Pretty fast service and friendly staff. The restaurant building itself is pretty large, so it feels quite spacious yet still cozy and vintage with the brick architecture and warm lighting. Highly recommend this for a chill atmosphere where you can catch up with friends or bring a date! 4/5 - Pad See Ew - This restaurant cooked this classic dish well, and it was well-seasoned and with very generous portions. Nothing too outstanding, though it was the better of the two dishes we ordered for dinner tonight. 2/5 - Gai Gra Prow - This dish did not have much flavor upon being served. We initially asked for salt which the server provided the house fish sauce mixture instead. Upon adding the fish sauce, the dish tasted better, however it didn't seem to have that Gra Prow spicy kick that I have had from all other iterations of the dish. It overall did not seem very impressive to us. read more

See all

This restaurant was recommended to me by a friend and it did not disappoint! I picked up some pad tofu and roti for take out. Both were delicious and fresh when I picked them up. When going into the restaurant, the vibe felt very casual and resevered. It would probably be great for a date night or a dinner with friends. I also asked for a water to go, and the host told me that they didn't have to-go cups but did offer for me a glass of water and to stay at the bar to hydrate myself for as long as I needed. The whole experience was enough to have me return in the future as Thai food is one of my favorite cuisines. read more

Basil Canteen - Pad Tofu - Thai Near Me - San Francisco, California

We had a little friendsgiving here and OMG the food was soooo good. We came during happy hour and enjoyed their $5 beers, $10 cocktails, and $8 snacks. I loved the green beans, pad tofu, khao soi, crispy shrimp, pad thai, and fried banana with ice cream. Everything was so flavorful and served piping hot and fresh. There were only two servers and they were moving so efficiently for the mostly full restaurant. Great vibes, great service, and even better food! read more

See all

A cute and exquisite gem, Basil Canteen has the vibe and the food down. You cannot go wrong here with so many options on the menu, authentic Thai cuisine with fresh ingredients, and welcoming service. I had a reservation at 5p (their opening dinner time), and got there a little early. The staff were so gracious and allowed me to use the facility while I waited for opening time to start. The tables and chairs are perfect size and spaced out. The interior of the building is magnificent with tall ceilings and large windows. You can tell that the cooks and servers put a lot of effort into making your experience one to remember. We had green beans with aioli and pork dumplings to share -- amazing! I had the pumpkin curry (sub shrimp for $3) and it was perfection. You can tell this is a popular place for both small and large parties. I will be dining here again -- what's not to love! read more

See all

OMG. I am so happy this place is close to my office. I am so sorry I didn't get photos but I will come back and update this review. I had the Pad See Ew and it was beautifully prepared and delicious. The service was very friendly and the atmosphere was quiet and peaceful. I cannot wait to come back to try more of their menu! Stay tuned! read more

Walked in and got greeted. The environment was really cute and warm. Our server was attentive and food came out quick. As for the food, the papaya salad was underwhelming. I would skip. The Tom yum mussels were my favorite. Had a little kick of spice, but the flavor was mouth watering. Next would be the kao soi. The sauce wasn't too thick and was more on the sweeter side. The fried egg noodles gave a nice crunch and added texture. I would order this too. Parking wasn't too bad since it's located in Soma, but i would come here if you're looking for a good Thai restaurant. read more

See all

I made a small error in ordering food through DoorDash and when I called them, I spoke to the son of the owner. He was so rude and refused to help me completely. He hung up the phone on me twice after messing up my order. I would never order from here again. They don't understand the value of customers and they're in the food business read more

This place is definitely a hidden gem, and I'd highly recommend checking it out! The restaurant itself is beautiful and the service was great. The food was all delicious. I tried the pumpkin curry with shrimp and a side of coconut rice, and oh my it was so flavorful. I also tried a pork dish, which was also so tasty and the meat was cooked perfectly. I will definitely be back here and look forward to trying more of the dishes on the menu! read more

