national franchise...I, however, believe, that for a business to stay in business they need feedback, which is why I love Yelp and feel obligated to ask for what I pay for. Good food, fairly priced, with impeccable service. So....I did just that. It went like this. "How is your meal?" "Well, my wife and I have been here a few times and the cashew stir-fry is always so good, but this time the cashews were...just chewy and tasteless They are usually nice and fresh. Aren't they supposed to be crunchy?" Confused look. "And I ordered broccoli," I said pointing to the two pieces, "but this is all that came in it." "Oh, that's because I didn't charge you for it." "But I wanted to have some broccoli in my stir-fry. I don't mind paying extra" Confused look from the server. Waiting look from me. "Oh. Umm. So, do you want me to get some broccoli for you now?," he asked clearly hoping I would say no. "No. Nevermind." What he should have done...the very moment he discovered there was something wrong would have been to take my plate into the kitchen, indicate the problem to the chef/cook, and returned with brand new steaming plate of F'ING AWESOME CASHEW STIR-FRY with fresh....not stale....cashews and a ton of broccoli. In an establishment truly committed to customer service, the manager would have brought out the food and said thanks for being a guest. Yeah. Not in Eugene. Ain't going to happen. Perhaps it's my Southeast, guest-oriented upbringing, but I really believe that is the way to run a food service business. Fast forward to check out..... The last thing the guy says to me? "Thanks for bringing that to our attention so, we can take better care of our future guests!" I guess to get good service I have to be a future guest. I may be out of luck.
(2)Kirsten H.
Good Thai food but the prices are a little high for what it is. Staff are nice and on-point and the environment is relaxing. I suggest trying their Tom Kha soup.
(3)Heidi S.
Poor overall experience. Either the kitchen or the server forgot our salmon dish. Took approximately 20-25 minutes to receive it after the rest of the party was served. We ordered at the same time. The rest if the table was done by then. The restaurant took off 25% of that item - it appeared that way on the check with no reference. Our server was polite and professional enough. Looking around, no one on the staff seems to smile. Why so glum? Aggro kitchen attitude? Lame boss? Understaffed? Service: 1-2 stars. Pan fried wontons were limp and hardly fried (both orders). Both salmon dishes were over cooked (to our taste). Chef special pineapple dish was bland and not very interesting despite being served in half of a pineapple. Scallops were great and flaming 'oh my god' dish was very good and has cool presentation. Food: 2 stars on average. The Thai Five was great and the wine was poured generously. 4 stars.
(2)Wanderlust C.
Walked in at 8:35 pm on Wednesday 10/29/14 knowing that they are open until 9. I was informed that they were only taking to go orders even though the server was taking an order from a couple that had obviously been seated just minutes ago. The place was quiet but not dead. There were three or four occupied tables. This is just lazy and pathetic business practice. Every patron knows that 9pm means you get seated until 9pm and you are just rude if you walk in 5 min before closing but 25 min...?
(2)Fatima B.
This place was awful. I had to change my order 3 times because apparently everything I ordered, they were out of. I finally settled on some spicy fried rice with chicken and basil. When my food came there was no basil in it and I was so confused because the basil is the best part in my opinion. I asked my waiter if they had just forgot to add it and when he went to find out what happened, he was told they were out of basil! WTH?!!! It's called Sweet BASIL! How do you run out?! Anyways, at that point I was over it and I just wanted to pay the bill and leave! Needless to say, I will never be going back.
(2)ashley e.
These people are jerks. I've had lunch here a couple of times. The food is pretty decent Thai. And it's way overpriced - because their busy. Last time we *tried* to eat here, there was a line of people waiting early on a Wednesday. We put our name down, and a minute later, they seated a party who walked in right after us. Five minutes later, they found a table for another group who had just walked in an around us. After fifteen minutes, a third group of diners walks up and gets to sit down and enjoy dinner right away. We walked out. These other people didn't have reservations. It was just that a table for two hadn't yet opened up. They wanted us to wait forever possibly, helping others before us so that not a single chair would be empty in the room. This place *might* be decent if they didn't treat their customers like garbage.
(1)Gwen P.
