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Basil Pasta Bar
Categories: Restaurants Italian Restaurants Fast Food Italian, Fast Food [Edit]
636 Davie StreetVancouver, BC V6B
Neighbourhoods: Downtown, Granville Entertainment District
(604) 568-3106
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 11:30 am - 10 pm
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- No
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- No
- Drive-Thru:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
31 reviews for Basil Pasta Bar
Review Highlights
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"...is fantastic every time, but I'll pass on the garlic bread." In 6 reviews -
"I loved the Mediterranean Penne with goat cheese and..." In 2 reviews -
"...Spaghetti Carbonara along with their house salad and caesar." In 2 reviews
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31 reviews in English
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Review from Ken N.
Vancouver, BC
4/24/2012
I love how you can customize every ingredient/sauce and it's quick and cheap ~8$.
Love the concept - pasta isn't fancy and you shouldn't have to pay $20 at a fine dining restaurant for it.
The one knock I have is that sometimes the ingredients chosen can come in pretty skimpy portions - not the actual pasta though.
Great place to just get a quick, cheap filling meal - just don't expect big portions of prawns or protein. -
Review from Jacob F.
Vancouver, BC
5/5/2012 1 Check-in Here
Flavour was surprisingly bland even tho it look very tasty. I think the lady was not paying attention when she took my order (Linguini w Pesto Cream Sauce, Red Peppers, Garlic, and Parmesan Cheese) because she asked if I wanted any veggies (so I repeated Red Peppers and Garlic). Instead of Garlic they put beacon even tho I had said I was vegetarian...
The red peppers were the only thing that tasted like anything. Pasta was well-cooked (not too chewy, not too mushy).
Price was quite low, but so was the level of flavour.
Also, for some reason my dish had considerably less food than anyone else in the restaurant :/ -
Review from Angie W.
4/27/2012
We were roaming around the city during lunch hours to find some good eats through yelp. I was feeling for some pasta and so opted out for this italian pasta bar. The interior was comfy and simple, service was great and we were really hoping to stuff ourselves silly with pasta for today. Sorry, but it really didn't turn out that great. For those who are pasta lovers, it's all comes down to the pasta, ingredients and the sauces. We ordered the Shrimp pesto, salad combo. Salad was great, sauce was okay, the shrimp was super tiny and the pasta was overcooked.
Business was good, we came around 1ish and there was still a line. We couldn't get seatings so we decided to take it to go. But became disspointed when we had our first bite. If you're looking for a fast food type of italian cafe, then I guess this wouldn't hurt. But I rather pay an extra few bucks for fresh or non pre cooked and then cooked again type of italian joint.
PS, The customizing part of what ingredients you wanted is a really great concept, but I'm all about the taste buds and satisfaction.
Service: 4.5/5
Price: 3.5/5
Food Quality: 2/5
Seatings: 2/5 (unless you go during off hours) -
Review from Christopher S.
5/21/2012
First trip in Vancouver and I have to say, it is an AMAZING city. Anyway, felt really gay (as in HAPPY) so I ambled down to Davie St. (see what I did there) to explore more of the city and to find a place to eat.
Ordered the spaghetti, chorizo, mushrooms, house special curry cream, and oregano. Simultaneously fulfilled the curry and pasta cravings YEE. The fragrant turmeric in the sauce blended with the aroma of the fresh oregano and the piquancy of the chorizo to create a.....JK NO idea what the hell I'm talking about HOT DAMN THIS GRUB DA BOMB!
Good portions, great flavor, and supposedly there isn't a limit on the number of "toppings". Definitely coming back. -
Review from L I.
Vancouver, BC
5/19/2012
The Four Cheese Ravioli is awesome
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Review from Alice A.
4/15/2012
If you like pasta, and you like it affordable and ready in minutes without having to cook it yourself, then Basil Pasta Bar is your answer.
Permutations and combinations. Take your pick. -
Review from P G.
