Basil’s Restaurant and Bar

Very busy very loud. It didn’t really live up to my expectations. Heard great things and was a bit disappointed. I had the veal Marsala the sauce was too thin and bland. Might try it again just to be fair.

Went last night… Worst meal I have ever had!!!
The manager is rude and condescending. He treats is staff poorly. I had Alfredo sauce that was worst then coming from a jar. The salad came from a bag. Best part of the meal was the bread.
Don’t wast your time or money!!!

After a coworker gave me a reheated small portion of the orchard stuffed pork loin I knew I had to check Basil’s out. Last night was our first visit and they knocked it out of the park. First and foremost we couldn’t get over how friendly and happy the staff was. The food was top notch and the portions were generous. Our mixed drinks tasted great and we were tipsy after the first drink. Everything was clean and the atmosphere was upbeat. You get what you pay for here and more. We will definitely be back!

Was super excited to go. Lot is always full. Food was tasteless and gnocchi was packaged. Not impressed in the least.

Came here a few years ago on opening night and it didn’t go well. We decided to try again and soooo glad we did. Food was amazing, service was excellent, price was right.

Hidden gem! This place doesn’t look too promising from the outside, but appearances are deceiving! The portions are enormous and the food is delicious! Best chicken piccata I have ever had. The service is fast and our waitress was a delight. A must if you are in the Stafford area!

Best priced meal, that includes soup or salad, in the area! Kathy was our server and could not have been nicer. This being our first time there, Kathy explained just how wonderful our meal was going to be! From the freshest ingredients to homemade salad dressings and breads. I don’t know what it is about the crust on the bread but I absolutely LOVE it! There are only 2 things not homemade: pasta noodles and desserts. Sadly we were too stuffed to try the desserts. Definitely next time!
My husband had the Veal Francaise. He devoured it! He gave me ‘one’ bite so I would know what I was missing. The sauce was perfect with just the right amount of lemon taste.
I ordered the chicken medallions on penne pasta with portobello mushrooms. Again, spot on with the sauce! Pasta was cooked perfectly. Our meals were priced around $ 16 each. However, my meal left with 2 ½ medallions and half the pasta with the portobello mushrooms and sauce will easily make a second meal. And the remainder homemade Italian bread. Can’t wait!
Service from every staff member was efficient and friendly. Excellent on cleanliness from bar to tables to restrooms. Basil’s has become our #1 favorite restaurant in CT! Thank you.

Mine and my husbands favorite restaurant… We have never had a bad meal… Huge selection of foods, our favorites being the nachos, burgers, and eggplant rollatini! Share plates if you don’t want left overs, huge portions for a great price.

This unassuming spot is really really good! Not sure why it has taken me so long to dine here? The four of us on a quiet Wednesday night enjoyed everything about our evening. upon entering. the owner Alex greets everyone. he is friendly and funny. my manhattan was made perfectly. Wife enjoyed her pinot. friends commented that their cocktails were very good. All meals come with soup or salad… my cream of broccoli soup was very tasty… we all had different entrees and gave all a thumbs up. I had the veal parm…3 huge tender pieces of veal with delicious mozzarella. side of spaghetti was fine. my wife had scallops. our friends had the veal tips and chicken/​sausage cacciatore. high praise. portions are huge and prices are very reasonable. Our server was excellent and of course. Alex checked in to make sure everything was fine. perfect example of supporting the local guy… you will not be disappointed here!

Every meal I have ever had here has tasted absolutely delicious!
This place offers lunch specials and dinner specials. As well as every week has a drink special, and there is a happy hour everyday. This place is closed on Mondays. It is worth stopping at if you want a good Italian homemade fresh made meal.

On a recent trip, we were lucky to be waited on by the same charming and efficient server, Giannis, that we had on our first visit. It is so nice, and unusual, to be remembered by someone who serves thousands after an entire year has passed. Giannis is representative of the home town friendliness that is found here. Oh, and try the carbonara linguini. Delicious.

What a pleasant surprise! Great staff! Pleasant, professional and ready to please.
On my first visit for dinner, I was happy to see that the bread brought to the table was an excellent quality. This is a litmus test. If they care what they put in the bread basket, it’s usually a good omen. The Cesare salad, though was disappointing. The greens were fresh, but the dressing was not really Cesare (perhaps from a bottle?). If the dressing improved, it would be a full 5 star experience.
The kitchen is very accommodating and willing to tweak your order. I asked if I could have the gnocchi with a vodka sauce (rather than the marinara on the menu). No problem! And man was it spot on! Whoever is doing the sauces in this kitchen knows his or her stuff. The gnocchi are not home-​made, but they are very, very good. Tender and delicious. The portion was extremely generous. Personally, I think they could serve ²⁄₃ the amount, but perhaps this is an area where folks expect to take home a doggie bag?
I capped off my meal with a lovely black Sambuca. Not everyone stocks it. I was one happy gal.
It was so good, the next day I went back with my husband for lunch. Lunch staff is every bit as good as the dinner staff. I opted for a chicken panini with roasted peppers and a basil aoli. They allowed me to substitute the provolone for mozzarrella. Generous portion with a side of good fries. My husband was very happy with his wrap.
Sadly too full to try dessert! Perhaps next time. Kudos Basil’s!

