We went here the other night for dinner and it was a great experience! Our waitress was so good with our kids! When my eldest told her that she loved doing the mazes on the kids menu, she went our of her way to print her up 3 more mazes to do! She can also be kind of picky like many toddlers are, but everything on the kids menu was something shed enjoy! All the portions were generous sizes and everything was delicious. The staff was all friendly and the food didnt take long to come out. We will definitely be back the next time were in town!
I picked this place for my birthday dinner this year and was really excited to splurge on a nice ($$) dinner. Despite being from Lawrence, I’d never tried Basil Leaf.The food was incredibly salty, to the point that it was nearly inedible. I didn’t even want my leftovers, which I had a lot of because the food was incredibly dense and filling.
My friends and I went there for the birthday dinner of two of us. We order 3 different pasta dishes, a salad, and three cocktails. All dishes were excellent and delicious. We were overall satisfied with the food at this cozy cafe. However, there were two red flags for this place; their cocktails and their hospitality. I ordered the signature mule, and it didnt taste well. Also, when we mentioned we have two birthday girls, they didnt sign a simple happy birthday to us!🙃
This is an edit from a 5star review. This USED to be one of my favorite fine dining restaurants in Lawrence. After moving away a couple years ago and coming back I was so excited to eat at Basil again. Unfortunately, I was sincerely disappointed all around. The bar used to be kept immaculate, everything was always so organized and well stocked. This was not the case this time around. The cocktails were always on point and this time all I tasted in my mule was ginger beer and no love. The service was ALWAYS top notch and friendly, this was not at all the case this visit. We had rude, snobby, female servers that walked around ignoring us. We stayed for a couple hours and not once did they ask how the food was or if we wanted another drink. The food has always been fantastic. Instead, we received HALF the amount of calamari I would have a couple years ago and the bruschetta was less than impressive. I suggest getting your old staff back together- as they seemed to care a lot more about your restaurant than the two ladies running the show this last time around. So sad.
Wonderul service and relaxed, intimate atmosphere. The food was outstanding and service was good.
The food is as good as anything Ive had in Europe or Asia. Nice happy hour with half price cocktails. Our order took awhile but was absolutely worth it. Parking is a bit difficult. Small dining area with maybe 10 tables, so reservations are a must. Servers are very knowledgeable about food prep and pairings.
Our visit to Basil Leaf was our first. The cafe had been highly recommended to us. My husband and adult daughter and I went there for my birthday dinner. We are more of a bar and grill family, so this was an upgrade for a dining experience for us. We were immediately greeted and seated. All wait staff were pleasant and helpful…. Refilling our drinks, offering extra parm, etc. The food was outstanding and huge proportions. Leftovers in nice boxes for next day’s lunch or midnight snack. Delish, complimentary strawberry cheesecake, since it was my birthday. One small item of constructive criticism, which accounts for 4 stars instead of 5. The paper menus and the wine list were a bit shabby. One menu and the wine list had food/sauce stains on them. Rather unappealing and easily remedied. Hoping owners/management read their reviews. We will be return diners!
I hadnt been there for years so I was excited to get some delicious pasta. I was sad didnt see the items I remembered ordering years ago. After the fact I found out the have more menu items just not on the menu which doesnt make since to me. I order the lasagna and my excitement grew every minute waiting for the order. My imagination going wild thinking of a steaming hot lasagna melted cheese. I got lasagna soup. Not hot. Not melted cheeses. Mainly just sauce. It had a great flavor but I wanted a square of lasagna not a bowl of lasagna soup. The servers were nice but they spent more time on there phone then working. Cooks would yell order up and the food would sit in window for minutes waiting to die as servers continued to play candy crush for all I know on there phone. The server did let the manager know and he half priced the meal which is enough for me to try them again. Some places make zero effort to rectify a problem.
WOW! All I can say is WOW! Been meaning to go here for over a year. We sat at the bar which we are prone to do even with other options.. and ordered two dishes.. Basil Chicken Cavatelli and Tortellini Cordon Bleu... that were not only huge portions but some of the best dishes I can remember having anywhere.. we ate some and took the rest home and Ive been enjoying their food now for 3 days. We also had really nice salads and appropriately priced wine but above All that, what I really really loved the most was the way all of the staff were so genuine, sweet and if you can understand this in the best way possible, adorable. I already made reservations to bring my soon to be 84 -year-old mother here for a birthday dinner tomorrow.
