Basil Leaf Vietnamese Restaurant

A great spot for Vietnamese food. This clean and cute spot has a large seating area for groups of all sizes. We ordered pho and vermicelli noodles and mango sticky rice for dessert. The soup came out very hot, the noodles were not overcooked, and the best part was the freshness of the basil and water sprout toppings. Paired with jalapeño slices and lime, of course. The flavor of the broth is so good! Just nutrient rich and tasty. The vermicelli noodles weee just as good. I would have liked more pickled veggies, but overall all the flavors blended together nicely. Lastly, we were served the mango sticky rice for dessert. I would have like fresh mango over thawed frozen mango because it was ice cold when served. The rice was served hot and coconut cream was very yummy paired with it.

It's been awhile since dining here, and a few things have changed in the menu. Upon entering, they had a sign that said l stated that they're now doing automatic 18% gratuity of parties 5+. We were 3 adults and 2 small children, with 1 in a high chair. They were avle to seat us right away on a Saturday night. I've always been impressed about their fast service. Their menu updated prices and added a la cart prices if you want to add extras like different meats. I got the Regular/Medium Lemongrass Soup ($11.50) with Pork Blood ($2). I can't remember if the Vietnamese style (includes pork blood and pork feet) was cheaper before, but in other Vietnamese restaurants I've been to, they usually uncharged the "Vietnamese style" by $2-3. I'm still grateful they have that option though. It was very oily (normal), and flavorful, but mild. I Iike spicy, so I add extra jalapeños. I also asked for extra raw beef slices ($3) that you'd normally get with pho. The beef slices were thin and tender. I also ordered the Jackfruit shake (~$3), which was sweet and refreshing. Everyone else ordered pho. We got the kid's bowl ($8) for my 2 kids to share, a small ($10.50) and, a large combination bowl (~$18). Lol The kid's bowl was slightly smaller than the small. I got the toppings on the side and used them. The kids devoured it. The service was good. We got our food in a timely manner. We ordered to-go and thankfully we lingered bc the owner came up to us with a corrected bag. Somehow, the server delivered someone else's bag. It's not an authentic Asian restaurant if the owner isn't openly scolding their employees for a mistake. Lol Our bill included the automatic 18% gratuity.The food is good, and is our local favorite pho place, and we will be back.

Three words - clay pot rice! So good that I dream about this dish! Easily one of the best clay pot rice I've ever had! Highly recommend the special clay pot rice which is mixture of chicken, pork and shrimp. Restaurant is very busy. We were lucky to get a table since we came early for dinner. But we watched the lines grow as we dined. Service is typical of a small VN place. But I will continue to come for the clay pot rice!!

It's been 3 years of visiting this place at least once per month and just realized I have never reviewed it. This was the first restaurant we visited when we moved here. Ever since this has been our greatest source of comfort food with their delicious pho. A regular plate should be enough but they do have a large one just in case you need a lot more pho. Their sandwiches are good, especially the one with grilled pork. If you want dry noodles with a lot of flavor, the grilled pork noodle bowl should satisfy your appetite. The pan seared fillet mignon is delicious and minimalist. And today, for the first time I had the sizzling clay pot with pork and it was to die for! Every server we have had is great, so great that some of them know our regular orders precisely. Food comes out fast every time! The decor of the place is cozy and inviting and there's always people enjoying their meals just like us. In fact, this place has a very special place in our hearts and bellies!

After a trip to pick up some firewood, I was craving a bahn mi. Found that Basil Leaf makes their own bread, so decided to check it out. We ordered a bunch- my bf got pho with rare steak and the pork egg rolls, he loved both and enjoyed how spicy they made it on his request.I got the shrimp spring rolls and the lemongrass chicken sandwich. The spring rolls were big and came with peanut dipping sauce. I wish the spring rolls had mint and/or cilantro in them, they were just a little bland with shrimp, noodles and lettuce. The lemongrass chicken sandwich was amazing. Chicken was juicy and well seasoned. Loved that there were peanuts in it and the chili crisp I added made it perfect! Will definitely be heading back.We got our food to go, so the photo is not as pretty as I assume it would have looked inside the restaurant.

Overall: Basil Leaf doesn't quite live up to the hype but it serves decent Vietnamese food that can satisfy a craving.Food: Beef Spring Rolls: These big spring rolls are overfilled with noodles and could benefit from some more veggies. The sauce was too peanuty.Shrimp Egg Rolls: These were fairly crispy and I appreciate that it actually tasted like shrimp. However, the filling was very dense, like cooked shrimp paste.Shrimp & Chicken Crepe: These savory Vietnamese crepes are filled with your protein of choice, onions, and bean sprouts. They used fairly large sized shrimps. I just wish it was a little crispier.Beef Clay Pot: This had broccoli, mushrooms, and cashews mixed in. It was very tasty but maybe a little under seasoned.Viet Iced Coffee: Apparently, this is one of the best versions that my partner has had. It has a slightly nutty chocolatey finish.Service: 4 The servers were nice and patient with our questions. Food did not take too long to come out.Ambiance: 4The restaurant is located in its own small plaza, but there isn't much parking for a fairly busy restaurant. The restaurant itself is clean but a little noisy.

Way more crowded than we expected for a Thursday evening - both with carryout orders as well as dine-in guests. Fortunately, that didn't slow down their staff! We were sat immediately and served just as quickly, and I really appreciated that the chairs had some cushion for a more comfortable dine-in experience.Tried the fresh spring rolls with pork plus small pho tai. The spring roll was good, but I think I would've preferred the shrimp, which is my usual. Even the small pho was too much food, and I'll be honest - the broth didn't do it for me. I liked the quantity and quality of the steak and veggies, but the broth was cloudier than what I've come to expect with my favorite pho joints. Will return to try the pho ga and a vermicelli bowl, but if the chicken broth is underwhelming, I'll keep hunting for my go-to pho spot in ABQ.

Combination noodle bowl was on my mind today so I had to go in and treat myself! Ingredients are fresh, tasty, crunchy, colourful and very satisfying. Get the mango sticky rice for desert. Service is always pleasant.

Heard all good things about basil leaf, so we decided to pay it a visit today. The parking lot was full, but despite that we were seated immediately. It was a full restaurant and a bit loud, but there was enough help to take care of us all. We were brought water immediately as well once we were sat. It took a moment for the waitress to come... which was fine since we needed a moment anyways. We ordered and food was out in less than 10 min. Broth in the pho was savory and delicious! Very comforting to enjoy. My husband loved his stir fry noodles. Despite saying several times how full he was, he couldn't help but going in for more. The peanut sauce was a bit thicker than what I'm used to, but it was tasty with my shrimp spring rolls

Nice location, good view, ample seating. Super food, friendly, professional service. My new go-to after the May Cafe went under!