Ali Baba’s Restaurant & Bakery
3502 W Greenway Rd,Ste 1, Phoenix, AZ, 85053
Ali Baba’s Restaurant & Bakery Menu
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Visit below restaurant in Phoenix for healthy meals suggestion.
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Address :
3502 W Greenway Rd,Ste 1
Phoenix, AZ, 85053 - Phone (602) 866-3444
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :11:00 am - 9:00pm
- Mon : 11:00 am - 9:00pm
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : No
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Lunch
Parking : Private Lot
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Quiet
Alcohol : No
Outdoor Seating : Yes
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : No
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : Yes
WE SERVE THE FOLLOWING STATES
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Neesh Q.
This review is for catering. The whole process was absolutely hassle-free. Mohammed worked with me to get the customized order I needed for our get together and also worked around the last minute request. As far as the food, we ordered kufta kabob sandwiches which were AMAZING! The hummus was also very light and went well with the sandwiches. Will definitely consider Ali Baba for catering again in the future.
(5)Ss V.
Extremely friendly service, nice sized portions and delicious food. Setting is very pleasant. The falafel was delicious and melted in our mouths. The chicken and lamb were tender and flavorful.
(5)Michael B.
This restaurant is a true act of craftsmanship and love. The owner, Mo, was born in the U.S. but like all great immigrant restaurant owners learned the secrets from his family and is committed to the process of excellence. As an example, he gets up each morning to bake his own bread to make sure it tastes just right, and imported his baking oven from Pakistan for extra measure. He also decorated the place with his own furnishings from the region. I got the Chicken Shawarma Fries plate. Fantastic fusion food, mixing Pakistani-American traditions. This dish flowed with rich flavors of grilled chicken, herbs, onions, humus and yogurt sauce and was served w/ homemade pita bread - a full meal! Was not disappointed and will be coming back.
(4)Christine H.
The shawarma fries are the best! The meat is soooooooo awesome! Can't wait to try their other dishes :)
(5)Phlu P.
Great food and really great prices. We came here for a late lunch/early dinner with the team and loved the food.
(5)Andrew S.
Awesome food the people are so nice and friendly a real family owned restaurant with excellent and I mean excellent food!
(5)Kelly S.
Great find in this place. The gyro and hummus was great! I did take out it was a little warm inside when I got there but great food.
(5)Daniel L.
Fellow Yelper Kurdy S and I came to this Palestinian bakery and restaurant for dinner after finding it on Yelp. The décor consisted of tables spread across the room, decent lighting, and a large empty bakery counter with a few bags of homemade pita remaining. We were the only customers in the restaurant the entire night, so there was not much to describe in terms of the atmosphere. The Hummus with Pita ($3.99) came with blended chickpea, tahini, lemon, garlic, tomato, olives, and pickled veggies. The Hummus was excellent, as the smooth chickpea and tahini stood out to follow the sharp garlic and lemony backdrop. All the sharp flavors worked in concert with their warm homemade pita bread. The bread was thick, soft, spongy, highly addictive, and served piping hot. It was so good that I can imagine eating this pita bread all day long and not get tired of it. It was a fantastic option for the price. The Ali Baba Combo ($14.99) came with three skewers of lamb, kufta, chicken kabob, pickled veggies, and basmati rice. The meat was wonderfully seasoned, cooked evenly, and tender with a few chewy spots here and there. All the skewers were tremendously flavorful, with the chicken breast kabob that became the highlight. I recommend it. The Chicken Sharwerma Sandwich ($4.99) came with seasoned chicken, piping hot pita, tomatoes, pickles, and "Ali Baba" sauce. The chicken again was tender with full-on flavor. One of the reviewers mentioned that the sauce was mayo based, but the combination was still worthwhile for the price. Prices were fantastic but I'm giving this place a lower rating because the food took an hour to arrive. Additionally, service and ambiance were lacking, as there was very little warmth or acknowledgement of our needs while we waited for the food to arrive. It was a one-man operation with another person sitting there reading newspaper the entire time. Despite it all, the food was wonderfully delicious. Our experience suggests that this place might be more appropriate for lunch than dinner. I'd be interested in coming back to try their Arabic-style Shawerma.
(3)Ashouraita K.
This is my favourite restaurant in Arizona and I miss it dearly after moving back to Illinois. Everything is absolutely delicious. My boyfriend and I would always get falafel sandwiches, hummus, fries, and salad. Being Middle Eastern, I have had plenty of falafel, and theirs is the most flavourful falafel I have ever had. Seriously, it's amazing. The hummus is also great and they would always make the garnishing really cute. The pita bread is always fresh and warm. Even their fries are incredibly tasty. I almost forgot about the baklava. How dare I? The baklava is perfection. I cannot even begin to explain the beauty of it. You have to try it to understand. We would always order the baklava with their delicious tea. Best way to end a meal. This is the best Middle Eastern food I have had in Arizona. I definitely recommend it. The owners are wonderful and sweet people as well.
(5)Hillary R.
Very Authentic! The decor in this place is fantastic and the food is to die for! Definitely a must try :-)
(4)Geoff L.
Don't be fooled by its location in a tiny strip mall. This is an amazing Mediterranean restaurant at a very reasonable price. The shawerma fries were A-M-A-Z-I-N-G, but be aware, the portion is very large so prep your appetite! Their pitas are freshly baked and hummus home made, so that is another must have when you go there. It may be a tad bit quiet on the weekdays for lunch but believe me they don't skimp on the quality even when there are not as many customers. This place is a hidden treasure and deserves to be discovered by all those who loves good Mediterranean food.