Vancouver, BC
Updated - 5/6/2012
Weird last time the woman charged me a smidgen more than the recent time I went. Nevertheless this time I asked for whole wheat penne with chicken, sausage, and practically all the veggies, with bolognese sauce. It tasted much better this time! But since the cooks are not consistent with their orders they remain at a 3.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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4/21/2012
I ordered penne with chorizo, zucchini, broccoli, red peppers, mushrooms, carrots, red onions, and… Read more »
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Review from Isaac R.
Vancouver, BC
3/13/2012 4 Check-ins Here
I'm a huge fan of the type of restaurants that do one thing and do it well, and this place has figured out the formula.
Basil Pasta Bar has been a favourite of mine for a while, and is excellent lunch or dinner. The staff here are extremely friendly and service is prompt and polite.
It's THE perfect alternative to the expensive, and often hit-and-miss Italian restaurants in Vancouver where Spaghetti-O's with Bacon goes for $22 a plate.
The menu is really simple - choose your pasta, your protein, your veggies, sauce, cheese and herbs.
Typically a meal with a drink and salad work out to less than $15 with a tip. -
Review from Eric E.
5/8/2012
Wife says she loved this place and I did as well. Very friendly staff and delicious food at good prices. Ordered the Chicken curry (not a custom dish) as well as a custom dish and both turned out perfect and were very good portions. They have local beer as well. When you see the red empty bottle in the display--that was mine. ;)
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Review from Wendy Y.
2/15/2012 1 Check-in Here
Partner and I were in need of a quick bite to eat after work so he brought me here, knowing I needed my carb fix. I never knew pasta dishes can be done as a type of fast food so I give 5/5 for creativity/novelty right there!
We ordered a plate of gnocchi with Bolognese sauce ($10 with taxes and all). The you-decide-what-you-want-to-put-in-your-food idea made it difficult to finalize our order. We had to paper rock scissors on this one.
The gnocchi looked firm but it was actually too soft, but that's quite alright. You can't expect too much from fast food joints anyway. The Bolognese sauce though, was above and beyond fast food quality! The sauce was westernized, like how White Spot does their pasta dishes. The use of fresh garlic and spices helped bringing this dish to live.
I would give this place a 3.5/5. The interior is clean and comfortable.
Would I come back? Probably not because I know I can cook up a lot more pasta with $10 if I were to do it at home. Nonetheless, the experience was fun.Listed in: Fast (and not so healthy) Food
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Review from Brent H.
Maple Ridge, BC
2/11/2012 1 Check-in Here
What a great place! First let me say that if you are looking for a fancy sit down this isn't the place. This place is for when you want a delicious meal at 1/2 the price of a fancy place!
I had the chicken curry fettucine which was delicious! My wife had the pesto shrimp linguini which she also really enjoyed! Their garlic bread is amazing!
Dinner for two... huge portions... two beer and including tip...out the door for $35.
Nothing like a great meal and feeling like you just got a smokin deal! -
Review from amelia s.
3/22/2012
I gotta say, for a quick serve spot, this is quite good. We ordered ravioli with tomato sauce, olives, and capers. We also had fusilli with pesto, broccoli, tomato, mushroom, and chicken. Both with side salads. The pasta was tasty, and the portions are generous. I especially enjoyed the salad, which was very fresh. I think the more add-ons you get, the fewer of each you get. So, because I got 4 add-ons, it ended up being a pinch of each. My DH got 2 add-ons, and it seemed like there was quite a lot in his dish. We also tried the soup, which was a bit tangy and spicy. Service is quick and friendly. Note that they do not have high chairs.
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Review from Kenneth E.
Vancouver, BC
1/4/2012 1 Check-in Here
Wow, you can create your own pasta all for $7.95! Sounds like u can add as much as you can ie. Different veggies to add, but I was impressed with the speed. Though it's no higher-end casual, it's nice enough to sit in but not for a date haha.
Definitely good place to hit before hitting the bar scene, since it's a bit in fr Davie/Granville. Close at 10pm daily.
Ordered the pesto shrimp linguini, good size portion.
Pretty reasonable prices. -
Review from Nicole F.