Great staff, they are friendly, prompt and super sweet! Love the cocktails here and the prices are reasonable. I loved the clam casino and they make awesome salads and pasta dishes too! It’s no surprise it’s always packed! Will continue to eat here as often as I am up in Stafford!

I have been a patron at this restaurant for many years. The food is decent… especially for the price. My largest concern is the service. It is awful!!! Waitstaff are snickering and talking about patrons while they are eating/​drinking. Staff are getti g intoxicated after work at the bar. The bar staff are incompetent and rude. The food has declined in quality since the restaurant opened. Alex always makes you feel welcome but his staff make most feel like a burden and the cooks are inconsistent with size and presentation of dishes. I would love to see this establishment understand the importance of customer service and consistency but I have my doubts whether that will occur. Why would they change since they are packed almost every night? I would hope pride in your business would be enough of a motivator but in today’s world service has been kicked to the curb for cheap profit. I have visited this place more and more infrequently and if another establishment with a bar and good food opened up… I would jump at the chance to try it in hopes of good service and hope they lack the phony highschool bs that occurs at Basils. Again, the waitstaff and barstaff are the worst I have seen and I have traveled around the world.

Went there Saturday and was pleasantly surprised not overly busy. Owner/​manager I believe greeted us at the door and welcomed us. We told him we were just stopping for drinks and he motioned us through and shook my hand thanking us for stopping. Three female bar staff were great and appetizers were good and solid potions. At reasonable price. Owner/​manger came over and checked on us again. Place was very relaxing and enjoying. When we left manager/​owner shook my hand again and thanked us for coming. I will return without a doubt.

Went to Basils for the first time after a race recently. The food was very good. My sister who is married to an italian (not American italian, but Italian-italian…parents and sibling still in Sicily) loved the pasta. I got the shrimp and scallop scampi and was equally impressed. Our server Jen was so friendly and knowledgable. I hate asking for things different then what’s on the menu because chefs create their flavor profiles and when you screw with it it changes the flavor of the dish, that being said I just really don’t like salmon and would have been ok with her saying no to me leaving it out of the dish but she was very curtious and said of course I could have it anyway I’d like. I went to college in NY so I’m used to higher priced restaurants. The portions were huge and for the price I felt like I was robbing the place! We will be back and I’ll be asking to sit in Jens section!

Stopped in for happy hour, drinks were awesome, appetizers were excellent. Bartenter and other staff were very friendly. This was our second time there, the first was for dinner. Food and portions were plentiful
We recommend this restaurant.

We went there this afternoon because friends said it was good. It was terrific. My boyfriend had broiled seafood platter and raved all day about it. I had the chicken ala vodka also delicious.
The only thing better than the food was our server. She was awesome. Will definitely return.

The food is consistent at Basils so you know what to expect when you go there to dine. They have recently expanded the bar area which is nice when you are dining alone and wish to sit at the bar or the many tables now available in that area. The burgers are very good as are their dinners, Italian dinners are plentiful on the menu and I found them to be satisfactory and the overall price point at Basil’s is reasonable. The service is prompt and items come out of the kitchen quickly even when they are busy. This is a good spot to stop for happy hour and a draft or a drink if you prefer and socialize with the «regulars» the atmosphere is pleasant.

Good but not fantastic. The waitress was knowledgeable but seemed extremely rushed therefore her «bed side manor» (or table side manor of you prefer) came across as very fake and «hurry the hell up with your order» ish.
The food was good but not OMG. Started with French onion soup … Good but honestly I’ve made better at home.
Then we got the stuffed mushrooms which was disappointing… It only came with 4 mushrooms and barely any «crab» stuffing in them… However they didn’t skimp on the cheese to cover up the whole no stuffing thing… For $ 9 I felt like my butt hurt a little.
Moving forward I got the stuffed shrimp and she got the clam and white wine sauce over linguini.
The stuffed shrimp was extremely bready… Otherwise tasty
The linguini tasted oily… I took a few bites of hers before I felt like I’d have a long night on the porcelain throne if I kept eating… But again flavor was not lacking…
Take the review as you like… Pros and con’s on pretty much everything