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Hearty plates of upscale Italian fare, including steaks & seafood, draw crowds at this quaint stop.
Address and Contact Information
Address: 942 Great Plain Ave, Needham, MA 02492
Phone: (781) 444-9600
Website: http://www.sweetbasilneedham.com/
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Sweet Basil
sweet basil needham. 942 Great Plain Avenue Needham, MA 02492 [ directions ] … sweet basil Waltham. 469 Moody Street Waltham, MA 02453 [ directions ].
Sweet Basil | Needham MA – Facebook
. 94% recommend (505 Reviews) ; . Open now ; . 942 Great Plain Ave, Needham, MA, United States, 02492 …
Sweet Basil – Phantom Gourmet
Just solid well made food by people that love what they do. I can’t imagine doing anything else. 952 Great Plain Ave. Needham. MA.
Reviews
Chad Horn
Sweet Basil is really one of the absolute best restaurants for miles around.
The food is insane. Everything.
Service is always great.
Met the owner once and he was soo cool and hospitable.
I got the cookbook, because it would have been silly not too with as much as we like the place.
… moreThe food is insane. Everything.
Service is always great.
Met the owner once and he was soo cool and hospitable.
I got the cookbook, because it would have been silly not too with as much as we like the place.
Shannon Adams
A fabulous and very popular restaurant for delicious, large Italian dishes. Don’t miss the pesto and bread basket. BYO wine if you want to drink and there’s no desert mebu!
… moreNEAR ME HOME BUILDERS Inc (CONTRACTOR)
We had a great experience at Sweet Basil in Needham. The food was fresh, flavorful, and consistently well prepared. From the appetizers to the pasta dishes, everything was balanced and served at the right temperature. The calamari was perfectly cooked — light, crisp, and not greasy — which already sets the tone for a serious kitchen.
The atmosphere is welcoming and comfortable, making it a great place to unwind after a long workday. Service was attentive without being intrusive, and the team runs the dining room efficiently.
As the team at Near Me Home Builders Inc, we truly appreciate businesses that operate with professionalism, consistency, and attention to detail. We understand what it takes to maintain quality standards every single day, and Sweet Basil clearly does that.
Our crew always enjoys supporting well-run local establishments in Massachusetts, and we’re looking forward to coming back again soon.
… moreThe atmosphere is welcoming and comfortable, making it a great place to unwind after a long workday. Service was attentive without being intrusive, and the team runs the dining room efficiently.
As the team at Near Me Home Builders Inc, we truly appreciate businesses that operate with professionalism, consistency, and attention to detail. We understand what it takes to maintain quality standards every single day, and Sweet Basil clearly does that.
Our crew always enjoys supporting well-run local establishments in Massachusetts, and we’re looking forward to coming back again soon.
an makes
I arrived at sweet basil on a Thursday, a little before 7:30 pm. I was with my family of five, and, after skipping lunch and arguing over where to eat for hours, we were hungry and tired. We got seated quickly, and were asked if we would like some bread with pesto. The bread came out quickly, and it was paired with the best, freshest pesto I had ever tasted. Though this was $7, it was worth every dollar! We first ordered an arugala and snap pea salad, which came out in about twenty minutes, and was loaded with arugala. The portion size was large, and everything was super fresh. We also got another order of bread. This took a while to come out, and the pesto was different, confirming that each batch was freshly made. For entrees, we ordered the rosemary chicken, Bolognese, hanger steak (on the insistence of my extremely whiney brother), and house meatballs. It took quite a while for all the dishes to come out-maybe forty minutes or so, but everything was piping hot when it arrives on the table. My rosemary chicken was extremely rich and delicious, though, if I had one complaint, there was too little pasta to cut through the extremely rich sauce. The noodles of the Bolognese were so bouncy and fresh, and they tasted hand-made. The sauce was also extremely meaty. The house meatballs were also really good, with the meatballs being big and juicy, and the noodles also fresh. The sauce was a lot lighter than the other dishes, mostly composed of tomatoes. However, as the dish cooled, the mozzarella kind of formed a hard shell. The little amount of the steak I was allowed to try was tender and juicy, and the mushrooms and chips that came on the side were also really good. My brother pronounced the asparagus as the “best asparagus ever”. Overall, sweet basil was extremely delicious-the noodles were so fresh and bouncy, the sauces were beautifully flavored, the portions were generous (even my starving family couldn’t finish it all), and the pesto was the best ever. If I had one complaint, I would wish there were more noodles in every dish, since there was so much sauce, but, overall, sweet basil is a must if your in the area!
… morePedro Tetsuji Inoue
Always fantastic. Long time listener but first time review. It’s in a small strip mall, town center. Parking is mostly parallel street parking. Very near to a frozen custard shop. Only slight problem is that they don’t take reservations. It’s first come first serve.
The food is Italian and large enough to share around the table. If you order a dish, you are going to ask for a take home box. Comfortable and the staff is there to make sure you have a good time.
The restaurant is on the ground floor with an accessible large restroom. They finally have sodas and it’s always been a “Bring your own booze” establishment.
Hearty meals that make it difficult to stick to your diet…you will switch your cheat day in order to not miss out. Go again and again.
… moreThe food is Italian and large enough to share around the table. If you order a dish, you are going to ask for a take home box. Comfortable and the staff is there to make sure you have a good time.
The restaurant is on the ground floor with an accessible large restroom. They finally have sodas and it’s always been a “Bring your own booze” establishment.
Hearty meals that make it difficult to stick to your diet…you will switch your cheat day in order to not miss out. Go again and again.
Liron Per
This place is an absolute joke- i had such high hopes after reading many of the reviews, but this us just an incredibly overpriced olive garden.
