The Bottom Line
Sweet Basil is a small, neighborhood Thai restaurant in Woodside that lives up to its sweet name with its warm service. The menu is small compared to nearby Sripraphai, but the flavors are big. Sweet Basil is a great backup when your plans to eat at Sripraphai are thwarted by a line that stretches out the door.
Pros
- Tasty, inexpensive Thai cuisine
- Convenient to subway and LIRR
- A fine back-up choice to nearby Sripraphai
Cons
- Short, but unglamorous walk via subway/LIRR overpass to subway
- Limited menu compared to Sripraphai
Description
- Address - Sweet Basil, 39-28 61st St, Woodside, NY 11377
- Phone - 718-205-0080
- Subway - 7 subway, 61st Street
- LIRR - Woodside station, 1 block away
- Prices - Reasonable, $6-$10 for entrees, more for duck, lunch specials
- Spice level - Not firey, but not at all timid. Ask when you order.
Guide Review - Sweet Basil Thai Restaurant in Woodside
Sweet Basil does the classic Thai menu in New York, but believe it when you see the spicy icon on the menu. Expect the usual suspects -- curries, soups, stir-fries, and whole fried fish -- and a good range of noodle dishes, plus a couple specials. It's nothing like Sripraphai's gargantuan menu, but hits the spot when you crave sweet, spicy, salty, savory Thai tastes.
The setting in this small restaurant is close, but not too close. The lighting at dinner time is perfect: bright enough to read the menu, but dark enough to hide a wrinkle or two under the eyes. The friendly, attentive service at Sweet Basil is what brings the whole restaurant together, and turns a backup into a fine choice.
