My husband is allergic to shellfish. So whenever he is out of town are first stop is Cool Basil. The Captain Crunch sushi roll is the best!! Pad Thai, Massman Curry, Orange chicken, or the spicy grilled shrimp salad are all fantastic options. It's hard to know which one to get when you want all four. read more

The Tom Ka Kai and the Crab Rangoon - oooooh yes. I'm sure the other food is good too but I can't get past my giant bowl of soup and my crab rangoon because they're so delicious I can't ever bring myself to order anything else. Service is great-even when they are busy. read more

This place is awesome! Went there today for lunch and it was packed wall to wall, patio and all. We ordered pineapple delight, salmon mango, Lo mein, and veggie delight. I LOVE that they have a brown rice option. The prices aren't bad but if you want to add BBQ pork or seafood as your protein, be prepared to pay for it. Portions are a nice size. They have sushi! Have yet to try it though. I don't have many complaints. Food is good, some things are better than others.. When they're busy I do notice that the food can come out kind of salty. Their reservation process is a little frustrating, especially when it comes to bigger parties.. They have a weird thing about ordering only certain foods and having a huge reservation fee for the party room. Otherwise, not bad. read more

Cool Basil - Appetizers! - Thai Near Me - Clive, Iowa

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This place was Ok, we tried to go to Blu, but was told they don't have Soy or Rice wraps for their sushi. They said for us to come to their sister restaurant. I ordered a couple rolls, nothing to be too excited about. My wife had a Thai noodle dish. It was all ok until later that night my wife got horribly sick, we asked the waitress to make sure the dish was vegan friendly. We think the sauce had some dairy in it, but not sure. Others may like this place, but we will most likely not return. read more

This is popular lunch spot amongst my colleagues, so I decided to give it a try for myself. I ordered the shrimp Pad Thai and was not disappointed. I requested medium spice level and the spiciness of the dish matched my request. Not to mention the staff provided excellent customer services during my interaction with them. I will definitely be back. Lastly, I would recommend anyone interested in trying Cool Basil to make sure you go to the Clive location. The food at the Altoona location is far less enjoyable. read more

I really like the new location! So much space, nice decor, no humidity buut it is still winter. I sat in a booth with my family around the bar. We sat for awhile waiting for the waitress to come buy to order drinks.. She too awhile so I ordered our drinks at the bar. The bartender was great. I ordered the Ginger Breeze and Cool Ginger drinks- yum. I love ginger. We had the Thai tacos to start. Yum again. I tried the corn and crab soup- very good! Then I ordered the three shrimp meal and my husband ordered sesame chicken. My meal was good but I wasn't expecting it to be fried. Perhaps I should have read the menu closer :) I tried my mom's salmon which was similarly fried like my shrimp with the same sauce. It was kind of rubbery. Overall, the food and atmosphere were good , the service from the waitress was not impressive but not to the point that I won't give it another shot. I want to try the pumpkin curry. read more

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Good place to hang out with family or friends. New avocado curry good, and loved the crab fried rice ..Now they have new pumkin curry .... read more

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This is my new go-to family-in-town joint! The gigantic menu makes it easy for everyone to find something tasty for them to enjoy. The staff is quick and friendly and the location is huge too! I have a hard time not ordering green curry but my mom ordered the Thai style soup and holy Mac!!!! It was friggin tasty. And fed me three times - deal alert!! Also, they have better portions in house than to-go just an fyi. If you dig Thai food this is your best bet. Enjoy! read more

Cool Basil was my introduction to Thai food and a good one at that! The new location has a warmer atmosphere with the same good service and menu. They have added a full bar service too. Dining here several times and driving by you can tell that Thai Basil is going to make a success of this restaurant location that had failed so many times in the past. Great options for vegetarians, distinct levels of spice to choose, and some Chinese dishes for those who are less accustomed to Thai are things to note here. Good place before and getting better with full bar, patio, and larger dining room. read more

If I was comparing this to restaurants in Chicago, it would get 4 stars, but because there is VERY little Thai food to be found in Des Moines, it's getting 5 stars. The place is always busy it seems but it's large so the wait should never be long. They have an extensive menu but unfortunately, I wouldn't know - I only ever seem to get Panama Curry- I'm addicted! The service is good. They do a high volume of business and they are always staffed for it. read more