See all

Love the Decor of this restaurant. Be sure to ask the Server for any recommendations. We Listened to her. No Regrets at all....From Start to finish. we finished all the food we order ...Attached were the very good suggestions they gave us. read more

See all

I went for dinner the other night and it was delightful all around. I love that happy hour went to 6:30 and included some of their appetizers. I treated the table to popcorn chicken which was served with a tasty zingy sauce. We all had either pad thai or pad see ew. I loved the spice level of my pad see ew. If you aren't into spicy make sure to ask them to tone it down. Almost off of the items on the menu can have their spice level adjusted. I can't forget to mention the super kind staff! read more

Basil Canteen - Menu - Thai Near Me - San Francisco, California

Lovely experience for Valentine's Day 2025. Servers were wearing pink! Very mindful and checked on us a good amount of times (not too much) - got the table overseeing the place in the corner. Everything we ordered was amazing and we were very full at the end of it. Industrial modern space. Considering to reserve for a big party in the future. read more

See all

Delicious food, amazing service, great for large parties. Our server Benny was an utter gem. I was there with a party of 17 people. Everything came out quickly and was delicious. The atmosphere is classy industrial, with a sultry, dark feel to it. We went there before going out to an event nearby and I'm so happy we chose this restaurant. It was an incredible experience and added so much to the entire night. read more

Basil Canteen - Large party dining - Thai Near Me - San Francisco, California

Better than Bangkok! I've tried nearly every dish here and they have all been excellent. Friendly staff, quick service, and a beautiful space in an iconic SF landmark. Great for a date or a team outing. read more

If you're in the area, and you want some quick bites and drinks before or during your outing to one of the events or clubs nearby, this is a good place for just that. Compared to its sister restaurant, Basil Thai, the Thai food is somehow nowhere near as good. Some of the appetizers are decent, and they have a happy hour everyday, which makes it great for that purpose. If you're looking for a delicious meal, I would walk further down the street. It's pretty easy to walk in or make a reservation on OpenTable if you're in more of a rush, and stuff comes out pretty quickly as well. It's a lot more airy of a space compared to Basil Thai since it has two levels, but unless they're crowded, which is rare from what I've seen, they don't use the second level much. If you do much it out here for happy hour, I would suggest trying the Sri-Ra-Cha spicy margarita as well as the green bean and dumpling appetizers at a discount! read more

I just love this place!! It's the perfect location for a quick and tasty dinner if you're hitting Oasis for a show! The cocktails are bright confections that will perk up even the toughest day. The food is fresh, tasty and fast with the right amount of spice. The servers are lovely and friendly. The restaurant is airy and brights d perfect for two or a group! Always a great choice. Get the cashew chicken or the pork belly and the corn fritters to start!! read more

Basil Canteen - Delight cocktails that are more confection! - Thai Near Me - San Francisco, California

See all

Nice ambience, easy to find a parking, friendly and helpful service. Food is great and delicious. read more

Basil Canteen - Bake mussels topped tom yum sauce and Thai style steam dumplings - Thai Near Me - San Francisco, California

