Excellent wine selection...wide variety of appetizers....one of the best rack of lamb....tons of desserts to choose from and good service.

Came here on a Saturday night and we were seated right away as the restaurant was mostly empty. I ordered the gyros after skimming through other reviews and I would also have to agree that the gyros were right on the mark. The portion size was generous but it only came with a few measly pieces of pita bread and they charged extra for more. The price for the gyros was pricey ($18)--I could get an order in Chicago for less than half the cost. I stole a few bites of my bf's domales, which was also really good. Our waitress was also nice and the atmosphere was great. read more

Basil's was a participant in the DuPage PADS "Taste of Hope" event that I had just attended and I had enjoyed their Spanokopita triangles. So armed with a $20 gift certificate from that event and off to meet my friend who lives closer to Aurora than I do - I went to visit Basil's to see what the place was all about. I arrived and noticed that the decor lacked the usual blue and white colors that come with most Greek restaurants - I was good with that - the ambiance was pretty pleasant. It was a Friday so they also had a musician playing a "Greek guitar" - he kept rolling through most of the night. Good stuff all in all. As for the food, it is priced a little higher than what you'd expect in an ordinary Greek restaurant, maybe $2- $3 per entree. We ordered their version of kolokothakia with skordalia. They use eggplant in addition to zucchini and it was pretty good. The skordalia was on a par with any other I have ever had. I ordered spanokopita and it came out on a plate with Greek potatoes. The spanokopita was made like a small "loaf" and cut in half. Pretty good, but a little pricey at $14. My friend ordered a mahi-mahi dish that came out like a casserole. He said it wasn't as firm as he would have expected and the order itself wasn't quite what he anticipated, but overall the dish was good. We ate at the bar and the bartender, Maggie did a nice job! With the gift certificate it was a decent deal - without it Greek Islands in Lombard may have been a better option. I'll probably try Basil's again if I'm in the area. read more

Four stars for service, but just two for the food. Our server was congenial, helpful and just chatty enough. But the bread service was cold and bland, my kebabs suffered from under-seasoning and over-oiling. The cheesecake was equally bland and the crust soggy. My companions were content, but no one raved. Altogether, it was all very much bland and not memorable. It's easy to compensate for mediocrity with generous portion size, and this seems to be the case. Mr. Basil - how about paring back the plates and upping the quality? Then I will consider another visit. read more

After reading everyone else's review, I reluctantly went after suffering from a serious Greek-food craving. I went ahead and buckled down and visited the restaurant for myself. Beautiful restaurant. Conveniently located. Friendly and professional staff! I've just had WAY better Greek food at 1/3 of the price. Portions do not fit the price and also, the overall authenticity somewhat lacked. I'd rather drive 45 min to Greek town and dine from now on... read more

We went to Basil's in the summer when they first opened. What really drew me here was the outside seating and the favorable food reviews. We sat outside and I tried a couple of items that were mentioned in the reviews. Unfortunately, I took a risk trying something I hadn't had before...ground lamb...and really DID NOT like it at all. The manager was kind enough to replace the dish with something else. My dinner mates were very happy with their food. One negative was that they fired up the outdoor fireplace/grill that smoked heavily in our direction for the majority of our meal. The outdoor eating area was pretty busy, so I was surprised that they would have the fire smoke up the entire area...probably not a good location for it. Although, the service and atmosphere was pretty good here...I haven't had a desire to go back due to the bad taste left in my mouth from the ground lamb...not their fault, though. read more

Truly unexpected amazing dining experience in Aurora! We found place based on reviews online and they were totally true! We did not book the table and had to sit at the bar but it was definitely worth it. The food was very delicious and staff super friendly. I am definitely going back there again! Definitely try: tomato basil soup and lamb!!! Next time will book the table and am looking forward to the dining experience outside. read more

See all

This used to be great place to eat, but the quality of the food has gone downhill. The saganaki and soups were excellent, but all the following were disappointments: Vegi-Mousaka, Hummus, Skordalia, Tzatziki, and Taramosalata. I think they need to add some Greek chefs to the staff to teach the others to make Greek dishes. read more