Located near the almost defunct strip center at 86th and University, Cool Basil serves up Chinese and Thai in a rock solid manner. Having been here several times it is as dependable as the setting sun. I ordered the Massaman curry which was excellent except for the not quite hot temperature. Service was good and apologetic when I mentioned the lack of temperature. Sister restaurants include Zuzap (5 stars) and Banana Leaf (not rated). I hear that Banana Leaf is good but slightly higher price than Cool Basil. read more

This used to be my favorite Thai place in Iowa. I'm not sure if ownership has changed hands, but the experience, even of take out, is less pleasant than it was a few years ago. That said, my red curry was good but unexceptionable. I remember the food being something special when I frequented DSM in 2010-2013, so while decent, I was expecting more. read more

Always a great place to eat!! The sushi is amazing!!! I would recommend the TST roll. Also get the sample platter for an appetizer!

I recommend the green curry with chicken. It took me back to eating curry in Bali a few summers ago. One bite and it's like I teleported- that's how good it is. 10/10 recommend read more

I go here a lot during my lunch break for takeout when I feel like Thai food. It's conveniently located close to where I work and I've tried a lot of the menu items. I'm a HUGE fan of their tom yum shrimp! It's the best I've had in town and they give it the perfect amount of spice, well, I also order it 5 star spicy and it's delicious! I've had it in every size and it has the perfect blend of shrimp, mushrooms, and onions in the perfect hot and sour broth. I'd highly recommend it. I love that they actually give you plenty of shrimp pieces too and flavor is consistently great. For appetizers, I've tried the crab rangoon, fresh spring rolls, and spicy dynamite wings. I really liked the crab rangoons and the springs rolls were okay. I didn't really like the spicy dynamite wings. The sauce just made them way too soggy and not what I expected. The beef larb was okay. It just came with lettuce but at other restaurants in the metro area it usually comes with lettuce and either sticky rice or jasmine rice. For the price I expected something more. The red curry was delicious. I wish it had more veggies in it but overall the flavor and spice were there. Drunken noodles are pretty good too. I didn't expect sushi at a Thai restaurant but I must say, it was pretty good! I've ordered the small sashimi, spicy tuna roll, TST roll, and the VIP roll. The fish was always fresh and portions were good for the price. I get food from here about once every other week and most of the time it hasn't disappointed. I highly recommend the tom yum with any meat or just vegetables. It's so flavorful and my favorite item on the menu! The staff is always nice and friendly. I never have to wait to be helped either. They stay well staffed during lunch at least. I'll have to try it for dinner sometime. read more

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Amazing food!! One of my favorite places to eat Thai food! I love the yellow curry with a cucumber salad. I also love their curry fried rice. I also can't go to this place without getting a Thai ice tea. Super yummy! Keep up the great work!! read more

I ordered the fried rice with crispy chicken and my husband ordered the sweet basil. The fried rice with crispy chicken was better, the food is always pretty good but never out of this world great, but we'll come back. I wish there was a weekend lunch special menu like there is on weekdays, that is very affordable. read more

Cool Basil - Thai Near Me - Clive, Iowa

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The food here is quite delicious. The atmosphere is nice, everything is authentic the dining room is great, there is even an outdoor patio. It is located on 86th St. near a bike path that goes through Greenbelt Park in West Des Moines. If you haven't had the Thai experience before this is a good place to start, if you have had it already it will raise your expectations. They serve Thai & Chinese also Sushi. read more

We have been to the old location a couple of times. Then they moved to a cursed location actually rated as one of the top five worst business locations in Des Moines. Clearly they are the ones to turn it around. Parking lot is always full. Food: amazing food. I have only tried a couple entrees & rolls. I wish I could get past the drunken noodles with chicken. But why bother when the dish is this good. The only thing I can say is slightly above average is the sushi. But still very solid Good, clean restaurant with great flavors Hats off to the owners, you've made loyal customers out of us! read more

Good food. Lots of vegetarian & vegan options. Customer service is hit or miss. Not the cheapest Thai in town, but the portions are large so you can usually have leftovers. read more

We stopped in last Sunday for our first visit. We were excited because we'd heard good things about Cool Basil. It was very busy, but we got seated right away at a small, wobbly table for two. That's fine, we were happy to get in! Our waitress came fairly quickly, was polite but seemed a bit frazzled, and we placed our order. One appetizer and two entrees. Nothing complicated. That was the last we saw of our waitress. 35 minutes later, the table beside us, that was seated 15 minutes after us, got their food. We promptly walked out. Here's a tip: Eat Thai across the street is fantastic. I highly recommended it. read more