Be prepared for tasty food and RIDICULOUSLY BAD customer service. My girlfriend and I had a craving for curry last night, and decided to use our Groupon for this restaurant. She called in the order to go, told the employee that we were using the Groupon, and was told to bring it in when I picked it up. I show up 15 minutes later to get my order and the hostess tells me that they won't honor my Groupon for a to go order, despite it being clearly stated on the deal that it is valid for dine in AND take out. She goes back to tell the owner I'd like to speak to her about this issue, and comes back to tell me that the owner is "too busy" to talk to me, and that it is their strict policy to not allow Groupon users to take their order to go. I ask again to speak to her, the hostess goes back and comes back again with the same answer, and offers no help whatsoever in resolving this situation, aside from "well you could just pay for it", meaning use my own cash to pay for a meal that I already paid for through Groupon. I then said, so if I don't pay for this again you're just going to throw it all away? Then she remarked "well the owner said that it's just like throwing the food away anyways, because we don't make any money with Groupon deals. At this point another server comes over to help, and the hostess disappears into the back again. The server then says that the owner is throwing a fit in the back over this, but that he can ring me up if I add another item to my order so it goes OVER the Groupon deal amount. So I have to spend above and beyond the amount specified just to get my food. While I appreciate the servers attempt to help me, I am appalled at the lack of professionalism on the part of this owner and some of her staff. If you don't want to honor these deals why on earth do you continue to use Groupon to get customers? You not only lost two loyal customers today, but I plan on making your shady business practices and deplorable customer service known to all my friends and relations in Eugene.
(1)Jason D.
I had the Yellow Curry. Although the flavor was better than most places, they left the vegetable so big that it made it very difficult to eat. But the biggest problem I had was that there was very little curry sauce in my curry... They served me enough food that I had to take half of it home but there was little to no sauce left. Service was ok. Might go back to try again. But is far from making my "must try" recommendation list! p.s. my wife's pad thai was total disgusting! not like any i've ever had and it was the most expensive thing we ordered!
(3)Madison M.
Very good food. I came in for lunch and I got the green curry with tofu(#9) and the Thai iced tea with coconut milk. Both were very good. I got the curry mild but it was still very spicy so if you don't like spicy i recommend trying one of their sweet and sour dishes. But the flavor was full and I love that i got not only white rice but also red rice shaped as a star on my plate. very cute and also very delicious. The vegetables were fresh and the tofu was fried but not overly fried. The Thai iced was so good! It was creamy and sweet and just perfect. I love Thai iced tea and so many restaurants try to do it and it's too sweet or too watery or too bitter and this was just right so if you're a Thai iced tea lover then i would definitely order this for your drink. It also comes in a nice glass which isn't necessary but I enjoyed it =) My mom got pad kee Mao and it was also enjoyable. But when it started to cool down it was a little too oily for her. The flavors weren't awful though. Still nice. Just a warning. The atmosphere and decor was lovely. It was Thai themed but not corny or tacky. I really liked it. Clean, stylish, a little dark so it's definitely more of a dinner restaurant but nice for a spur of the moment lunch after shopping. Overall I loved this restaurant. I will be coming back and I hope you try it out too!
(4)Mary D.
Both my husband and I worked in the food service industry in our 20s and we both cook - often ethnic dishes from various regions. We tried Sweet Basil on the recommendation of a *different review service* (oh the embarrassment!). and were less than impressed by the quality of service and the food itself. We ordered two entrees to share, noted to the server that one serving of rice would be sufficient (one of us does not eat rice or noodles) - and we ended up with two servings of rice. We ordered hot tea, which we waited for for over half an hour, and then only got it after asking for it again. The quality of the food was adequate - but not what I expected from the menu and the recommendation. I understand that managing the simple things like keeping water filled, removing empty plates and keeping tables bussed right away can go by the wayside when the restaurant is busy, but we were in early on a Friday night, and the place seemed to be understaffed - and then staffed with apparently inexperienced waitstaff. Will we go here on our next trip to Eugene? Probably not.
(3)Pepe O.
We were driving south to California and googled thai food. we decided to try this restaurant on a whim and I am glad we did!! I had the best fresh spring roles I have ever had at Sweet Basil! My daughter fell in love with there mango sticky sweet rice and their prices were very reasonable! I will definitely stop here when passing through again!
(5)Tanaz P.
I seem to be plagued with mediocrity! This is no exception. The yellow curry with tofu, that I ordered medium spice had zero heat. It tasted more of coconut milk than curry. The veggies were overcooked and bland. The saving grace was the chicken salad, it had slivers of mango and a nice zesty dressing. The chicken was tender and flavorful. The micro greens were nonexistent and it was mostly green leaf lettuce. Unlike the menu's description of the dish. So all in all it was a disappointing dining experience. I doubt i'll try them a third time.