3.5 STARS Server: "How spicy would you like it?" Me: "Extra spicy please (no Thai spicy on the menu). Server: "Extra spicy? You sure?" Me: "Yes, please." If it doesn't burn my bunghole, I don't want it. J/k! Basil Canteen is the closest Thai eatery from the office so thought I give them a shot when the spicy craving hit. They're open for takeout, delivery, and dine-in. No outdoor seating. Central location to the bars/clubs in the area making it a good option before getting your drank on. M E N U Standard Thai fare with some modern twists; i.e. taro fries, tom yum baked mussels, etc. Spice levels: Mild, medium, spicy, extra spicy. No lunch specials. HH specials 5 pm-6:30 pm: discounted apps ($8.50), beer, wine, and cocktails. Full bar. F O O D * Sakoo Sai Moo: Steamed Tapioca Dumplings w/ pork, peanuts, lettuce wraps (5 pc-$10): https://tinyurl.com/495jajbw Chinese chiuchow dumplings meets Viet bánh bột lọc, the Thai steamed tapioca dumplings have a mochi-like chewy wrapper with a sweet peanut filling. Couldn't taste the pork and the filling ran too sweet. No accompanying peppers so I asked for hot sauce (only sriracha available). * Gai Pad Krapow: Wok-Fried Minced Chicken w/ green beans, chili, fresh basil ($17.95): https://tinyurl.com/4393wc2x --Sub white rice for coconut brown rice (+$1) --Add fried egg (+$3) --Request extra spicy The gai pad krapow was Americanized, running more sweet than spicy. The extra spicy was about 4-4.5/10 so hot sauce was def needed for heat. There's more white onions than actual basil which wasn't really integrated into the stir-fry. Odd because pad krapow means stir-fried holy basil. The coconut brown rice was properly cooked and the fried egg had an oozy yolk so yay for that. S E R V I C E The owner and staff are SO nice and accommodating. I was several minutes early and they let me sit inside. However, food service is soooo slow. It was completely empty the first 20-25 minutes (weekday lunch) yet the pad krapow took an unusually long time; 30 minutes. A M B I A N C E Spacious two-level corner loft space with high ceilings and exposed brick walls. Hip vibes compared to the Thai restos in the TL. P A R K I N G Metered street parking that can be challenging. Overall, good hospitality but the food ran too sweet and lacked bold Thai flavors, at least to me. And, with the snail-paced lunch service unfortunately, I have to round down. read more

Basil Canteen - Sakoo Sai Moo: Steamed Tapioca Dumplings w/ pork, peanuts, lettuce wraps | 5 pc-$10 - Thai Near Me - San Francisco, California

See all

What can I say about this block. Always active for decades. Whether it's your favorite rapper ( Nas) or musician ( Prince) this place was frequently played or visited by all . Slim's and the DNA lounge was the spot for all types of late night madness. My grandma lived about 3 blocks away so I was exposed early of the nightlife early. Today there are day parties at Audio and night parties still go on here at DNA Lounge. This 11th street corridor still the place remains active and I always enjoy a good happy hour. The drinks they offer at Basil Canteen are a variety . I like my go to beer Trumer Pils ( Steve Kerr's favorite also). Then there is my always my go to Pinot Noir red wine. Then there was an intermission of the Hybrid which is Thai tea & Coffee , Cream and Whipped cream. Cocktails all aboard . This is a good start me up drinks and dinner place which located next door to the location where 2pac filmed his video" Brenda's got a baby". Lots of old and new memories going on around here. Music everywhere. On 11th street in San Francisco get drink and food that's sweet and sour On Folsom and take advantage of Happy Hour read more

See all

We came to Basil Canteen in a pinch for time bc we had a show at the Orpheum right after but I really really wanted to try their Tom yum mussels -- I'm so glad we were able to make it! Mom loves Thai and it was her birthday so ofcourse we tried a new spot. Basil Canteen was clean, nicely decorated, had the friendliest staff, and the food was served fairly quickly. We ordered: - Tom Yom Goong Soup (8/10) a classic we always get, theirs was a bit tomatoe-y but good! - Pad Ped Pla Duk (6.5/10) Spicy Wok style crispy catfish with green beans in spiced kaffir red curry sauce. I wanted to try something new and it didn't disappoint but there was also another dish I wanted to try which I think I might've liked more (will come back to try their 3 Flavors Shrimp). The sauce for this was yummy but I may have eaten green peppercorns (?) that I probably wasn't supposed to which might've affected my appreciation of the dish. - Baked Mussels Tom Yum (10/10) Baked New Zealand green mussels with "Tom Yum" aioli. This is what drew me in to try this place and I'm so happy we tried it! It was delicious and rich (I liked it more than my mom did, so could depend on the taster) Overall, I really liked this restaurant and hope to come back soon to try more items as their menu had a diverse selection while also including the classics. Thanks for the yummy food and great service :) read more