* After asking the server what she recommended, we ordered the Caesar salad: received a salad with wilted lettuce, 8 croutons, a tiny bit of grated, bland cheese and no dressing. We asked them to take the salad and add the dressing. When we got it back, they had just added olive oil. Do they just not know what a Caesar salad dressing is?
* Grilled salmon with vegetables. Asked to receive the salmon medium – rare, and received the driest piece of salmon we have ever had.
* Cheese ravioli. 5 raviolis for $30 that were overcooked, and just filled with bland ricotta, served under a huge pile of marinara sauce.
* Chicken Parmesan. Very thick piece of chicken, that had somehow been dried to death, and again served with so much tomato sauch, that all the breading had fallen off and become soggy. Even my kids who usually love this dish couldn’t get the chicken down.
It came with some pasta in a bowl on the side, served with a huge amount of that same tomato sauce. The pasta was of course overdone as well- what kind of Italian restaurant doesn’t serve its pasta al dente???
At the end of the meal, our server came and asked if everything was tasty (after seeing we had left more than half of each dish). I couldn’t being myself to lie, so I said no, everything was dry and overcooked. She said she was sorry and then left. Just so weird that no one would care to even learn about what was wrong with our meal.
… more* After asking the server what she recommended, we ordered the Caesar salad: received a salad with wilted lettuce, 8 croutons, a tiny bit of grated, bland cheese and no dressing. We asked them to take the salad and add the dressing. When we got it back, they had just added olive oil. Do they just not know what a Caesar salad dressing is?
* Grilled salmon with vegetables. Asked to receive the salmon medium – rare, and received the driest piece of salmon we have ever had.
* Cheese ravioli. 5 raviolis for $30 that were overcooked, and just filled with bland ricotta, served under a huge pile of marinara sauce.
* Chicken Parmesan. Very thick piece of chicken, that had somehow been dried to death, and again served with so much tomato sauch, that all the breading had fallen off and become soggy. Even my kids who usually love this dish couldn’t get the chicken down.
It came with some pasta in a bowl on the side, served with a huge amount of that same tomato sauce. The pasta was of course overdone as well- what kind of Italian restaurant doesn’t serve its pasta al dente???
At the end of the meal, our server came and asked if everything was tasty (after seeing we had left more than half of each dish). I couldn’t being myself to lie, so I said no, everything was dry and overcooked. She said she was sorry and then left. Just so weird that no one would care to even learn about what was wrong with our meal.
Chris
I have told EVERYONE about this place – I drive by almost every day and finally decided to try it. Hands-down my new favorite restaurant.
The menu is a bit small, which I like because it’s not overwhelming to pick a meal! Verbose enough to crave every flavor profile you’re in the mood for.
I LOVED that the bread came with a bowl of fresh pesto, and per my friend with a nut allergy, they do not add pine nuts to the pesto so it is safe to consume for any nut allergy people out there!
Tatiana provided beyond-excellent service. Topping our waters off and coming back frequently with more bread (we ate a lot…)
The price was perfect for the portion sizes, and the calamari was to die for.
… moreThe menu is a bit small, which I like because it’s not overwhelming to pick a meal! Verbose enough to crave every flavor profile you’re in the mood for.
I LOVED that the bread came with a bowl of fresh pesto, and per my friend with a nut allergy, they do not add pine nuts to the pesto so it is safe to consume for any nut allergy people out there!
Tatiana provided beyond-excellent service. Topping our waters off and coming back frequently with more bread (we ate a lot…)
The price was perfect for the portion sizes, and the calamari was to die for.
Chanju Lee
I used to love Sweet Basil. When I was younger and couldn’t afford it too often, I would treat myself here on special occasions. I even had my bachelorette party at Sweet Basil, and when my parents visited after I got married, this was the first place I wanted to take them. Even after moving far away, I would make special trips just to eat here. It’s always been a place that felt special to me — great food, warm service, and a chef who used to come out and personally talk with guests.
My visit last weekend was heartbreakingly disappointing. I had an important guest visiting and wanted to treat them to a memorable meal, so I chose Sweet Basil over several other options, including some top spots in the North End. We ordered my all-time favorite rosemary chicken a dish I’ve loved for years including a couple other things, but it was so salty that we couldn’t eat more than a few bites. We returned it, and while the server did apologize and take it back, that was it. No one checked in afterward and the moment just felt completely brushed off.
For a restaurant that’s been such a special part of my life, this experience was genuinely disappointing. I never thought I’d leave Sweet Basil feeling this way.
… moreMy visit last weekend was heartbreakingly disappointing. I had an important guest visiting and wanted to treat them to a memorable meal, so I chose Sweet Basil over several other options, including some top spots in the North End. We ordered my all-time favorite rosemary chicken a dish I’ve loved for years including a couple other things, but it was so salty that we couldn’t eat more than a few bites. We returned it, and while the server did apologize and take it back, that was it. No one checked in afterward and the moment just felt completely brushed off.
For a restaurant that’s been such a special part of my life, this experience was genuinely disappointing. I never thought I’d leave Sweet Basil feeling this way.
Eddie Sullivan
Staff was very friendly during our visit. Food came out very quick. It was just before lunch rush so we lucked out. The three cheese pizza was very good. I also had a prosciutto mozzarella sandwich which was very tasty. The vinaigrette was good but made the bun soggy by finish so a bit overpowering. But overall a great lunch.
… moreMax
Great dinner! Tried the Rosemary Chicken and the Shrimp Scampi. Very solid. Nice outside seating area. Our server Daphne was fantastic. BYOB is an interesting option and charging 10 dollars for corkage. Only major complaint is charging for bread and pesto accompaniments feels like im being nickel and dimed. Better off skipping for an alternative next time.
… more