We had a group of 15 for a family birthday get together. We called them 2 days in advance; of course the only night they don't take reservations is Saturday night when we planned to go. My wife and I were the first ones there to get the tables needed; greeted friendly and pleasantly sat. We ordered drinks first, my hot sake was room temp. The gladly heated it up for me. After everyone arrived, my wife and I were the first to order. was the only one of the group to order sushi. my wife the moo goo gi pan. My sushi arrived and my tempura roll was cold. Not even room temperature; and tasted like the fish was bad/old. I choked 1/3 of the roll down and couldn't eat any more. My wife, who was the first to order, they forgot to enter her order! So most of us were finished when her food arrived. It was less than spectacular. The rest of the group had a good meal, out's , not so much. I can't say we will ever go back, but that seems to have been an insolated incident by reviews and our family. read more

We love to go to this place when visiting family in Des Moines. The food and service are fantastic and price is very reasonable. Love the duck curry and tum yum! read more

I love the variety. I try something new each time I'm there. The best. I'd love to see them accept Humblpay. It would save them money and it's my favorite way to pay merchants. read more

This has become our go-to restaurant for Thai/Asian food. Everything on the menu has been great, but I am partial to the noodle dishes...any of them. The Tom Kha Kai soup is also a must have. We've taken numerous first timers and out of town guests, and no one has left hungry or disappointed. read more

The food at Cool Basil is what brings me back through the doors every time. I have a hard time choosing, as I'm a creature of habit and the Pad Thai here is one of my favorites, but I make an effort to choose something different (even if it's just an appetizer). I always recommend this place to anyone looking for good Thai food. read more

Gave my mother food poisoning. I called to ask to speak to the manager about this and was told I'd get a call back. Never did. Won't be back. read more

Cool Basil is a casual and modern resturant in Clive. The restaurant itself is huge, so is their parking lot, and also their menu. I had the opportunity to try the Spicy Tuna Handroll and the See Yew Noodles with Tofu. The handroll was a bit of a downer- portion was huge (not your typical handroll), but the sushi was not fresh and the rice was untreated and bland. I couldn't even finish the roll. The See Yew Noodles were much better- there are spicy levels that you can choose. While I'm used to seeing larger, flatter noodles that are rectangular in this dish, the flat long noodles were OK. The dish was flavorful enough and the spiciness was not overpowering. I was excited by the great reviews but was disappointed by the Spicy Tuna Handroll. Also, my table was not wiped down (food crumbs everywhere) before I sat, but the service overall was fine. read more

Favorite Thai food in the Des Moines area. I was able to order, eat and pay all under 30 minutes. Great service in house and good for takeout as well. read more

One of the best Thai places in Des Moines. Definitely the best crabragoons in the city.

My friend and I were looking to grab some food pretty quickly before we headed down to the Hinterland festival. Luckily, Cool Basil was just down the street from our hotel. The staff was all very friendly and suggested we get the drunken noodles. We ran over to an ATM to pick up some cash, and by the time we got back, about 10 minutes later, the food was already waiting for us! The drunken noodles at medium spice were not very spicy at all, but it was definitely very flavorful (also, we had it with fried tofu as the protein) and it really hit the spot for us! It was a little more than I'd usually want to be paying for drunken noodles, but only by $1 or so. read more

Cool Basil is a staple in Des Moines. i've been to Cool Basil a billion times and i don't think i've ever been disappointed. they have tons of vegetarian/vegan options. virtually any dish can be made vegetarian. i personally like their pumpkin dish (i'm not 100% sure this is a daily item, it might be seasonal/special dish). it's unique and delicious. i get it with tofu and could eat it every day. definitely recommend. read more

Great food and great service. There is a concerning smell of sewage that all working there seem to ignore. They know something is wrong as there are scented candles as well as Glade pug ins throughout the restaurant. As much as I enjoy the food they serve, I will never go back unless they eliminate the sewage gas issue they are currently ignoring. How can you run a restaurant with such smell and poor air quality. read more