(2)Steve H.
I went to Manola's Thai Cuisine almost weekly for lunch for many years but stopped several months ago after getting frustrated with them constantly raising their prices. I switched to Sweet Basil for my weekly Thai lunch fix. I enjoy their Pad Thai and Pad Kee Mao. At least for lunch basics like these, Sweet Basil is about a dollar cheaper than Manola's. As for food quality, I think Sweet Basil and Manola's are otherwise pretty comparable. Sweet Basil wins on atmosphere, if that's important to you. One small complaint... on several occasions, they've made my (to-go) pad thai with all three proteins (chicken, shrimp, and tofu) despite the menu explicitly stating "choice of chicken, shrimp, or tofu" and explicitly ordering chicken-only. I now ask the staff to double-check it if I have any concerns, and they do so happily.
(3)Pani L.
Good: The menu is larger than the express version Meh: Prices are far higher than their Express shop and the portions are smaller The food isn't as good as the UO location Service boarders on hoovering Bad: Nothing stuck out as bad, but I also have no desire to return either given the superiority and better prices at the UO location.
(3)Lively D.
The ambiance is mellow and lovely even when it's quite busy. The food is amazing too:)!
(5)Megan H.
My friends and I tried to eat at Sweet Basil last Saturday, but we were rudely turned away by the hostess at 8:05 when they closed at 9:00. She informed us that Thai food may not be a good idea because they were closing in 55 minutes. Next, she told us that there were other restaurants in the area that closed later, and we may want to eat at one of those. Before she told us this, she seated a large party that was still there long after 9:00pm when we walked back to our car. It pains me to say this because I really did love Sweet Basil, but I will not be eating there again and I have told many friends about this unpleasant experience and they too will take their business else where.
(1)Bill B.
Nice atmosphere, good prices, and tasty food, served by friendly staff. The "wild" (4/5) spiciness was enough to make me almost tear up but still let the flavors blend and shine through. A classy and quite enjoyable option in downtown Eugene.
(4)Lyn Y.
A friend took me to Sweet Basil when I visited her last week. Great food! I had the pork pad see ew and level 4 spice. It's spicier than the average Thai restaurant, and the portion was huge! I made another meal of tithe next day. Definitely going back to eat here whenever I'm in Eugene. =]
(5)Monica S.
This restaurant is mediocre. The only thing really going for it is the Tom Ka. When you first walk in, there is this obnoxious curtain you have to walk through. The restaurant was large, fairly empty, and we were sat smack in the middle. Worse? 30 minutes afterward someone was sat DIRECTLY NEXT TO US. REALLY? We ordered the coconut prawn and calamari app. The former barely had any coconut, and the latter was so over-fried the calamari was dried up and nearly inedible. Next the Tom Ka. Very rich and delicious, the experiences saving grace. Finally we had the Massaman. The potatoes were different sizes, thus having varying degrees of cooking-some mushy, some harder. What gives? I'm at a restaurant. Also, whole baby carrots? It should have avocado by the way, not carrots at all, and they were so awkward to eat. There are a lot of Thai places in Eugene, so improving is vital. That groupon only got me through that door once.
(2)Michele H.
The food is good, but everything is so frustrating that it is not worth going. After four or five completely mixed up orders, I stopped going to my 2 time a week favorite lunch spot. It has been a good 8 months since I had been there. But, I decided last night to give it another try - I miss their House Special Curry. I called in my order (I rarely eat at the restaurant - they have very strong lillies, and they make the restaurant smell funny). I was told that everything would be ready in 15-20 minutes, very reasonable considering that it was not quite 5:00 yet. At 5:20, I walked in the door. It took ten minutes to pay, and as soon as I paid I was told that my order would be another 15-20 minutes due to a large "pony" order coming in. When I asked to cancel my order, the server was incredibly rude. He said "when do you need it?", I told him "now - when it was supposed to be ready at 5:15.", He grabbed my card out of my hand, swiped it, and voided my transaction. He half heartedly looked for some sort of coupon, but then was more concerned with the people walking in. I told him to not bother, I won't be back. And I won't. I guess I better find another place for good Thai, I cannot stand to deal with the mess and frustration that has happened the last 5 times I have tried to order from them!
(1)Jesse F.