I went for a birthday party for 3 girls, there was about 20 of us that went. It was a little crowded all bunched up next to each of the girls, it was Greek Independence day...there was a lamb that was roasting outside, which was kind of cool, too bad I don't like to eat lamb. This is my first time there, I wanted to try something new. I called to make a reservation ahead of time, I wanted to bring my own cake but they told me we had to buy dessert or they would give us a $15 charge for cutting cake...serious?! lame. Then the waitress wouldn't let us pay separately, I was ready to walk out....in her words it gets busy around 3pm...we were there at 2pm...no one was in the restaurant... I was very frustrated..granted she seems like the only waitress but if you know it's going to be busy, hire more people or have more people work that day, if you know theres a party of 20 don't let one person serve them, have two... we had to ask different people to get more water for us because no one was refilling for us.. annoyed. service made me mad...my food was a rotisserrie chicken and sour tomato rice...$15? no way, i'm better off making my own rice and grabbing a $5 whole chicken from wal-mart... not going to this place again. read more

BEAUTIFUL facility, excellent service, fantastic beer selection nice looking food but my food was waaaaay too salty. I ordered the avolomongo soup which is my favorite, really had an excellent flavor, but the salt took the front stage. I ordered the skordalia which is beets and garlic potato mash, the beets were absolutely drenched in oil and the potatoes were far too salty as well. And finally we ordered a Greek salad. I have been to Greece, and have ordered many Greek salads. Typically a Greek salad is simple cucumbers, tomatoes, onion and feta. Mine was mostly mixed greens and heavily dressed. read more

This place is a hidden gem! The food is excellent and the service is fantastic too! Everything we have eaten here is amazing... my favorite is the kale salad (which is crazy bc I never ate kale salads before here) the gyro is yummy and my kids love the calamari and the lemon rice soup (it has a long name but it's a signature soup). Anyway you will love it and the portions are very generous! read more

We had a small group dinner here for my son's rehearsal dinner night. The staff accommodated us like royalty! They were absolutely great. We even had personalised menus! The food was superb. Since we are Greek, our critique of Greek food is stricter than most. I had the dolomades (stuffed grape leaves). The portions were large and the food was tasty. My son's godmother had moussaka. It was a bit over cooked, but very tasty. The vegetables that came with it were excellent! My mother-in-law had the spanakopita. The pieces were cut in a very unique way and it too was ample in portions and very tasty. The pipesd-in music was nice. You felt like you were in Greece! It wasn't so loud that we still could talk with one another and yet still be enjoyable. Our waiter took our pictures after we finished eating. In all we had a wonderful experience and next time we are in the Aurora area, we definitely will go again! read more

I took my mom for the famous avgolemano soup and had the lamb chops and their bread and butter OMG!!!! with chateau ste. michelle wine. the place is amazing and the staff were great. read more

Basils Greek Dining - beautiful entrance. - Greek Near Me - Aurora, Illinois

See all

So happy to find a great non-chain restaurant in the burbs! Went to Basil's last night on a whim, was pleasantly surprised. Nice décor inside and a decent crowd for 6:30pm on a weeknight (though you can definitely tell they are still "new"; very eager to serve you and they seem to be watching the door for customers). We started with the saganaki and weren't disappointed. I had the white fish special, my fiancée had the salmon; both of us were delighted with the meal. Fish was cooked to perfection, just the right amount of flavor and tenderness. The rice was good, though not a huge fan of the sauce, but couldn't figure out why (maybe needed more salt). Had the baklava for dessert, also good but be careful - it comes out INFERNO hot (we both burned our mouths!). Only strange thing is the TV in the corner of the main dining room that plays a never ending stream of photos of Greece and famous Greek actors... I love Star Trek, but it's strange to see a photo of Counselor Troi looking at me while I dine. Probably wouldn't have noticed it as much had I not been facing it directly... though it did keep me entertained. Who knew Chriss Angel was Greek!? read more

Basils is amazingggggg. We go frequently. It's my birthday today and I'm so starving waiting for my late guests to arrive so we can go to basils that Im browsing the menu I already know by heart. Used to go to Greek island tried basils once and we're converted. The food is superb. I have never had a problem. Love the roasted lamb which falls apart its cooked so well and Greek potatoes. Yum! The service there is equally amazing. They are so welcoming and helpful it's commendable. Is fine dining at reasonable prices. You must check out basils ! read more

