Sweet Basil on Moody

Crazy salty pasta dishes. They dusted the top of the entree with salt that was still visible and were heavy handed with the salt in the making. I bit into a piece of chicken and it didn't have that normal chicken breast look. It was like the chicken you get in those frozen bags of pre-made pasta at the supermarket. Like the Viola ones or Swanson.The pesto is awesome though. You pay $5 for bread and pesto which I thought was free at the Needham location. Pesto is ridiculously good. Just come for that. This place really went downhill. Please get a chef in here. Have someone taste your dishes and use quality meats. For the prices you would think you're getting a freshly made dish.

The name of the restaurant makes me think this is a Thai restaurant. Fault alert it not! I went here for dinner. They have bar section and the vibe here is relaxing. They have a lot of options on their menu, and their drink selection is various. When we were there, a lot of other tables were having a great time drinking and chatting. The vibe was nice to be in! The bread and pesto at the beginning was cold. I wish the bread is warmer. I ordered two dishes and I would highly recommend you order the Bucatini Amatriciana. The smoked pork on the top paired with a little bit spicy spaghetti were a great combo! Highly recommend that if you come here. I will for sure come back because they have a lot of other great options on their menu

I went to Sweet Basil on Moody street in Waltham with my parents this week. This italian spot has some eclectic vibes with flowerful trees and vibrant paintings on the wall. To start this dinner, every table gets fresh bread and homemade pesto! This is simply amazing in my eyes. Who doesn't love pesto? The pesto is made without nuts too which is perfect for all those who may have a nut allergy.For cocktails we got the "Let's be Clear" which was a sweeter tasting drink that had watermelon mezcal and tomato vermouth. We also got the handsome devil drink which had bourbon and st germain. The perfect option for bourbon lovers! Finally, they were experimenting new cocktails and we tried their version of a mushroom negroni which was very interesting. Basically a negroni with an earthier after taste! Check out their cocktail list next time you go and see what they have in store.Now for the entrees. We tried their handmade four cheese ravioli which was simply delicious 9/10. You can really tell they handmade the ravioli and tomato basil sauce as it was made very fresh.The arugula and burrata salad was the perfect combination. This salad had toasted nuts, jicama slaw and a peach vinaigrette. You just cant go wrong with burrata it works with everything. (Warning to the wise to be careful with the exploding burrata though lol!) I thought this was also a great shareable plate for the table 8/10.I'm obsessed with the rosemary chicken with pancetta, tomatoes and asparagus over rigatoni pasta This was so filling even after two bites. But honestly you need to save room for this dish it is so good and a must get 9/10.We also got their version of chicken parmesan. This came with mozzarella in a basil marinara sauce. I wish there was more sauce on this dish and maybe the chicken wasn't as juicy or tender as I would have liked 6/10.The eggplant involtini was incredible and I'm not even a big eggplant person. This came with pesto ricotta, basil marinara sauce, and riccia pasta (I think thats my new favorite pasta shape!). If you are a cheese and eggplant lover you got to get this dish 9/10 (at least get it for the crazy cheese pull).Last but not least, my personal favorite dish of the evening was of course their squash gnocchi. The squash gnocchi came with pickled onions, apples and a brandy cream sauce. I will be dreaming about this dish all fall season long 10/10.You have to check out this spot if you are in Waltham (or in Needham as they have another location there!) And if you aren't local you can get a food delivery. On their grubhub delivery page you can buy a full pint of their pesto!Food: 9/10Ambiance: 8/10Affordability: 7/10

It was very easy to make reservations and there are some public parking lots and street parking nearby!I love the vibe on Moody St - which was so important because we definitely needed a walk to digest.My friends and I came for a birthday dinner. We totally recommend the bread service. It was odd paying for the bread but I think you're actually paying for the pesto which is ~chef's kiss~. The chickpea fries were good but there were literally four fries. The mussels were delicious!! And yes, the mussels are another reason you should get the bread because if you take the bread, put some pesto on, and then drizzle the mussel juice... GAH. I'm salivating.By the time our entrees came around, we were very full and very drunk. I got the Uncut Jams (cue "unca jahmz") and literally could drink 5 more of those, they were that good.The restaurant itself was beautiful. It was like Alice in Wonderland meets gothic architecture meets endless cherry blossoms. Twas a vibe!To top it all off, they brought a free birthday dessert :) Wonderful experience. Thank you for having us!!

The bread and pesto as a starter was so good. Best pesto. We got the eggplant appetizer which was really good but then was disappointed with our entree which was supposed to be pasta and eggplant and the sauce turned out to be barbecue sauce...not good when it comes to barbecue sauce pasta. But besides that the food was good and atmosphere was nice.