DO NOT GO THERE! Our first time here was great; maybe that's why we came back three times. Each out of the three times we came back we were overly disappointed. We ordered appetizers and entrees, waiter forgot our appetizers and brought out our entrees plus the wait was significantly long. Food is usually always good but my sister ordered the pad thai and found a long black hair. YUCK. Our last time here was aggravating! After we ordered we were served with our food in a timely manner. My boyfriend ordered the seared tuna salad with mango and thai dressing and it wasn't anything great for $16. Two guys sat next to us and were being a little loud towards the bar area and I remember the waiter cussing after they had left. After we ordered our waitress pretty much disappeared for an hour, too busy setting tables and ignoring us in the process. Definitely not coming back to this establishment. Food is mediocre and service is unbelievably terrible.
(1)Dr Tim L L.
TOO LOUD. Okay food in an insanely noisy place. Not a good place if you want to talk with friends while you eat. Food is okay. I did not care for some of their combinations.
(2)Jana F.
I made a reservation for a large group (20) of people for a Saturday night at 6pm. The table was ready to go when we arrived. Cocktails were too sweet and too spendy. Waitstaff slow, aloof, not very attentive (maybe because they could count on that 18% gratuity no matter what). The worst part of the experience was definitely the food itself. Several ordered pad thai or pad kee mao with medium heat, only for it to be way too spicy to consume. My husband is a native of New Mexico and loves spicy food, has even had ghost peppers, and could not eat his dinner. We brought the problem to the attention of the waitress, who thought we were joking and mentioned something about the cooks having a contest to see who could make the spiciest dish. After a while, she gave us a glass of ice cubes and some coconut ice cream on the house, which was really quite good. I had the crispy honey duck. It was a sloppy pile of overcooked spinach, broccoli, and duck drowning in an overly sweet and salty broth. The duck was nice in the middle, but the ends were tough and hard - inedible. For $19, I think it should have all been good. All in all, I was embarassed that I invited my friends to this place. If you decide to try it, think about ordering your dinner mild and getting chile sauce on the side. Looking forward to trying Sabai next.
(2)Michael C.
Late lunch here today, first time patron. Had heard good things but very underwhelmed. Nice presentation, and friendly service, but food so so, portions small, and very salty.
(2)Eric P.
The spicy coconut soup special is a Tom Kah on steroids. This soup is good on hot or cold days. The Beef panang is your standard fair, nice and creamy. The black rice is also a nice touch. One of they best Thai restaurants in this region.
(5)Trey F.
I ordered the Pad See Ew and it was super meh. Not much flavor and all the noodles were stuck together. I would search for an alternative if you are a fan of Pad See Ew. The prices were not that cheap, either.
(2)Vi B.
Just let me get it out there: I love Thai food. I love it. Read my profile; my current (or forever) crush is Thai beef salad. Okay, so every time I go to a new Thai restaurant, I always try their beef salad, because I want to see how it compares from restaurant to restaurant. When I visited friends in Eugene over the weekend I thought we'd go out and try Sweet Basil, which was in smack dab downtown. The place is nice in comparison to the other restaurants around, but I wouldn't call it high class. But I didn't care about the ambiance; I was starved and just wanted good food. I am willing to pay a *somewhat* good chunk of money for eats, if I can justify the quality and time involved to make it. However, the food was pretty sub-par and I was shocked to see how much it cost (since it wasn't very good). I get FANTASTIC Thai food at "dingy" places here in Portland, and the fact that I went to a "nicer" restaurant in Eugene (with not so "nice" prices), I thought the food would at least be comparable. Here's a breakdown: Drinks: Lemonade and Thai Iced tea. The iced tea was SO SUGARY that it tasted like pure syrup (with a little bit of milk). The lemonade tasted like high-fructose lemon syrup with a little bit of water. I watered down the lemonade 4 times before it was easily drinkable. Food: Tom Yum soup, Shrimp Pad Thai, Chicken curry, and, of course, beef salad. The soup didn't have any noodles (which my friend thought was in it, as it usually does), the pad thai portion was quite small, the chicken curry was adequate, and the beef salad, oh... The beef salad. I love the idea of it so much that I ate over half of it, but I couldn't eat any more than that: the dish tasted like it was LYING in a bowl of nuoc mam (for those of you who don't know what that is, it's a dressing made of fish sauce and lemon juice). I know the place sounds terrible because I made the food sound inedible, but I do have to say I had a good time sitting with my friends outside, with a waiter who was very friendly. I probably wouldn't go here again; I think my hope for this nice restaurant is diminished. But no fear: I will never give up hope to find the perfect beef salad.