Had a very nice dinner at Basils. We started with the Saganaki as our appetizer and then had the Avgolemano soup. The soup had a nice texture and a good chicken base with a nice, but not overpowering, complement of lemon. For entrees, I had the Kokkinisto (braised lamb) and my wife had the roast lamb. The lamb in both our dishes was extremely tender and moist, literally falling off the bone; the Kokkinisto was delicious. My wife enjoyed her dish equally well. Unfortunately, we were too full to have dessert. Service was very good. Our waiter was attentive without being obtrusive. Basils is a wonderful addition of Greek dining to the far western surburbs. I'd recommend it to anyone looking to have a great Greek meal in the Fox Valley Mall area. read more

We hosted a co-ed baby shower for our close friend here. Basils managed the entire event seamlessly. Everything turned out really great! Samantha the hostess was really helpful and took care of everything. read more

always enjoy eating here. had sea bass, mousaka and dolmades. totally YUMMY. desserts great also. service has always been wonderful.

I recall Basil's having much better food than tonight's experience. This was disappointing given the emptiness of the place (understandable on a Wednesday evening). The best we had was the saganaki, and that's just fried cheese. The other appetizers also disappointing: the calamari looked and tasted similar to the frozen variety and the hummus was delivered in a cold, can-shaped form with pita haphazardly scattered around. I would be ok with mediocre food if it was cheap or in large quantity, however none of the served plates were either. Entrees were of varying temperatures (mostly lukewarm to cold) and of vastly different spicing. My scallops/shrimp were way over-salted but my brothers steak was basically plain. That all being said, staff attentiveness was great and facilities were clean with a decent ambiance. Those saved this from being a 1-star review. If your experience would be anything like mine, I'd avoid Basil's in favor of either cheaper establishments or others of more proven higher quality. read more

Not very authentic. Small portions. Big prices! Have had bad experience with hostess there. Very rude!

I love this place. We discovered this place when we were hungry after finishing a movie in the nearby theatre. Soon as we entered, seeing the upscale ambience, we liked it immediately. Being vegetarians, there a good number of options on the menu for vegetarians. We had the Tzasiki, eggplant and potato spread along with the pita. Did I mention about the dolmades? BEST EVER! They are completely vegetarian, not as sour like at the other places and so full of flavor. We then had the spicacorzia, chips and a couple of other sides which I really dont remember. They have a full bar and a very good selection of wine. On friday evenings, they have live music. Bonus! I would highly recommend this restaurant if you are a vegetarian. My favorite- get the vegetarian dolmades. They are the best. read more

Went there with my girlfriend on Friday (April 27th) and had roast lamb. I have to say, I was incredibly surprised. The food was great, the atmosphere was actually refreshing, gave the appearance of being upscale, but didn't feel stuffy or like we were surrounded by snooty people. Our waitress was prompt and courteous. Wine selection was plentiful, but I prefer my beer, and they had a pretty poor selection of beer. (MGD and Bud don't cut it in my book) But, the waitress rescued me and found some Sam Adams. read more

I really would love to love this restaurant. I find in the midst of the suburbs locating an "independent" dining establishment is difficult. Basil's has all the right moves but execution often falls short. I've been three times and keep telling myself I've not really dialed into their "menu stars!" Both times I was with a dining companion who leaned to the traditional gyros platter which is as well prepared as it is abundant. The basil chips appetizer are battered zucchini and yellow squash which are not as "chippy" as you'd expect since there's no crunch factor but they are tasty. On my latest visit I had the octopus stew which was served with two starches (rice and potatoes) and was a bit too home spun for me. Who does two starches, and those Greek potatoes are greasy and bland...they need work! The stew was sweet and just left me unimpressed. The Mediterranean pasta was too oily but baklava for dessert was tasty, if a little stingy on portion size. The stars of the restaurant are the servers, who strive to make your dining experience a good one! This is why I gave it 3 instead of 2 stars. The wine and beer selection is small but good and the bar is talented for a good cocktail. I like that the menu is not like an encyclopedia of choices. I do intend to return and try saganaki, Greek Chicken, lamb and more traditional Greek items and enjoy their excellent service! read more