Since we were staying at Perry State Park we decided to get carryout from our favorite Lawrence restaurant. We ordered online and it said it would be 35-40 minutes. Perfect! Unfortunately when we arrived on time we were told it would be another 45 minutes! Apparently it was graduation weekend and they had gotten behind. I wasnt thrilled. The food was so amazing that it was worth that wait though! I have never been disappointed with anything from The Basil Leaf Cafe. Oh and they gave us a gift card to apologize for the wait. That was a nice gesture.
Best Italian Food my family has ever had. We are visiting from the east coast and stumbled on the Cafe on line. Every dish was prepared exquisitely and the hostess was delightful. This will be a family favorite on each visit. Thanks
I was craving some chicken parm yesterday night and found the only Italian restaurant in Lawrence was this little gem. I glanced the menu before coming and saw some items that caught my interest, I really wanted chicken and went with the tortellini cordon Bleu.we had the bruschetta as an appetizer and it was crunchy,sweet and cheesy. I also highly recommend the strawberry lemonade refresher, its so light, sweet and refreshes the palette.I have never had tortellini before so I was s but nervous trying it, rather than picking something safe, I went bold. it was so thick, creamy and rich. the crispy chicken and bacon bits really compliments the flavor.my boyfriend ordered the penne abruzzi and it was also spectacular, the basil coming through and giving your tastebuds a pleasant wave of flavor. the proportions for the plates is also generous.our server was also great and I thank her for suggesting the refresher!over all an unexpected romantic dinner we had and cant wait to come again.
Had a great pasta dinner at Basil Leaf July 14, 2021. Service was excellent, prices are reasonable. Will definitely go back.
Amazing food and staff. Went above and beyond to accommodate
The ambiance was cozy and our waitress Rachel was nice and professional. We had the bruschetta and Mac and cheese as an appetizer. Both were delicious. We were here for lunch and so our main course was the Lemon Chicken Tenders, the Veggie Panini, and the Basil Chicken Cavatelli. Everyone enjoyed their meals. The only part of the meal that was a little disappointing was the risotto that came with the chicken tenders. It was very thick and pasty. We did have a double chocolate cake cheesecake which was yummy.
This is the 2nd time Ive been here, and it is by far one of my favorite places to go for Italian food! Due to just having reopened from the Covid lovkdown, I booked a reservation. Everything was PERFECT! The food and service were nothing shy of phenomenal. I love the atmosphere of this little Cafe. Since it is a smaller dining area, it makes it feel like a more personal dining experience. Upon first glance at the menu, I thought it seemed a tad pricy. However, the quality of the food and the portion sizes make it worth every penny! There were definitely plenty of leftovers to be had. I do wish there were better parking options, but other than that, I couldnt have asked for a better experience. I cant wait to come back and try more dishes there!
Editing a 5 star review. Last time I went I got the tortellini chicken cordon bleu. They made my pasta without tortellini, just regular noodles which was fine I understand a lot of places are running out of things but they should have let me know. It’s like ordering ravioli and getting regular noodles. I paid about $20 for my dish, I expect to get what I paid for and what is stated on the menu. I guess they thought I wouldn’t notice.
We have loved Basil Leaf since it opened! Even though things have changed and our friend is no longer a partner, it is still very good food and service! My only criticism would be that the music was a little loud for us to comfortably have a conversation which made us and others have to talk louder. But that is just my opinion.
Food was excellent! We were able to be seated quickly even though we did not have a reservation. I think they may be a bit short staffed. Waitress was very pleasant; I think she was also helping at the bar. Very enjoyable.
Great Italian food! Great drinks! A little pricey but def worth it!
Did not seat us almost empty no reservation. We luck out at our next restaurant.
This place has some of the best Italian food Ive had in a long time. The portions are large and the staff is very knowledgeable. We started off with the fried calamari which was recommended. The breading was almost perfect. I had the Cajun Penne and my husband had the Lemon Chicken Tenders. Neither of us were disappointed in our selection. If youre looking for some really good food off of the beaten path this is the place to go! Id recommend this place to any of my friends when they ask for new restaurant to try.
First time dining here and our food was above average and we were pleasantly surprised. We ordered the chicken cordon bleu and chicken carbonara. We were told they were out of ham, so the cordon bleu wouldnt be exactly the same, but it was still very tasty. The chicken was also noticeably over fried on the cordon bleu--which should have been a chefs call to recook it before serving, however they did not and served it anyway, we didnt complain as we arent ones to do so, but just a little note to think about when it comes to quality control. It seemed like they were having some shortage of menu items, and the service could definitely be improved. We were 1 of 2 tables when we arrived and were not greeted or asked about ordering drinks until we had been sitting for around 5+ minutes or so. Couldnt really figure it out since there were servers within sight, but they seemed too busy doing other duties to think it was of much hurry. Would dine here again based on food being tasty, but if service fails to improve or declines Id have to rethink returning for a third visit.