(3)adam m.
Calamari appetizer and lobster pad thai main dish- both were amazing!!! Very friendly and polite staff round out the experience. I would totally eat here again and recommend it to any of my friends.
(5)Albany F.
Pros: food was decent, lot of choices. Great location by all the bars. Good portion size. Good atmosphere for a date. Great presentation of each dish. Cons:over priced! too tight Of sitting, feel like everyone can hear our conversation. Service was ok, difficult to get waiters attention during rush hour. Hard to find parking.
(3)Anna K.
Really delicious but they could be a little more clean. Flies everywhere. It doesn't bother me that much because the food is AMAZING but it would probably help business to clean up a little
(3)Lisa F.
Let me start out by saying I am an avid fan of sweet basil express. I eat there regularly and enjoy it every time. I had never been to the actual restaurant and had heard that it was worth eating at first via friends and then in the Eugene magazine for the best Thai iced tea around. And I admit the drink was good, probably the only redeeming thing about the excursion. Upon arriving we were greeted with a rather cold welcome and promptly scooted into the furthest table in the back next to a screaming child. We had thought maybe there were reservations or something of the sort (pre-prom dinners perhaps?) No. It wasn't as if we looked like rif-raf. We had just come from school and shopping so perhaps our make-up was a tad faded, and it is Eugene after all. Come on. One of the advantages of sitting right next to the kitchen, the waitress was hovering next to us like a hawk. One of the disadvantages of sitting right next to the kitchen, the waitress was hovering next to us like a hawk... curiously; however, we were left thirstily through most of the night. Once we ordered it was a relatively short waiting time till our food came. (Usually we get the steamed veggies with chicken and house curry at express. It was 4 extra dollars since it wasn't lunch special.) Instead of chicken she got cold tofu. The Rice had a spine. Some of the vegetables were over cooked and some were undercooked (I have no idea how that feat was managed..) The curry was drastically lacking curry. I think it is rather understandable that we didn't leave a very generous tip.
(2)Nick S.
I'm in Eugene at least once a week on business and recently my party and I ate at the Sweet basil on pearl st. OMG food was awesome as usual. The Halibut was awesome. The food was great but the halibut was excellent. The drinks flowed and the service was right on. Try this place you won't regret it.
(5)Sarah R.
Yum! I love Thai food & this place didn't disappoint. We had the pot stickers, Tom Kha, & Pad Thai. The pot stickers & Tom Kha were great, everyone loved both. The pad thai was good, but not great. All in all we had a great experience & the food didn't disappoint.
(4)Rosalee R.
Yum! Best Thai food in town. I love the green curry with tofu. I eat here all the time and have never been dissapointed. Try it! I'm not sure what happened, but things have changed here since my last review. The food has been inconsistent. And kinda gross, actually. Oh well. Time to branch out.
(3)Jeff T.
This place makes weak attempt at "high-brow" Thai food -- something that should never exist anyhow. The atmosphere is moderately trendy, the food is average, the service is adequate, and the prices are high. For better food, service, and prices, choose Ta Ra Rin, which is just a few blocks away.
(3)Mary C.
Best Thai food I've had in Eugene so far. I have been wanting to try this place for the longest time! I just usually go to Ta Ra Rin cause the parking is a little more convenient. Not any more!!! The shinning star at Sweet Basil for me is the Pad Thai. (I know, such a boring dish) but that's what makes this place so amazing. I never new Pad Thai could taste so good!!! I took my family and inlaws here and everyone had a great time and great food! Best Thai Food in Eugene for sure!
(5)Eva G.
Sweet Basil, you're a pretty place, but you need to be more consistent with your food. If you can't even have consistently good pad thai then you're in trouble right off. Your prices are too high for such small servings. Either lower the price, or make the servings a bit bigger. Other Thai places in Eugene offer more vegetarian options.
(3)Grace C.
Ok, my roommate, her mom and I ended up trying this place out after driving around Eugene on a Sunday night finding that many places are closed... I usually eat at the Sweet Basil Express since that is closer to campus and really the main dishes there are exactly the same and about $3 less. I had Green Curry with Chicken and found it to be average sliding towards good but a bit too spicy even though I ordered mild. That might just be inexperience with this particular restaurant on my part. The best part was the rice which was a combination of both a normal white rice as well a black sticky rice on top. Very texturally tasty with the curry. They even shaped it into a star mold which I found rather cute.