8/3/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Seriously?
Pick your own pasta? HEAVEN.
This is the Subway of Pasta. You pick your noodles, your meat (or not), your veggies, your sauce, your herbs and seasonings and your cheese! Holy freaking crap.
And if you don't want to pick your own pasta, they have a ton of specials on the rest of the menu.
I don't know how I didn't know about Basil Pasta Bar before today. This is insanity. I'm actually glad its not close enough to my work that I can visit regularly, or I'd be about 4 times the size I am.
All the veggies were very fresh, the noodles were boiled to perfection, and it was piping hot out of the pan with plenty of sauce! Also, I chose Parmesan as my topping for cheese and it came out with long thick curls of REAL shaved parmesan on top. No shaker shit! WTF.
I also really love the variety of veggies you can choose from! I picked asparagus, broccoli, zucchini, garlic, spinach and tomatoes to go with my penne in rose sauce.
The one and only thing I would change about Basil Pasta Bar is that they need an option for whole wheat noodles. I'm not taking a star off for that though, this place is amazing.Listed in: Favourites, Comfort Food, Veggie Spots
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Review from Jennifer D.
Vancouver, BC
7/16/2011
Mmmmmm. I never order pasta in restaurants because I'm quite honestly pretty hard to please. I came here after work, exhausted and hungry, craving something quick and easy and full of carbs.
I ordered the spaghetti puttanesca to go, subbing fettucine for the spaghetti. I was really impressed by the extremely affordable prices, ($7.95 for mine) almost non existent wait time and friendly service.
The pasta was light, extremely fresh tasting and flavorful, and had a generous amount of tomatoes, peppers, garlic, olives, capers and anchovies. It was topped with fresh sliced basil and drool worthy parmesan. The portion size was just right, as I wasn't left with that carb coma feeling afterwards.
Pleasantly impressed. Will definitely be back. -
Review from Sarah J.
This place is a great place to stop for a quick bite of delicious pasta. Caesar salad is yummy too and has capers. Yum! I ordered the Mediterranean Penne with chicken (pesto sauce, artichokes, asparagus, tomatoes, spinach, goat cheese). It was tasty, but I wish there was more "add-ins" and less pasta... the ratio seemed a bit off for my personal preference.
Hint - it doesn't cost you anything additional to add whatever you want to your pasta... add as much as you'd like for the same price!
Service was friendly and quick. -
Review from Martin P.
Vancouver, BC
8/31/2011
The pasta here is decently well also the salads.
The prices are very good and the service is great as it is fast.
Definetly having my weekly pasta there.
I like to seat there and eat ravioli four cheese and a ceasar salad.
the only thing i don't like about this place is that they don't offer you bread.
pasta without bread is like living without hands. -
Review from Mark H.
2/25/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Simple, fresh, fast, friendly pasta.
Normally I don't order pasta dishes when I'm out as they are usually easier, better, and a heck of a lot cheaper to cook at home, but hey it was cold and I was lazy this day so Basil Pasta it was.
Shared the Spicy Arbiata and Spaghetti Carbonara along with their house salad and caesar. The Arbiata was my favourite with a good kick of spice and decent Chorizo sausage slices. Carbonara was a wee bit salty but the creaminess and bacon were enjoyable.
If they made their own pasta, Mario and Luigi may just show up. -
Review from Sebastian P.
Vancouver, BC
Updated - 1/17/2011
A couple months have passed by now since Basil Pasta Bar opened up and it seemingly goes very well for them. They just updated their interior with some new furniture and also extended their menu with a few combo choices.
Some of these are for example, 'Pasta of your choice+Drink+Garlic bread' 9.95$ or alternatively you can choose a soup instead of the bread (I have commented on the Garlic bread in my original review and found it nothing to write home about).
So this venue has definitely developed into something really nice with great staff and consistent quality/taste of food.
Four Stars remain valid. Pasta, Pasta !! :)1 Previous Review: Show all »
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11/5/2010
A couple of times already I went to the Basil Pasta Bar, reason why this review comes so late is… Read more »
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Review from laura c.