Really great food. Fresh and delicious. The service is great and the food is made to order and you can tell they make their own sauces and not from a can. I really enjoy their shrimp fettuccine and you can tell the sauce is fresh because there is always fresh cooked garlic laying in the sauce. My wife gets their spaghetti and meatballs and their red sauce is the same way, you can really tell the sauce is fresh and made from scratch. Also their meatballs are made fresh as well. I highly recommend this place!
Best date night spot in Lawrence! Love the shrimp scampi!
Came here on a Thursday for the 1/2 off bottle of wine special, got bruschetta and two pasta meals for an amazing price! Service was fantastic! Definitely going to make this a regular date night spot!
Superb, Denise and I had wonderful food. Great small restaurant
The Basil Leaf was decent, but way too much salt. Updating my old review since we went here tonight (April 6th, 2021) A little overboard on the garlic and seasonings....We all shared the lemon chicken strips, Mac & Cheese, and the Shrimp Fettuccine Alfredo since that’s what the waiter had recommended. The Brussels sprouts were extremely salty and almost inedible. But we were starving. I’m glad we tried this place, it’s so easy to miss. Thanks for the outstanding service, Gage!
Took my wife there for our 5 year anniversary. They made it it such a good experience for us. The food/drink was amazing!
I wish the wait staff would just be honest with the delivery drivers when the food still wont be ready for another 20 minutes past the pick up time. Instead its always Itll just be another minute. This has happened multiple times and its infuriating. Just tell me its still cooking and wont be done for a while so I can drop the order and move on. This place is blacklisted for me personally now, which ultimately doesnt affect the restaurant at all b/c theres plenty of drivers, but maybe someone that works there will see this and change up their game.
Ordered at 5pm on Valentine’s Day. Their online ordering automatically says 25 minutes for pickup apparently.Was told that “it isn’t ready and we are backed up. We can call you when it’s ready. No less than 25 minutes, but no more than 40 minutes.” - managerCame back and it still was not ready. In the mean time they found time to serve a table of 4 their food whom had arrived after I had left.I was not offered a discount of any kind. My option was keep waiting or get a refund and cancel my food.Waited an additional 30 minutes and finally received my warm (not hot) food with no apology or offer of discount.In summary, very very disappointed in service and honesty coming from them. With a 2 hour wait they have displayed an unacceptable level of incompetence while showing little to no remorse.
What a great little spot. We got a little of everything last night. Calamari - excellent flavor and cooked perfectly. Split a Caesar salad - super fresh and crispy lettuce and the dressing was great. She got the penne abruzzi which we both loved and I got the lemon chicken tenders. The batter on the tenders is really unique and you get a great portion. Huge fan of the brussel sprouts as well. The meatballs in the pasta were full of flavor and the sauce was really tasty. It’s hard to adequately explain how impressed we were by literally everything.Finally, a shout out to our server Amber. She was quick, attentive, gave great suggestions and is someone you can tell takes pride in where she works. The best server is the one you never find yourself needing and this girl was ON IT. Props.Well definitely be back.
It’s such a cute little place! We loved our food, highly recommend the bruschetta appetizer, 7 layer lasagna, shrimp fettuccine, and salmon with Brussels sprouts. So amazing, can’t believe I hadn’t been there before! Highly recommend. Amazing service and staff as well. Make sure to book a reservation to get in!
Great service and the staff was super friendly! Food was amazing too so that’s a plus!
The lasagna was absolutely not edible. Let me preface this by informing you all that I’m not a picky eater nor have I ever thrown out an entire meal. The lasagna tasted purely like dried herbs and salt. That’s literally all we could taste. To the point that it was unbearable. My husband and I both, unfortunately, ordered the same meal and we ended up throwing all of the food in the trash can. I’m not sure what changed, but the food at Basil Leaf used to be so incredibly delicious. I’d rate our entire meal (lasagna, bruschetta) as the worst meal I’ve had to-date. Hopefully this helps someone else from spending $$ here on the same things. Such a disappointment that I cannot not share our experience.
