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Savor the rich tastes of Italy at The Basil Leaf Café, a local favorite nestled in the heart of Lawrence. This charming café has cultivated a loyal following by serving delicious, unique Italian cuisine and classic steakhouse fare. With a warm and inviting atmosphere, The Basil Leaf Café is the perfect spot for a memorable meal, continuing a proud tradition of exceptional food and stellar service for the community.
Quaint neighborhood bar & eatery offering sizable Italian plates in an unpretentious atmosphere.
Hours
| Monday | 11 AM–9 PM |
| Tuesday | 11 AM–9 PM |
| Wednesday | 11 AM–9 PM |
| Thursday | 11 AM–9 PM |
| Friday | 11 AM–10 PM |
| Saturday | 11 AM–10 PM |
| Sunday | 11 AM–8 PM |
Address and Contact Information
Address: 801 Massachusetts St, Lawrence, KS 66044
Phone: (785) 856-0459
Website: http://www.basilleaflawrence.com/
Menu Photos
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Related Web Results
The Basil Leaf Cafe – Best Italian Restaurant in Lawrence | The …
Cozy Italian cafe in downtown Lawrence, KS offering scratch-made pasta, seafood & entrees. Best local dining for fresh, affordable meals in Lawrence.
The Basil Leaf Cafe (@thebasilleaf) • Instagram photos and videos
3.1K+ followers · 1.7K+ following · 1084 posts · @thebasilleaf: “American Italian | Downtown Lawrence Monday – Thursday 11am-9pm Friday & Saturday 11am-10pm …
The Basil Leaf Cafe, Lawrence, KS – OpenTable
We are excited to be introducing an updated menu with all of your favorites and some new items as well. We open at 4:00 PM every day of the week for dinner.
Reviews
Seth Smiley
This was my second trip here. The food is pretty good. I had the tortellini ala vodka and a Caesar salad. Both were done very well. I also had a pineapple Italian cream soda but I wasn’t super fond of that. It’s a little pricey imo for the caliber of the food they serve. All in all it’s a decent place to dine. Be advised that it’s best to have a reservation on Friday and Saturday nights as it can get pretty busy.
… moreHoss n Barb Hawgs
Nice place great staff. Liam is great at the bar. Fresh local vegetables in the salad. Meatballs and marinara fresh house made.
A little pricey on some of the drinks but its a worthy establishment.
… moreA little pricey on some of the drinks but its a worthy establishment.
Jeremy Snapp
I cannot describe in text form how impressed I was with Grace. We sat at the bar a year ago and she left such an impression we were committed to return. As we arrived and asked if Grace was working, we were met with an exuberant “Yes” and we knew it would be a great evening. As we sat at the bar and requested drink advice, she steered us directly into her concoction of the evening. We were completely satisfied and ordered several rounds to our enjoyment. Such a wonderful smile to accompany our delightful evening, the perfect conclusion of a day in downtown Lawrence. The time between visits will be shorter directly due to the presence of Grace. A Huge Thank You!
… moreKarl Thomas
PROS – The server was wonderful. Nothing but praise here.
CONS – It claims to be an Italian restaurant but: 1) it didn’t have San Pelegrino water, 2) it didn’t have olive oil and balsamic vinegar on the table, 3) did not serve bread as appetizer, 4) served very small glass of $8 flavored beverage, 5) both of us had very small portions of main dishes, 6) didn’t serve Calamari, even though it was on the online menu because, according to the server, it was out of season. Food Quality: partner had sandwich that was mostly bread and lettuce, very little meat and cheese, that came with a tomato soup, both had very little flavor; I had alfredo noodles for $12 with “grilled chicken” for another $5. Noodles had scant alfredo, very dry, and the chicken was 4 or 5 small slabs of dry, semi-flavored chicken. The alfredo had very little parmesan cheese on it, thin slices barely visible, and wanted to charge me more for more cheese. Very disappointing and very expensive. We purposely drove out of our way to this town, had to navigate heavy traffic and poor parking to this restaurant, hearing how good it was, only to find there wasn’t anything Italian about it.
Bottom line: don’t waste your time or money going here.
