Basil Thai Cuisine-charlotte

Decent garlic chicken though visually not very appealing and had lettuce in it. Also super strange menu things like no drink list on lunch menu and they won't do fried rice with a dish for an up charge, you have to get a full entree of it.

We were drawn in for lunch by the great smells and friendly host...but this place was disappointing. Very limited wine and beer selection and the bartender had no clue about any of the drinks. We ordered the ginger chicken and it was strangely served with romaine lettuce as the vegetable, drenched in sauce (not like a little side salad). ????? Visually very unappealing. Also, they don't allow you to get fried rice as a side instead of brown or white rice. We have never seen that before. Overall the flavor was good, but some pieces of chicken were undercooked. And for the look and pricing of the place, I expected real chopsticks instead of the cheap wood ones.

This review is relative to the service I received at Basil yesterday. We’ve been eating at Basil for YEARS. IMO they have the best Pad Thai around. However, I stopped in just after 2pm yesterday to take a friend visiting from DC to lunch. We were just about to be seated by the host until the “manager” comes rushing out to inform me the restaurant was closing at 230. I asked if the kitchen was still open and did we have time to order? Its 210 by this time. She says “we close at 230 as in, doors locked, everybody out at 230”. How unprofessional and rude!! I’ve never had such a response from a restaurant. We quickly walked one block to King’s Kitchen who was also closing soon. I asked the hostess if we had time to dine inside so close to closing. Her response “Absolutely!! You can stay as long as you like!!” I don’t make it a practice to patronize a restaurant just before closing because I realize they want to go home but there is a better way to get your point across and retain your customers’ business at the same time. Thank you King’s Kitchen for accommodating us for lunch. They were tipped well!!

Had dinner here last Wednesday. The place jumped! Our waitress, Chelsea, was attentive and cared for us. The food was just amazing. I had the vegetable roast with chicken and it came perfect. Vegetables still crunch and must not be cooked over. T, the manager, was great. She ran between the hostess to be holding an eye on the take-out bags, supported at the bar, and checked all the money in customers. Now one of my favorite Thai places!

We sat at the bar where we had great conversations with the new bartender Minah. Chai, the owner also came over and explained the story behind Duck Pho. It is a newer item on the menu at Basil. Both soups were very yummy and hit the spot. I will have to say I’m going to get the Duck Pho for myself next time. Make sure you come at dinner time if you are wanting to try the Duck Pho. We came back again this time I had the Duck Pho and my friend had the Pad See Ew. When I first arrived the bartender, Minah recognized me from two week ago and asked if I wanted to try a new drink recipe she was working on called a Thai Tea Martini. I had two and they were chef’s kiss. I highly recommend trying Basil out if you enjoy high end Thai food followed by impeccable service. Came back for 3rd and 4th time food is always excellent. Alex the manager is alway kind and attentive to all the guests needs. Minah is always killing it with the Thai Tea Martinis. Please do not let the other reviews stop you from coming. This is one of my favorite Thai places in Charlotte. I will continue to keep coming back for the quality of food and hospitality. Thank you Bail Thai!