Basil Canteen - Baked Mussels Tom Yum - Thai Near Me - San Francisco, California

See all

Food is delicious. The waitstaff is really nice. A little pricey, but Totally worth it

Pretty good neighborhood Thai place. Not a huge menu, but enough to keep it interesting. Pad Thai was a little different than I'm used to,

Basil Canteen is right next to work, so I went here more times than I can count. And let's be honest - when it comes to Thai food, I'm an easy sell. The food? Good. Solid. Thai food is usually a safe bet for me, and Basil Canteen delivers. The flavors are all there, the dishes are fresh, and I'll happily devour anything with basil or chili in it. Now, most of the menu won't rock your world. It's dependable weekday lunch or late-night dinner fare. BUT they have this fried pork belly and Brussels sprouts situation that will haunt your dreams (in the best way). Crispy little cubes of pork belly nestled up with caramelized sprouts. So rich, so fatty, so perfectly over the top. You can't finish it solo without feeling like you need to lie down afterward, but you'll be thinking about it for weeks. So ya, this place isn't life changing, but it's a reliable spot if you're in the area. read more

The food is delicious . I would come back here again. The cocktails were delicious and tasty read more

Basil Canteen - Thai Near Me - San Francisco, California

See all

Great ambience and quick service. The shrimp pad Thai was phenomenal but I wish the chicken red curry was served in a different bowl. The shallow plate didn't have much curry and went cold very fast. read more

Basil Canteen - Chicken red curry - Thai Near Me - San Francisco, California

See all

Chill, casual place to get a yummy dinner with a nice portion size. We were all satisfied with the presentation and taste of our noodles. The pieces of steak to the khao soi were a nice touch and I loved how creamy the curry soup was. read more

Basil Canteen - khao soi - Thai Near Me - San Francisco, California

See all

I have been searching high and low for a Thai restaurant that makes authentic Sakoo so when I saw that basil canteen does I made it a point to try it out as quickly as possible. The restaurant itself is super cute, I like the layout and the individual seating but with a communal feel. The drink menu is on the wall in chalk, so I'm not sure if that rotates or changes, but, overall the service and the food and the drinks were all great here and I will absolutely be back read more

See all

Located in the South of Market in San Francisco, Basil Canteen offers Thai food with a modern twist. Food - I ordered 1) Crispy Shrimp Chip $9 chips were yummy, crunchy and I love how it came with 3 sauces: chili jam, peanut sauce, and tim yum aioli. Size is good enough to share with 2-3 people. 2) Pad Seew $19 + $2 for beef - my go-to order at any Thai place. Food was served hot and fresh. Sauce is tasty and the beef was tender. They are located in a corner brick building with two floors. Ambiance was cozy and plenty of space for seating. The workers are nice and attentive. Overall, a good place to eat lunch or dinner when in the SOMA area. No parking available though which may be a problem and I'd recommend take extra safety precaution around the area. read more

Basil Canteen - Crispy Shrimp Chips - Thai Near Me - San Francisco, California

See all

Delicious food, good service. Our "go to" pre Oasis show dinner spot. Great for groups! Our out of town friends love it! read more

The food was wonderful and servers were great. We had a big group and it went really well.