… moreCONS – It claims to be an Italian restaurant but: 1) it didn’t have San Pelegrino water, 2) it didn’t have olive oil and balsamic vinegar on the table, 3) did not serve bread as appetizer, 4) served very small glass of $8 flavored beverage, 5) both of us had very small portions of main dishes, 6) didn’t serve Calamari, even though it was on the online menu because, according to the server, it was out of season. Food Quality: partner had sandwich that was mostly bread and lettuce, very little meat and cheese, that came with a tomato soup, both had very little flavor; I had alfredo noodles for $12 with “grilled chicken” for another $5. Noodles had scant alfredo, very dry, and the chicken was 4 or 5 small slabs of dry, semi-flavored chicken. The alfredo had very little parmesan cheese on it, thin slices barely visible, and wanted to charge me more for more cheese. Very disappointing and very expensive. We purposely drove out of our way to this town, had to navigate heavy traffic and poor parking to this restaurant, hearing how good it was, only to find there wasn’t anything Italian about it.
Bottom line: don’t waste your time or money going here.
Claire Silver
Grace and Claire were so wonderful. We sat at the bar and Grace did an excellent job with our cocktails and food service. Claire was not our server but it was great to interact with other wait staff in the restaurant. We will definitely be back to visit!
… moreCate Louis
lovely spot! my tortellini alla vodka was fantastic and chloe was an excellent server. our food was taking a bit long, but she worked hard to keep us updated and it was very appreciated. they were able to immediately seat our party of six and i loved our view from the window. they also had a great selection of mocktails. oh and the caesar salad was fantastic, the dressing was so bright and delicious.
… moreConnie silver
First time in the new location – Grace welcomed us to stay and dine at the bar while we waited for our table. Normally, prefer to eat at a table, however Grace was so pleasant that we stayed and had our meal. Wonderful time with my family! I recommend the pesto penne with grilled chicken!
… moreJayden Simmons
This was my first time coming to the cafe, and it was for my anniversary dinner! The food was amazing (you must get the parmesan fries with aoli). My partner enjoyed the brussels sprouts. The pasta portions are insanely huge, I had seconds and thirds!
My server Chloe was a sweetheart and the hostess was amazing too. Thanks for a great night!
… moreMy server Chloe was a sweetheart and the hostess was amazing too. Thanks for a great night!
Jennifer G
Went there to dinner tonight. We started with the date appetizer. Didn’t enjoy at all, but thought well it was dates so whatever. I had the chicken tortellini ala vodka. It was terrible. The chicken was not good and the sauce tasted like it was from a jar. I had maybe 2 bites and then gave up. My husband had the tortellini chicken cordon blue. Chicken was overcooked but ok. Pasta didn’t taste that good. Our waitress I believe her name was Adrienne was great. She noticed we didn’t like the dates and was hopeful we would like our entrees. I wish we had, but unfortunately we were very disappointed with the food. We are staying at an air bnb visiting our daughter who goes to KU. We bought a frozen pizza on the way home to have something to eat. Sorry I hope it was an off night since all of the reviews we saw were good but tonight was terrible and sorry we spent the money and our time.
Also there were plenty of tables available but with a reservation we were seated by the entrance. I didn’t think it would be an issue since there are double doors to enter, but I felt a blast of cold air every time people came in. And then with so many open tables, they sat another table of 2 directly behind us so that wait staff had to squeeze between my husband’s chair and the woman at the table directly behind him. Will not be going back there. Had a much better dinner last night at a place up the street.
… moreAlso there were plenty of tables available but with a reservation we were seated by the entrance. I didn’t think it would be an issue since there are double doors to enter, but I felt a blast of cold air every time people came in. And then with so many open tables, they sat another table of 2 directly behind us so that wait staff had to squeeze between my husband’s chair and the woman at the table directly behind him. Will not be going back there. Had a much better dinner last night at a place up the street.
Taylor Beck
We had been wanting to try Basil Leaf for awhile! Went in for my MIL birthday and had the best experience. Our server Grace was phenomenal, she gave fabulous recommendations from the drinks to the entree to the dessert and was beyond attentive! Would highly recommend 🙂
… more