Our first time. I usually have lasagna the first time I eat at new Italian restaurant. I was told they did not have any. I was disappointed and opted for their disassembled lasagna. It was all right but still didnt taste like lasagna.
Food was excellent and what the menu described. They refilled my drinking glasses in an appropriate time. Staff was very friendly. I highly recommend this to any of my friends
I really love this place, but I placed an online order at 6:40 and was told it would be ready by 7:20. When I arrived, it took quite some time for anybody to greet me. After about 10 minutes, she finally comes back to tell me it’s not ready, which is fine. But she tells me to wait outside and she would bring to me when it was ready.I go wait outside for an additional 40 minutes and realize everybody who’s was around me has come and gone. So I called, and someone brought it out a minute later (so, it probably was done for awhile). It was cold, nobody apologized, and both orders had the wrong pasta.
Excellent service. Very nice rustic atmosphere.Food was OK
Gourmet food, perfect atmosphere, wonderful staff. Pricey but worth every penny.
Great dessert thats all we had
Nice small restaurant food was amazing
The Tortellini Cordon Bleu is the best thing Ive eaten all year. I was also impressed with how crispy the calamari was when I got home with it - perfectly cooked, not at all greasy, and tasted amazing.Hands down the best Italian restaurant in Lawrence and one of the top 5 restaurants overall. Seriously, if youre on the fence about dinner tonight, get that Tortellini.
Great Calimari and steak! Highly recommend
Amazing food. Wonderful bartender who knew her craft well. Attentive staff. Will definitely be back soon.
Pretty much the only place in town for a romantic dinner off the beaten path. Not among the hustle of Downtown, if youre looking for something a little more quaint and quiet. Delicious Italian food!
Excellent food and service. We plan on coming back.
Hands down the best lasagna in town. I Always get that, and while the recipe/flavor changed slightly when the ownership changed its always delicious.
Salty. Had a salad with chicken. My chicken was so salty I barely could enjoy the salad. My husband had chicken and pasta dish. Ugh salt only. Not happy
Outstanding. Hands down some of the best dining Ive experienced for both atmosphere and taste. Friendly service was also a huge plus! Well be back!
Great food and I will go Back again
Had a fantastic meal and service on our double date!! Love the Basil Leaf Café!!
Had an excellent time. Was the best meal Ive had in Lawrence in a long time. The waitress was very nice even though we came in 45 minutes before closing. The food was prepared freshly as well, and we didnt feel rushed. All in all, we will be back. It isnt the cheapest place in town, but it is arguably the best.
I really enjoyed dining at The Basil Leaf Café! Delicious food, huge portions and great customer service. Get the shrimp fettuccine, you will not regret it! Perfect place for a date night.
Ok I am going to do a 10 star scale with comment. I have eaten at Basil Leaf several time very recently.Service - 8 stars out of 10Decor - 5 stars out of 10Comfort - 2 out of 10 - hard wooden chars suitable for torture. Youll be more comfortable at the local mechanic shop waiting for your car repair or taking your food to your car and eating there. Yah your car seats will be way more comfortable that the chairs there.Cleanliness - 9 stars out of 10Wine and drinks - 8 out of 10Appetizers - 8 out of 10Entrees - 7 stars out of 10. If you are very hungry, like huge meals, or young and need the extra carbs to meet your metabolism then youll like the huge amount of pasta you get with the entrees. The taste of the food is good.Its too much pasta. Id rather have more of the other ingredients and less pasta. But then again, even tho I like to eat pasta, I rarely do.Overall the food and experience is 6.75 out of 10 stars. I will be back. I do recommend.
The customer service is helpful and friendly. The menu offerings are all delicious, and portioned generously!
Positives: Nice atmosphere, polite staff,LOTS of food for priceNEGATIVES: Posted sign read 1/2 price bottle of wine on Sundays and I was charged full price. When I asked I was then told AFTER drinking the bottle it was only select bottles of wine.I would eat there again but I caution you to CLARIFY ALL of their specials before you order and consume
Im a huge fan of Italian food. Ive been to many different restaurants throughout the country and this place takes 1st place. Nothing can beat basil leaf
Love this restaurant, always have a great experience!
This restaurant is one of the finest establishments in Lawrence, where everything from friendly, mindful service to delicious pasta is done very well!It is a lot to say during times like these. Some restaurants are stressed though they have opened up for dine in, but then they rush you to leave, or have extremely curt (and honestly, rude) service because theyd rather you not be there. But the Basil Leaf was EXCEPTIONAL in sevice being non-intrusive, very friendly, and very professional. All staff were wearing masks. We didnt feel like we were being shood out, and they were even so sweet and friendly to our baby (sad that I cant say the same for all Lawrence restaurants!). We look forward to being patrons here, and would gladly support this restaurant in hopes it would stay for many, many more years!