See all

Omg yes yes yes this place is beautiful, delicious and so friendly! You'll be given a 5 star service with 5 star food!our server was Maryam and she was lovely!! We had the sakanaki (5/5) and it was SO FREAKING AMAZING. GET IT, YOU WON'T REGRET IT. We then order the Dolmades (3.5/5) and we had the Roast Lamb (5/5) AND YOU MUST GET THAT TOO. YOU WON'T REGRET THE LAMB it melt from the bone and it was soooo tender and delicious. We also had the lava cake with vanilla Gelato for dessert. So yummy. I love this place. Definitely recommend!! read more

See all

I was really impressed after only one visit. This is the place to be and there are many people who are regulars (like my parents). I tried out Basil's when visiting home for the holidays and had a great experience. Immediately upon entering, my family was greeted by the owner. Now, I think my parents go here on occasion and it was cool to see that they remembered their names. What's cool is that the owner really cares about your dining experience and stops by tables to check in on service and your food. They have tons of options for food and drink. They have a rotating selection of beer on tap. Their menu is pretty extensive. They have many of your tradition greek dishes. I had the double Lamb Chop drizzled in a red wine reduction. It was amaaaaaaaazing. The grape leaves and gyros were pretty awesome too. We finished our dinner with some ouzo. Our server explained that there is a tradition/joke where every greek family has a bottle in the liquor cabinet. It's never opened, just sits there. It was a nice way to finish off our meal. I will definitely be convincing my family to go back next visit home. read more

Nice atmosphere. Decent food ....have had much better saganaki. But way over priced! Dolmades for 18 dollars? What? Saganaki is 10 bucks. never seen prices that high for those dishes. a small cup of avogolemeno dollars. wont be going back. review would have been two stars but its a nice place with good service. read more

Love this place. We visited on Mother's Day with a pre fixe menu, but loved the options. Service was amazing. Will definitely visit again soon. read more

Soup for starters, delicious.....I had the Avgolemono soup, my husband had the tomato basil. The Avgolemono soup (chicken, egg, rice, lemon) benefitted from the fresh cut dill Maggie, our server, got me from the kitchen. It brightens the soup and brings out the flavors. We both had the chicken kabobs, served with Greek potatoes and green beans. Everything was (again) delicious. Seasoned just right. We've never had a bad meal here, but this was THE BEST!! And our server Maggie was very nice and knowledgeable. It was our thirteenth wedding anniversary and it was nice to celebrate at a restaurant with excellent food and wine. ( I had a Greek red ). read more

Went for a family birthday dinner and was very pleased with the service & food quality. Wednesday night just after Christmas holidays and place was almost empty at 6pm. Server was excellent, saganaki was very good, fried calamari was good and out 4 different entrees were very good. Lobster ravioli was good, dolmades were excellent, chicken kabob delicious and scallops with linguini just ok..... sauce was too cheesy and thick- but scallops were excellent. Baklava for dessert was very tasty Overall, 4 stars for service, atmosphere, cleanliness and food quality very good read more

Every good food! The lion of lamb is excellent. The chicken kabab, saganaki, grilled octopus and lemon soup was also very good and not to expensive. Service was excellent. I would definitely recommend this place. read more

The food here is good. Prices are ok. Service is very good.

I want to give it more stars, but there was my dessert mishap! We went here for lunch today. Even though my niece works here, we hadn't tried this place out. The online menu did not match the menu we were handed. I didn't know if a weekend lunch was different than a weekday lunch, but there were lunch items listed online that weren't on the menu we were handed. In fact, there was no lunch menu. The menu we were given was the same as the dinner menu, so I don't know if they eliminated the lunch menu or what. We had saganaki (when In Rome), then I had a Greek flat bread while hubby had the lamb meatball soup with a salad. The food was great, service was great and we enjoyed ourselves. I did my usual, not eating everything to leave room for dessert. Then I ordered the puff pastries with an ice cream filling and chocolate sauce topping. (I can't remember the name for them and they are not on the online menu for me to check). Anyway, the pastries were hard as a rock! I could not cut them with a fork or a spoon. I thought they were frozen. I took one home thinking that the pastry would thaw out and be edible when I got home, but the ice cream melted and the pastry was still rock hard and I couldn't even cut it with a good steak knife! Anyway, it was a big disappointment. Hubby's tiramisu was good, but I was so unhappy about my dessert. I told the server about it and she did deduct it from my meal which was very nice. So I'll be back, but maybe just on the patio and for drinks. You don't mess with me and my desserts! read more