(3)R S.
We are here with the family for New Year's dinner. Delicious. Pad Kee Mao w shrimp- very fresh and yummy. Pad See Yew- also really good. And the Penang curry - great. Our server was super sweet and the atmosphere was cool.
(5)Channing C.
Oh, man... That picture of Pad Thai on here? NOT what we received. Ours was so ridiculously dry! :( And the chicken was cooked to death, so dry... And the whole thing was so flavorless other than being kind of hot. No lime with it... I was sooo disappointed. Even the fresh wraps were mostly bean sprouts! The tofu in them tasted bad which was really weird. I didn't think those wraps could be messed up but they managed it somehow. Jeez... We also ordered the Pad Kee Mow (Drunken Noodles) which were also very, very dry and the chicken was the same and again it was so flavorless... Other than being hot. I'm sorry but making something spicy does not make up for lack of flavor and sauce. :( I can't stress enough how bummed I am after paying $26 for Thai food and getting this... We didn't even come close to finishing it which is really unusual for us. We aren't rich, man... We eat our leftovers. And I am a crafty cook but I really can't fix this. Totally just wasted $26. :( Never eating there again!
(1)Robby C.
First of all, one day my camera will indeed be fixed and these posts will be updated with actual images so please bear with the absence of photographs for now. The atmosphere here is a bit overwhelming and probably one of the nicer interiors that we have seen compared to similar establishments. As for the food, the beef massamun curry seemed a bit pricey though it was necessary to try as a benchmark for the other restaurants within the area. Beef was tender and the potatoes were well cooked though the curry itself seemed to overpower a majority of the dish. No quite sure if it is a Eugene method to cooking, but it seems that the two places we have tried have included hefty portions of onions and unnecessary vegetables. Perhaps it is because we have been large advocates of meat, but there is something about curry and an abundance of vegetables that does not go over well with me. Is it worth trying? For now the answer is yes, but we have faith that there is a restaurant that would rival our beloved Mae Phim Thai in downtown Seattle. Trust me, when we get our camera fixed, there will be pictures posted for comparison.
(3)Amber F.
How does a restaurant get Pad Thai to taste like ketchup? It was the nastiest thing I've ever had in my mouth... and I have had some seriously nasty stuff in my mouth before! ;) I did like the atmosphere and decor... though I am not totally sure why they have that curtain draped so close to the entrance the way they do. They have a large mural and decent bar with an alright color scheme. I'll move on with this though, because I should probably be talking about the food more. The dish I got was actually okay (the pad thai was my date's), but sort of bland and not very spicy even though I had ordered a medium spiciness to it. So that was sort of disappointing. It had a black rice that I enjoyed. Their soda was not calibrated by the way which drives me crazy. If I am going to actually have a soda and leach phosphorous from my bones, I at least want it to taste like like there is a ton of corn syrup in it! Overall, no way I am going there to eat pad thai ever again, but might give it another chance for something else. I don't know though, because I really enjoy Ring of Fire for Thai and would rather spend money on a sure thing, you know?
(2)Shane O.
This has been a somewhat-favorite of mine since I moved to Eugene. I tend to appreciate a restaurant with a good atmosphere and decent service, and on top of it I have found myself content with each meal I have eaten here. It is nice when a restaurant feels like it is hopping, and in the summer a late afternoon lunch seated outdoors is very nice. Side note: this is one of our favorite spots to catch a light dinner and drinks when we are out with our pup. To relate to the other critiques here, I have never ordered the Pad Thai, but then again I am more adventurous than that. I find it incredibly predictable to judge a Thai restaurant based upon its Pad Thai. If I were to judge them on their curry, it becomes an entirely different story. The combination of Basmati and Forbidden/black rices pairs perfectly with most of their curries, which have been sufficiently spicy each and every time I've ordered it. On the appetizer front, the Fresh Wraps are perfect when something refreshing is sought after. The drink menu is rather more daring than some of the other spots in town, my partner's favorite mixed drink is the Thai ice tea based "Thai Me Up". And with a regular selection of good beer on tap, I am happy as well. My main critique is that I've never been enticed by a single special as a vegetarian. How long should it take to come up with a new veggie dish?