Great food, great service, delicious drinks. It's a great location in the neighborhood and always a good vibe. I appreciate the consistency of the food and service. Definitely recommend the fish chips with the sambal and three sauces. Wish there were more sit down restaurants and options like Basil in the area, but it's always a nice place to sit and eat and highly recommend. read more

Tasty and reasonably priced Thai food, conveniently located near many SoMa nightlife options. Perfect to fill up your belly before getting your party on. They have a Happy Hour with mildly discounted appetizers and drinks from 5pm-6:30pm, which makes it even more of a value place. Kao Pode Tod: Little fried corn discs with a nice dipping sauce. Tasty, but kinda small, especially given that it's just veggies and batter. Sakhoo Sai Mu: These were very unique dumplings. Savory umami filling inside of a light and sticky wrapper. First time I've ever had a dumpling melded to a leaf of lettuce. Which was very smart, so your hands don't get sticky, and also quite refreshing. Popcorn Chicken: Pretty good portion for an appetizer. Lots of tasty morsels with a tangy dipping sauce. Not sure how Thai the popcorn chicken is, but yummy nonetheless. Kang Kiow Wan Roti: Love the rich fried bread. Reminds me a little of Malaysian roti, though not as a flaky. The coconut infused pork chunks were a great pairing, kinda like when you get Malaysian roti with a little chicken curry. Kao Soi Neur: While the portions on the appetizers were a little hit-or-miss, this main was very filling! A good portion of hearty skirt steak that was perfectly seared on the outside while pink on the inside. Floating a huge bowl of very rich coconut curry. With tons of chewy egg noodles, which did a great job slurping up that thick sauce. If this was a light broth, like wonton, I could see the same portion size not be filling. But something about all that coconut and spices made this very substantial. read more

See all

Can't believe I didn't know there was a Thai food spot near my place. So glad my friend introduced me to it. They made the Pad Thai just the way I like it, saucy and spicy. The lime added a nice sour contrast and bean sprouts and peanuts added a nice crunch. Great interior and friendly service too! Will be back! read more

Basil Canteen - Pad Thai - Thai Near Me - San Francisco, California

Good spot. The food is consistently solid, but the hours aren't the best. Service is just okay--when it gets busy, they still usually have one server who's also handling the bar, so things can move slow. Depending on the time of day, service can be hit or miss. Still, the food makes it worth coming back. Ambiance is good but the seating is a little snug considering the amount of space available. read more

Another successful birthday dinner here last night! Last time I came her for a huge birthday was a few years before the pandemic and they had great service. Everyone got a mix of items , I stuck to the pad Thai which is always a solid option. The chapchaye was a unique entree that I hadn't had before but also good for vegetarians. It has huge slices of tofu. We stayed a little past closing and they were kind enough to bring a candle dessert for my friend even though they closed at that point. Didn't take pictures of the interior but it is such a vibe with the brick and loft style dining. Awesome good, awesome service, and great decor. read more

Basil Canteen - Pad Thai - Thai Near Me - San Francisco, California

I came with a party of 5 for dinner on a sunday around 8pm with no reservation and there was no wait! My fiancé and I ordered pad thai, red curry, and tapioca steamed dumplings. I absolutely loved the tapioca dumplings - this was the first time I've ever heard of this dish and the texture was like eating sticky mochi. We ordered the pad thai at a medium spicy level, which was a lot spicier than we expected (even for Thai spice). If you can't handle spice well, I would order the lowest level if not Level 0. The red curry unexpectedly became our way of taming the heat from the pad thai! In terms of service, our servers were kind but we were very mislead by the fact that there is mandatory gratuity for parties of 5, not 6. The physical menu and the online menu do not state this at all. When we pointed this out, a server said that the menu is very old and has not been updated in a long time. Why is this the case at all? It was very suspicious and it ended our dinner on a less positive note as a result. read more

See all

The curry was not the best compare to other places like saap ver in my opinion. Food came warm, not piping hot. Took 36 minutes exactly. Service was amazing however, just the food was a disappointment. read more