Vancouver, BC
6/4/2011
Awesome food, great prices and quick service.
I love the vegetarian options, my favourite is the four cheese ravioli. -
Review from Rachel K.
8/28/2010
YUM, YUM, YUM!!!!!
I've wanted to try this place for a long time ever since walking by it the beginning of summer. A sign that says $7.95 for your pasta of your choice... come again?! Affordable Italian food? It must be a joke, or must taste pretty crappy!
Well, I was totally wrong. Yes, it's more of a *diner* kind of place... It's cozy and down-to-earth, nothing special about the ambiance here. But my friend and I genuinely, thoroughly enjoyed our dishes - a fettuccine with chicken and vegetables in pesto cream sauce and a rotini with shrimp and vegetables in rose sauce. The portions were just right, and we both thought the garlic bread we ordered on the side was especially tasty!!! The food came out in less than 10 minutes, plus our meal cost less than $20... Now, that's a find!!
Can't wait to go back to try another mix-and-match! -
Review from Marc D.
Vancouver, BC
3/12/2010
* Israeli Italian fast food *
This new restaurant is a nice fast food alternative that apparently originated in Israel. (And the guy working the cash register had a distinct Israeli accent.)
Consider it the pasta equivalent of a good fro-yo shop (there, I finally made a fro-yo reference in a non fro-yo review, Lolia S! Happy?).
The entire menu has 1 set of prices: $7.95 (any pasta), $9.95 (any pasta and garlic bread; or any pasta with soup and drink), or $10.95 (any pasta, salad, and drink).
You can pick any selection of pastas, and sauce components. Or you can take one of their pre-selected combinations.
You can feel free to mix and match to create your ideal meal.
They offer 7 different types of pasta (the usual suspects like penne, fussily, fettuccine, etc.), various proteins (chicken, rock shrimp, chorizo, bacon, smoked salmon, etc.), a good selection of veggies (the usual suspects like spinach, zucchini, bell peppers, peas, artichokes, asparagus, mushrooms, etc.), 7 sauces (everything from bolognese to curry cream), cheese (parmesan, goat, or mozzarella), and fresh herbs (basil, parsley, and oregano).
It isn't a pick 1 from column A, pick 2 from column B type of menu. It is a "pick as many as you would like from any column" type of deal. They just proportionately reduce the amount. Pick 2 protein and you get half a portion of each. You get the idea.
Unfortunately the pastas are just dried pastas, not made in house. Some of the sauce ingredients are very good, while others were just about average. But for the low price point what can you truly expect?
The salad was a nicely dressed organic mixed green salad with some nice touches like fresh basil, goat cheese, and toasted pumpkin seeds.
Overall, for what it is - a quick counter fast food type meal, I'm a fan.
The selection of ingredients, and your ability to customize to your heart's content is a nice idea. The speed with which they prepare the meal is also perfect for a quick lunch. My meal was ready in about 6 minutes.
So they get a solid fast food 4 stars!
As a mental game while I was waiting my 6 minutes I thought about the nastiest combination I could create. (Not that I would order it, of course!). I came up with:
A gnocchi ravioli spaghetti combo with anchovies, chicken, olives, curry cream, pesto cream, bolongnese, with mozzarella and oregano. Go ahead, I dare you!Listed in: Vancouver European Food, Vanoodle, Vancouver Middle Eastern Food
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Review from Tanya B.
11/7/2010
Excellent price. Choose your own pasta, $10 flat.
I've been eating here frequently since July and as I read other reviews, I agree with many of the constructive feedback comments but overall this place is pretty damn good.
The price has gone up since July but is still VERY reasonable for what you get.The sauces are not always consistent (curry cream in particular) but the ingredients are fresh, you can watch your food being prepared and if you're getting your food to go, you can be in and out in 10 minutes on a good day, 15 if they're busy.
Spicy Arbiata is probably the one that has been consistently good... I have tried various combinations multiple times.