(3)Chris F.
Went here for lunch to check out somewhere new. I ordered the pad Thai, yuk. It smelled odd and was very bland. To top it off, the chicken in the dish was boiled! It definitely tasted boiled as well as having a boiled texture. Also ordered mine medium spicy. Rather than the cooks mixing the pepper flakes in properly, they sprinkled some across the top. So now, Im making a mess trying to mix it in, and having some bites that are bland with others that are hot. I am the first to admit I am pretty picky, but come on! The poster below talking about the dish smelling like a wet animal was pretty accurate. I love Thai food however I will not be returning to this establishment. On the positive side, the server was very friendly and the Thai iced tea was ok.
(2)Peter H.
Fantastic "OMG" appetizer.. It's a must! Great atmosphere, a tad expensive, but what can you do. Best Thai food in Oregon.
(4)Roxy R.
Food is okay, but SMALL portions for the price! This isn't a place I'd be inclined to visit again. Sorry, Basil!
(3)Bobby D.
I went here for dinner the other day and ordered up my usual curry dish. It came out in a reasonable amount of time, but seemed a little on the cool side. The food was good as far as the flavor goes, but it was missing a generous portion. I was hungry when I walked in and hungry when I walked out. I guess it helps to order appetizers and not just the meal. The price was 11.00 for the dinner only. The service was real good and the waiter was very friendly. However, if you want a generous portion of food (and you should get it for $11) this ain't the place - in my opinion.
(3)LISHA Y.
very good food. great service. the spicy-ness of the noodles have more heat than spicy flavor.
(4)Jo J.
The Best Thai food restaurant in Eugene!! House special curry is to die for! EXCELLENT!!
(5)Doug S.
I've been here a couple of times since I moved back to Eugene. I have to admit: the food here is just as good (if not better) than the "authentic" restaurants in Portland and San Francisco! Eugene: we have a winner here! The place is always busy during lunch time, but they always have an open seat for you and your date. The food comes out fast and is always hot! No complaints here, my friends! Swing on by: you'll probably see me eating the Cashew Chicken!
(5)R P.
Amazing thai food, some of the best ive ever had, and I am a huge thai food fanatic. Great service as well, I highly recommend coming here, best thai in town.
(5)David Q.
The phad thai is probably the best I have had. The appetizers were delicious. I had a drink called a sunny siam that was delicious.
(5)Jackie Z.
I am not sure what the other reviewers are talking about their Pad Thai was excellent! I also had their Tom Yum which was so yummy with lots of mushrooms.. my fav.. I went with 3 others so we had a lot of food so I tried a lot we had their sampler as well with fried tofu and spring rolls.. DELISH! We had a June Special Coconut Veggies very fresh coconut milk. Super yummy! Their Thai Iced Tea is so good too!
(5)Olivia P.
Meh. Me and mi familia shared some takeout from this joint not more than an hour or two ago. Duck and pineapple curry was lackluster, more heat than flavor. The chicken satay was dry, the peanut sauce uninspired, the mint and cilantro in the spring rolls was full of stems and/or totally wilted, and the pad thai was a gluey mess. The only reason this joint gets a second star at all is the thom kha gai soup, which was so good I almost gave it a third star. Two or three types of mushrooms, delicious, super-spicy broth, plenty of lemongrass and galangal...mmmm, deliciousness. I hoarded the thom kha and filled my bowl with rice, skipped out on most of the other stuff.
(2)Yasmien H.
This place was okay. The Panang Curry was really mild and not as flavorful as I'd like. The Chicken Pad Thai was Okay, the ambiance was nice and the waitress was nice. It was okay but there's so many Thai restaurants that are awesome that I wouldn't come back again.
(3)Flora H.
Up until last night I have always loved Sweet Basil's food - delish Thai food, super fresh ingredients. However, my curry contained mini carrots that were not fresh. When we asked the waitress about them she said they were from Cisco and probably just a bad batch. I always thought they used the freshest ingredients, but was wrong. An otherwise delish dish was ruined by these chlorine soaked, stale quickie carrots. I suggest they buy and use local veggies - they are so plentiful here! I won't be going back soon. Bummer.
(2)Andria M.