My friends and I came out after work to enjoy a good meal after a hard days work and to unwind. One of my friends ordered Broccoli Stir fry with shrimp and it was absolutely awful. The sauce tasted like vomit. We told the waitress it was not good and said "I'm sorry I'll take it off". My friend had no dinner and our waitress Noeum brought her check with the meal on it. My friend asked if she could get money off or anything since it was awful and Noeum said " I talked to my manager and she said there is nothing wrong with the food so you have to pay for the meal". What type of manager would not want to impress their customers. Not impressed not coming back. read more

We went here for my sons birthday. We had a group of 11 and we arrived at 5pm. We were seated promptly. They do not take reservations and this is why we chose an early dinner time. It was at least 20 minutes before we received any drinks. The birthday boy had to ask twice for his coke. The appetizers of edamame and shrimp puffs took forever. They brought steamed instead of the fried puffs we ordered. Not much of an apology and the fried ones eventually came over cooked, while they took the mistake steamed ones back. Dinner was ok except for two main things. I ordered a $50 platter of sushi. It did not come with rolls listed on the menu, nor could the server tell me for sure, what I had been given. My sister asked for her sushi roll three times. The server kept telling us that our sushi was being "stolen". I was highly disappointed in the experience. My sister never did get her sushi roll. We were at the restaurant for 3. 5 hrs. No offer for a free dessert for the birthday boy or much apology for all the things that went wrong. The food was mediocre at best but edible(the food we received anyways). I used to dine here for lunch often. They might have lost me as a customer forever. read more

Cool Basil - Platter for 2 including rolls, sushimi, nigiri, seaweed salad, and clam salad - Thai Near Me - Clive, Iowa

Best sushi we've had in WDM. Also have the best outdoor space in WDM. their patio is on the east side of the building, so in the summer it's in the shade and glorious. I've been here 4 times now, and every entrée I get is just average. It makes sense too, cause their menu is like 19 pages long... You can't be great at it all. What they do do well is sushi. I know the beloved sushi snobs may not agree, but they have traditional and "Americanized" rolls. Portions of everything are decent for the money value. ** Recommended** The Tam Ka Kai is wonderful (coconut curry soup). Get it spicy, like a 4, so that you get the blend of sweet coconut, juicy mushrooms and spice. So good! Drink menu is rather small and very run of the mill. They have 3/4 beers on tap, but they are like bud light, coors light, and a seasonal ale. Something like that. read more

Favorite find since we moved here. The staff is wonderful, the food is delicious, and the atmosphere relaxing. Try the Tom Ka Kai. I ask for no mushrooms and they are able to accommodate which is always appreciated. The menu is large, with the options of sushi, pad Thai, and many more delectable dishes. I've tried both the pad Thai and one of the curries and would go back for both. This place is worth a visit. Even if it's just for a Thai coffee. read more

Cool Basil - Tom Ka Kai - Thai Near Me - Clive, Iowa

I have never had a bad experience with Cool Basil until tonight. The bottle of beer I was served was skunky and ultimately undrinkable. The person I was with confirmed the beer was bad. We requested the saki be warmed. It was barely warmed. Perhaps we should have picked up on the objection from the server about warming the saki when the order was placed? The appetizer was served with no plates or silverware. I requested plates from 3 separate servers and was ignored. When the plates were delivered the appetizers were cold. As a result I was unable to eat any of them. The entrees were served while we were still waiting for silverware and plates. When the server finally came to the table I asked again for plates and silverware. At this point I decided it would be best for me to leave as I was unable to hide my disappointment. It was obvious the server knew I was unhappy based upon her demeanor, but never once was there an offer to try and make anything better (other than offer me a bill.) I have been to Cool Basil many times. This is the first time I have not been offered a fortune cookie. At this point I don't think I can return. read more

Cool Basil is one of my favorite restaurants in Des Moines. Their food is always delicious and we consistently receive wonderful service. If you've never been here, I would highly recommend you try them out. read more

Delicious food. Many options to choose from. My husband swears by the larb and hot tom yum soup. Love the egg rolls. Ordered the sweet sticky rice once on accident but may start getting it all the time; it was such a great palate cleanser. Nice atmosphere. Great for family coming into town or date night. UPDATE: Took my family here who are strictly Chinese food is a buffet people and converted them! We've since had multiple family dinners here and everyone went home full and got their choices. From Chinese to Sushi to curry dishes.... there's a vast selection for everyone! read more