Not a cheap lunch by any means, and the portion sizes were sort of small, considering they made us order from the dinner menu at 11am on a Saturday. Even so, the meal was absolutely delicious and the high quality made it all worth it. Had the saganaki, appetizer-portioned dolmades, and a Horiatiki salad. My friend had the Keftedes. Finished with the bread pudding for dessert. I would definitely return, hopefully with a Groupon or restaurant.com gc in hand. read more

I have been coming to Basil's for a few years now, and I cannot believe it has taken me this long to write a review for them! Recently visited here on a Tuesday night around 7pm. The restaurant itself wasn't too busy, but the bar area was pretty crowded and there was a party of about 20 people going on in the banquet room. We were seated right away, and the hostess was very friendly. Gave us a very nice table. The only thing is, she sat us right on top of another couple at another table. There were plenty of other tables, and why she chose to seat us right on top of someone else is beyond me. However, it was not an issue. Our server seemed a little preoccupied from the start - it appeared that they had him taking care of the large party going on in the banquet room. But, then manager stepped in a was helping him out with his tables, and since we were not in a hurry we really didn't mind. The food here is always phenomenal. We ordered saganaki as an appetizer, and it was awesome! She had shrimp and scallops over orzo, I had the Basil's Greek chicken breast. Both entrees were fabulous! We will definitely be back soon! read more

Oooopaaaah! I love saganaki! Basil's lamb is to die for! They definitly do lamb right! Constantine was our server this time... he's awesome. Ask for him and he'll make sure your table is well taken care of. I do feel that the desserts could use a bit of improvement. Not bad but doesn't quite satisfy my needs... lol. read more

Like coming home...if your home is Greek! This must be what Grecian comfort food is like. The food was delicious and attractively presented. The ambience is somewhere between formal and casual but is very relaxed. The wait staff was most attentive and friendly. The fire roasted chicken was as good as you'll find anywhere. Prices are fair and reasonable. We will be back. read more

Went here with my wife, in the area and had never been before. First off, the service was great. Our waiter, Constantine, was extremely friendly and talked to us like we have known each other forever. Prices were very competitive for the area. Had a bottle of wine for $30, calamari for $8, my meal was $14 and the wife just had a salad (of course). I can not remember what the name of my meal was, but it consisted of stuffed grape leaves covered in a lemon sauce. The sauce was excellent, with just a hint of lemon. The grape leaves were fresh and full of flavor. The whole experience was great and walked out paying $65 before tip. I will be going here again. read more

Delicious food, friendly staff, and charming ambiance. Can't go wrong here. Date night, family dinner, liquid lunches, girls get-together, solo dining, whatever your needs - Basils has you covered. And for you fellow AA advantage dining members, they're on the list. read more

Great lunch. Calamari, Crab Cake, Ocean Pasta and Sautéed Shrimp and Scallop. Service and manager always attentive.

I'm a beer snob, my wife is a wine snob and we both like good food. It's hard to find a place that does all three things well. Basil's has an incredible beer selection - it isn't just a good selection for a Greek restuarant - it's a good selection for a bar. Local beers, imports, IPAs, stouts, Greek beers - the rotation changes constantly. Thursday nights are half priced beers - and not just draft - all beers. Some of the menu items are a bit overpriced for what they are. The filet mignon is one of the best I've had - certainly top 10, maybe top 5. Given what you'd pay for filet at other restaurants, it's certainly inline and includes sides. The service is always excellent and one of the more knowledgable waitstaffs in the area. The management, the servers, the cooks - they all want you to have a great experience. read more