Side House Salad is fantastic every time, but I'll pass on the garlic bread...every time. -
Review from Rebecca C.
Vancouver, BC
5/10/2010
**Fresh ingredients, good concept, cheesy music and waaay too much salt.**
We went here the other day for a quick lunch and ordered two bowls Linquini Aioli with added salmon and capers. Service was quick... but only one of the bowls actually had capers on it.
The ingredients were all quite fresh. The linguine was nicely prepared, and the salmon was very tasty. Unfortunately, the white wine aioli sauce was so salty that I almost had to send it back. The meal would have been great if they used about 3/4 less salt.
The atmosphere is okay, but their choice of a cheesy top-40 R&B soundtrack was a real turnoff.
I think that the price and concept is good (better than most franchises), but it needs a few tweaks. With less salt and half-decent music, it could easily become one of the better franchises in town. -
Review from Kat F.
Burnaby, BC
6/28/2011
The pasta here is tasty. The price is good too. I would give this place a better rating but their customer service is horrible. The woman that works the cashier does not know how to treat customers properly. We've experienced this a few times. When we are ready to order then the phone ring she picks it up and make us wait. She should put the person on hold and help the face customer first. Another incident is that after waiting in line for so long and it was my turn, she made me wait again, yet my order is already ready for pickup. I think that the owner of this place needs to train their front service staff as to most people customer service is what makes customers comes back.
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Review from Casey S.
Vancouver, BC
9/8/2011
Great place for takeout on a busy day. The price is just right for the food. Very fast. Very consistent quality pasta.
Oh be warned their "garlic bread" is loaded with other herbs that kind of overwhelm the garlic-ness and is like a small loaf of bread. And they can be rather heavy handed with the sauce on the salads, but their business is PASTA so, can't really blame them ;) -
Review from Susanne J.
Hope, BC
11/25/2010 3 Check-ins Here
Was pretty impressed. They had exactly what my friend (who was sick of eating crappy hospital food) wanted - shrimp, basil, garlic fettuccine - and if they hadn't had it on the menu they said I could build my own. I called ahead and they said they'd have it done in 5minutes! The place was bright, clean and friendly. Pasta was $10/each, taxes in. I can see myself becoming a regular here for sure. Pasta was done to perfection, heavy on the garlic, but great for the winter blues.
Listed in: More Bang for Your BC Buck
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Review from Robyn G.
Vancouver, BC
2/15/2011
I love the idea of this place. We have been there twice now for takeaway.
I ordered a Bolognese style dish which tasted good but had an unusual flavour which I think was Curry powder? The second time I went back I enquired about the flavour but they weren't sure as to what I was talking about. I believe the Marinara sauce has Curry in it and I guess this is the sauce they use with the meat. I am Australian and a Marinara sauce there means it has seafood in it. Napolitana is the name we give for a tomato pasta sauce. I guess I am still learning these little differences.
Unfortunately I am a very picky eater so I won't order the Bolognese again but I will go back and try the Pesto Sauce next time. I will also update this review to reflect my next choice of dish. -
Review from Shelae H.
5/1/2011
We were visiting from out of town and picked this restaurant due to location right by the hotel and the good Yelp reviews. While it was hard for their tiny place to accommodate a group of 4 during the dinner rush, we waited a bit and were lucky to snap table. The dishes were very reasonably priced and delicious. I loved the Mediterranean Penne with goat cheese and artichokes. The only downside was the service was a bit slow but it WAS the dinner rush, with a line out of the door. I would definitely recommend this restaurant.
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Review from Sean B.
8/24/2011
Honestly for the night before a marathon meal, this is the best possible place I could think of. Large servings of very tasty pasta for low prices. You can really pick any kind of pasta you're in the mood for they have such a good selection. If you're in town for the Vancouver Marathon, or any other long distance race, I'd highly recommend coming here the night before. The "fast food" like atmosphere means they can handle a rush of people without having to wait 30 minutes for a table.
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Review from Jona H.
4/16/2010
Very friendly staff, huge portions and delicious food for under $10.