I've eaten at Sweet Basil many times since they opened several years ago. It's my favorite Thai food in town. Prices have gone up over the years but it's still a reasonably priced dinner ($11 for most basic entrees). The atmosphere is really pretty. I love the painted mural of a Thai market. The house curry is tasty as well as the usual Thai suspects - Phad Thai, Cashew Chicken, Phad Kee Mao, Phad See Ew. Fresh wraps are tasty and I appreciate that they have local microbrews on draft. This is our "go-to" place whenever we have a date night. Dishes are generous and difficult to finish on your own. Overall, a solid Thai restaurant with a nice atmosphere that's a step-up from the usual Thai cafe.
(4)Chris B.
We ate at Sweet Basil for the first time tonight. We thought it was quite good for Eugene. Unlike other reviewers, our service was fine, no rude menu throwing or ignoring us, etc. And, we even had our young kids (3 and 5) with us! The food was quite tasty, with nice presentation to go along with it. I rate this restaurant as one of the better ones in Eugene so far. We will definitely be going back, so I hope our good experience wasn't a fluke.
(4)Heather W.
If you like Pad Kee Mao, it's my opinion that Sweet Basil's is the best in Eugene. I love the dramatic tapestries too.
(5)Don J.
My old lady loves Thai food. That being said, she loved Sweet Basil and wants to go back. We ordered the pad thai and some chicken vegetable stir fry. The stir fry was good, but the pad thai tasted like a wet animal. Very stinky too.
(2)L Z.
No where close to the best Thai I've had, but this place is really good for Eugene. The service is always great and they have some great things on their menu - duck with scallions and ginger (delicious)!
(4)Meggie W.
The food was okay, but I just couldn't get past the cramped quarters. And my eggplant with garlic sauce dish hardly had any eggplant! Boo!
(2)Anthony R.
Solid Thai fare in an elegant dining room. The chefs at Sweet Basil take great care to make sure your food not only tastes good but looks good as well. This is no greasy spoon, but slightly upscale dining at pretty reasonable prices. The Pad Kee Mao here is not the best in town, but it's serviceable. the other "litmus test" dish, the Fish Cakes, are merely good--like many Thai restaurants, Sweet Basil makes them too large. If not eaten right away, they lose the hot-crisp appeal and become simply soggy and chewy. If you order these, be waiting at the kitchen door to grab them as soon as they emerge from the hot oil. The Pad Thai is good, curries are good, stir fries are good. The food here is just good--not great, but certainly better than a lot of what's out there. Standouts include the Larb (salad of ground chicken or tofu with lime juice, lemongrass, chiles), the Beef Salad, the Lobster Ball appetizer, and the the Tom Yum soup, which is some of the best I've ever had anywhere. The cute "Basil Bar" on the south wall of the restaurant mixes fun cocktails.
(3)R R.
I used to love this place. It was the best Thai in Eugene. They used to have stellar Tom Yum, great rice dishes. But the last time I was here it was cheap stir fry with celery and carrots, doused in oil. Disgusting. I hope they clean up their act! If not, they probably won't last.
(2)Jessica R.
I go to Sweet Basil about once a month for lunch with a friend. The location is convenient for us both, and we're always seated and served very quickly. I've had mixed luck with the cashew gai lately--the chicken is a little dry. The presentation is a bit charming, though, and the prices are reasonable.
(3)Sheila B.
Best food I've had in Eugene thus far. Excellent service, presentation outstanding, and lovely atmosphere. Thanks!
(5)Maeve G.
Fool me once, shame on you... You know the rest. I made a second visit to this place this summer thinking my awful first experience might have been due to not having been open that long, still working the kinks out, etc... Nope. Just as bad as the first time. The food is NOT good at all (too salty and weird aftertastes) and the service is a joke. This is Eugene, not NYC. I don't need some holier than thou hostess to walk by me ten times before she seats me, only to throw menus on my table and not send a waitress over for fifteen minutes. I could go on, but I'll just close with: I will NEVER go to this place again.
(1)Laura H.
So they have this thing here called "Oh My God." It's an appetizer. And it's on fire! So you should definitely get that.
(4)Molly T.
The food is not to blame for this rating. I really liked the peanut sauce house curry and the plum sauce that came with our appetizer. But terrible service doesn't make me want to return to a restaurant. Our actual waiter was fine, if inattentive, but when we arrived, we stood a foot from another employee for a good few minutes before even being greeted, and then had specials menus thrown rudely onto our table. Not to mention there were three shrimp in my dish. I've heard all good things, but I came away unimpressed and uncomfortable.
(2)