Came here for date night and really like the ambiance and the decor is very pretty. I have been to their location in Needham before and this one is pretty different but still gives that same intimate vibe. I love their complimentary homemade pesto and bread but we sat at the bar and I had to ask for it after we ordered versus it being offered after we sat down. The bartender also was not that busy but no one ever cleared our plates nor took our menus throughout the whole meal. We got the arancini to start and it came with cranberry sauce and apple butter which was a bit strange - I wanted to like it but couldn't quite get there. It was also quite pricey for 4 small pieces. The octopus ragu had a weird flavor that I couldn't put my finger on and the sauce to pasta ratio was off, but they gave big pieces of octopus. I only wish they cut the octopus into smaller pieces for you because it was really salty compared to the pasta. The shrimp scampi was really good flavor wise but I didn't like the texture that the big pieces of parsley added. The mock tail was good but it honestly just kinda tasted like lemonade. I think this place has a lot of potential but it just wasn't a great experience for me this time.

Starting off with a plus, I really liked the decor of the restaurant- it was eclectic, quirky, and a mismatched vibe that works well for them. We started off with three appetizers- arugula with burrata, calamari, and caesar, and all were pretty yummy. Side note: we LOVED the free pesto and bread- couldn't stop eating it! The shrimp scampi was really watery and soup-like, but I really enjoyed the grits with the lamb shank, and thought the octopus ragu had nicely charred chunks. The braised chicken was pretty tender and flavorful as well. (didn't take pics of the entrees) The main reason for the 4 stars is because the service was eh. There seemed to be no communication between servers, and at one point, our waiter brought us new plates just for another server to walk by and take them away without saying a thing! Overall, I would come back again just for the pesto.

We had a great dinner. The bread and pesto was AMAZING, so so good! We started with the arancini and it was different but very good. We ordered the cheese ravioli, which was very good, I loved the filling! And we also ordered the shrimp scampi and the shrimp wasn't cooked enough so that was a bummer. Service was okay.

We stopped in to try Sweet Basil Waltham . We have ordered take out at Needham location but no bar area and byob. Waltham had full liquor and beer taps.We sat at bar area and no one else at bar...Dark as the Alaskan nights with dim lighting.Taps were not working ; so ordered a can beer for 10 bucks.Ordered the braised chicken .The owner was working the door this night . Greeted us. Since bar tender wasn't too attentive and looked mixing a month's worth of mixers?; owner brought over some small slices bread , and pesto. I had no utensils yet, so dip dry bread in pesto and pesto excellent, dry cold, dry, few 1/4 slices... a lot of pesto wasted as not enough to dip or spread without a knife. Chicken braised meal arrives and could not see what I was eating as so dim lighting... chicken was hidden under excess sauce, chicken had not marinate or flavor ... I didn't see any braising... small chicken piece like a breast cut in half and plated with the sauce. The sauce I could see what in it but tasted some short rib I think?The side of roasted root veggies... was awful... a waste and few option... I was hoping for seasoned or marinated carrots, potato, sweet potato, ... anything with a taste... as was dry 3-4 pieces of a slice of Brussels sprouts.... Maybe all sautéed in a maple bacon honey glaze2 beers, dinner, side root veggies, tip 70 bucks...I don't see revisiting. I'll do take out from Needham of the Rosemary chicken or other dishes... Owner I have seen many times since his start in Needham...in original small space then expanded and added Wellesley, Waltham... I think Waltham needs attention and changes.

We had a dinner there Saturday evening, 8 adults and 2 children. The service from the get-go was iffy. Our waitress was not familiar with their drinks offerings, but that wasn't a big deal. My drink came in a bourbon glass looking like it hadn't been washed and had sticky and crusty residue. I only noticed halfway through so I didn't notify the waitress.The problems started when the food arrived, first the apps then the mains (they forgot to make one of the mains which lead to some confusion). The apps were not bad but nothing spectacular. I would rate them average at best. Meatballs were dry, calamari lacked flavor. The mains were not liked by our entire party. Lamb shank was dry and not cooked well, Caesar salad had the saltiest anchovies on planet earth (and I enjoy anchovies!), and the grilled chicken I ordered with my salad was dry and hard as a shoe. We were charged $10 to add a one dry chicken breast on top of $14 Caesar salad! Shrimp scampi was average. Mac and cheese great.The restaurant had an unprofessional, unpolished vibe. Waiters were disengaged, kitchen clearly not firing on all cylinders. Unfortunately, I cannot recommend anyone spending their hard earned money at this restaurant. DaVinci's across the street is in a different league despite similar price point and similar food.