Basil Canteen - Pumpkin curry - Thai Near Me - San Francisco, California

Friends don't let friends go to Basil Canteen. Maybe for cocktails? I didn't have a cocktail. Manora's Thai is just a block away, and has been consistent for decades. Inconveniently closed on Sunday, but given that everyone was headed somewhere in an uber, we could have gone to any number of places in Larkin that would have been a lot better, like Ping Yang Thai Grill & Dessert or Lers Ros. Anyway. Tried the following Corn fritters: it was at this point that I knew we were in trouble. I couldn't help but stare at them in horror. This unfortunately caused the person who ordered them to offer me one. My dish had not arrived so I had no excuse. I have a terrible phobia of refusing food. It's normal for corn fritters to be brown, but these were pretty dark, and rather thin, which didn't bode well for creamy centers. Indeed, not even a dousing in the meager amount of sweet cucumber dressing could rescue the overcooked corn fritters fried in oil that had seen better days. I was glad I had modestly cut one in half. I guess this is what you get for coming at the end of service on a Sunday? Chicken Fried Rice: similarly another person at the table seemed to think I was in distress because I was staring at their food in horror. The rice was clearly overcooked. I grabbed two of the three slices of cucumber and hoped the flavor would be ok. Thai fried rice is a real treat I almost never allow myself--I love the onions, the sweetness, a hint of ginger or lemongrass and the lower salt and lighter color vs Chinese, also a major treat. This was a disaster. Not only were the rice grains losing their individuality, but the chicken tasted off. Freaking gross. WTF? No lime or lemon wedges to mitigate. Finally, my order arrived--"boat noodle" thai-style beef noodle soup. It was waaay better than the other two dishes I had, and the waiter was quick to bring bowls for sharing. It was a large portion and I wasn't terribly hungry at this point so it was enjoyed by a couple other people. There was enough chinese broccoli for all, a bit more broth would have been nice, but the flavor was good -- sweet, with a hint of star anise, and the rice noodles were only slightly overcooked. read more

Most of the stars are for the ambiance & drinks! The food itself was just okay. We had a weekend night reservation and pulled up to a dimlit restaurant in what looked light a retrofitted warehouse, with large shared wood tables inside. We ordered two appetizers for four people and it was good enough. The drinks were the highlight - the Starberry Mohito Mocktail that a friend ordered was excellent. Another friend got a Lychee Thai Iced Tea, which was surprisingly and good as well. Personally shared a Vegetarian Pad Thai. Be warned - you must explicitly state no fish sauce or shrimp paste if that is your choice, because they add it by default to vegetarian dishes as well. They were very good about advertising this on their online menu though, so we were able to have clear conversations with the waitstaff. The Pad Thai was fine - nothing too special. It was good potion size to share. read more

See all

Excellent fare! Decent happy hour on select drinks and appetizers. Drinks $10 apiece and appetizers around $8. We had the Thai corn fritters, beans & roots (taro & tofu fries), and the steamed tapioca dumplings. Not appetizers I would normally order, but so glad we tried them! Would definitely get the corn fritters and the tapioca dumplings again. The pad kee mao was also delicious and the pad thai came with plentiful shrimp. The place has a nice industrial chic look going. Definitely a great place to stop by for happy hour (5-6:30PM) and grab some drinks and bites to eat with friends. read more

See all

The food here is authentic and flavorful. I've only ordered take-out and I've never had any issues with accuracy or food temp. I wasn't v fond of the duck curry. The sweet and savory just didn't really do it for my palate. I also didn't really love the marinated steak. The steak itself was delicious and tender. The peanut sauce they prepared with it was bland and subpar. Broccoli was also just bland and boring. This place has Khao Soi!!!! Honestly they should get 5 starts just for this dish. This is a Laos dish that you don't find on every Thai restaurant menu. It's a coconut curry soup base broth with meat of your choice and egg noodles. The broth is so flavorful and this soup is more exciting than your traditional curry. There's a great amount of spice with garlic turmeric and ginger. Fresh cilantro adds a nice zest to this dish and the onion adds great flavor and crunch. My favorite part is the crispy fried wonton strips they garnish this dish with. Don't miss out on trying this. Order it as an app for the table or your main entree. Its a highlight. The mango sticky rice is made perfectly here!! read more