I sent $300 on lasagna to feed a big large group of people. It was so over seasoned that nobody would eat it. The bread was also burnt .
Never been disappointed. Love the atmosphere. The lemon chicken tenders are AMAZING!
Staff was super nice. They took a reservation for a large party which was nice. Good cocktail and wine selection. Most peoples food was great. Mine wasnt sadly. I got spaghettini and meatballs. Fairly certain they meatballs were premade. That was super disappointing. Also nice cozy decor and interior space.
The chicken fettuccine was soooo good and I had plenty of leftovers!
First time and my wife and I enjoyed it. I have the carbonara and she had the cajun pasta. I tried hers and decided I need to learn how to make that recipe. The vibe was great & super laid back. Thursday & Sunday is half price bottles of wine so that a few more date nights to get through that menu. Worth the trip to Lawrence you wont be disappointed.
The basil leaf cafe never disappoints. It is quiet and classy, and the service is attentive but not obnoxious. We had lunch, two pasta dishes, and the main discussion was whose dish was better. Josh, our waiter, was efficient and personable. We did not have to wait for anything. My only complaint is that I could not finish my plate. However, that means I will have a great lunch tomorrow.
The food here is great! The atmosphere is cozy and it is a really cute little place. However, we did wait over an hour after ordering for our food to arrive which was a little long given that all we ordered was pasta.
Amber was very nice and customer service oriented.
First time at this restaurant. Its tiny! Theres probably 10 or 12 tables tops, and thats not likely a function of Covid... Not much more room for additional tables. We arrived at 715pm for a 730 reservation, and were promptly greeted and seated. There was one server and one bartender to service the entire restaurant. Probably could have used one more server. Our server was working fast and furious to keep things moving, but still was a bit inattentive. Took a bit to get our drinks from the bar. The service wasnt great, but not so bad that we wouldnt go back. Maybe someone called in sick tonight... Who knows. Ill give them the benefit of the doubt.Now, the food. We ordered bruscetta as a starter... Pretty tasty, and plenty for two people, maybe three if you arent like us and can exercise some portion control! I ordered the tortellini cordon bleu. Really good! It was a scallopini fried chicken breast, sliced and placed on top of fantastic stuffed tortellini. Id definitely eat it again. My wife had arrabiatta, and added a grilled chicken breast for some protein...kind of like spaghetti with fresh green peppers in it. Very fresh and light. Good stuff! Both of our dishes were huge, and could easily be shared with someone... Lots of food left for lunch tomorrow.We both decided it was a good experience, and definitely tasty enough to go again. I want to try their chicken tender entree next time. Make reservations, for sure! Would happily give it 4 stars next time if the servers were more attentive.
One of the best Italian spots in town, the bruschetta is delicious and every pasta I’ve tried is so good. HUGE portion sizes though, definitely plan on splitting!
I have regrettably only had the privilege to order delivery from Basil Leaf. However, the food has always been exceptional, and it always tastes like it just came from the kitchen. Not to mention the delivery time has always been quick! The Basil Leaf Café makes some of the best Italian in town.
Amazing food and cozy atmosphere. Good selection of food and cocktails
Good food, staff was nice!
Good service! Food wasn’t what I expected
If youre looking for great Italian food look no further. You get what you pay for and then some. The food is fantastic and the portions will feed you for two days.
Best Italian in town and it isn’t close. I love taking my parents here when they come to town.
Fantastic food and wonderful service.
Tonight was our first time trying this place. We were dying to go out after being quarantined. It’s was perfect. Food and drinks were top notch. I don’t know who our server was but she was so great. Thank you!
We did curbside pickup for two different pasta entrees. Food was ready as promised, on time and hot. Both were absolutely fabulous. Portions were very generous, either of ours could have fed two adults. Definitely THE place for Italian in Lawrence.
Fantastic menu... glad we made reservations as seating was limited. Would recommend to anyone!
10/10 would come again. Food came out super quick and the bartender Josh was very friendly and attentive. He was quick to get us drinks and made us feel comfortable and taken care of. The atmosphere of the whole place was also super cozy and small without feeling cramped. The bathrooms were also nice.
Service was great and the food was outstanding.