(4)Nick W.
I came here not looking for much. It had a large empty bakery counter with a few packages of food on the top, nothing much to see. The inside was well lit, but the decor was weak, not to say that mattered too much, it was nice. The hummus & pita were delicious and game with a great lemon & garlic flavor, and some excellent olives! My daughter loves to dip the falafel in the tahini, and orders it every single time we go in here. Prices are great, my family of 3 ate and was stuffed for about 27.00. I'd go with the App Trio to start personally. The lamb is insane and the shwarma fries are unique and tasty! It would have got more stars, but I think it takes kind of long to get your food. They usually have a young kid "working", not sure how legal that is, and it's clearly family run. Go early, and relax, shouldn't be a problem.
(3)LuAnn S.
My family and friends love, love, love this place!!! The food is EXCELLENT and the family that owns it are the BEST!!!
(5)Amber B.
The food here is so good, I'm honestly surprised it's not much busier. The tahini sauce...I'm so in love with the tahini sauce...definitely try the Appetizer Trio and douse the falafel in that sauce. I also recommend the lamb kabob sandwich and the combo platter.
(5)Natasha A.
Weekly, we order freshly baked bread here to go which is reasonably priced. The bread is incredibly delicious, soft and melts in your mouth. It's basically a type of large flat-bread (aka "Lavash"). All their desserts are also reasonably priced and equally fantastic. The service is excellent and the place is very clean. No complaints.
(5)Mark K.
What a nice find. We passed by looking for a place to have dinner and just stopped in. Place is very nice with Persian decor. We we warmly greeted and ordered the rio appetizer. Wow was it ever g [d. We had the babaganoush and hummus. Huge platter with perfectly cooked falafel and warm bread. ...yum. mains were various kebabs ( I had the mixed platter) Which had lamb chicken and kuftar. Everything was perfectly cooked and huge portions. For desert we had Turkish coffee and a dessert made with cheese and shredded pastry (the owner came to our take and suggested it), and boy was it good. This is way better than the Persian Room and half the price.
(5)Lauren H.
Just tried this place for the second time, and after tasting their baklava, they definitely get 5 stars from us. Delicious dressing on the Greek salad, fresh and tasty pitas and some of the best baklava I've ever had. The pistachio roll is the crispiest, and it will surprise you how happy it makes your mouth. It's a must try for sure.
(5)Sasidhar K.
In Short: Tasty Food - Low prices. Freshly made Soft Pita with Hummus. Cheap Gyro Sandwiches Love their Lamb Platter. Details: This review is based on my visits to this place in late 2013. Manytimes I call them up for take out. My regular order is Lamb Platter with Rice. On the side Hummus with Pita bread. Pros The lamb is perfectly made based on what you order. I mostly go for Well Done. Pita bread is always freshly made and soft. Hummus tastes great. I've tried the Baklava here, but not as good as I expected. The rates are very reasonable and you can have a full course within $15. There's only one guy who helps with orders and serving, and he's awesome with service. :) Cons I tried Dine In and Lunch, and it took a while for the food to reach me. That's when I've decided on Take outs. I had a bad experience once with partially cooked rice. I've tried their Falafel, and they are on the crunchier side.(Little Extra Fried) The Ambiance is good, you will find a few curtains covering some doorways. There are a few hangings and some mid eastern artwork to get the Authentic feel.
(4)Christina S.
This place is a fantastic find for Middle Eastern food! Our group of 12, 9 adults and 3 children, all left wholly satisfied. Not only is the food delicious and flavorful, the customer service is outstanding! Granted, our drinks weren't filled as quickly as we'd hoped, and the apps could have been a lil speedier, but they are a lovely family owned business who take care of everything. They are so welcoming and accommodating to your wants and needs, and immensely patient with questions, and just kind, sweet and pleasurable people that I would forgive them of just about anything, and return time and time again. Omar is just the star of this place. He put together 4 tables for our group. I called a few minutes ahead to warn them, haha. He introduced himself, told us some of his family's and the restaurant's history, brewed some fresh Turkish tea for us, and just made it clear he could help us with anything- and that he would also be cooking our meals. :) Because we had such a large group, I really got to sample practically the entire menu! My favorite items were the chicken shawerma sandwich, the falafel (best I ever had) and the rice (made with a bit of saffron and cardamom, and was truly perfection). The Ali Baba sauce is not to be missed- think ranch with a middle eastern twist, and the hummus was a clear winner also. Because my chicken kebabs were a tad dry (still flavorful), I would likely opt for the chicken shawerma next time. The beef shawerma was nice and tender as well. Some people had seasoned fries with their meals, and they were delish. Kids (and adults) would be pleased with this non-middle eastern option. Tasty! Their prices are extremely reasonable, they have a bakery store right next door, and they use only the freshest of meats. On top of which, as I said, the customer service can't be beat, and the food is prepared with care and passion. Don't miss the rice and falafel, people. Go in with a little bit of patience, and you can bet you'll be rewarded!
(5)Lars T.
BEST Scwerma Sandwich YET in Phx area!!! and friendly owner.... Relaxed, cozy, homemade. Definitely will be back.
(4)Rand H.
Stopped in here for lunch today, joined by Norm R. This is a nice cafe with a friendly host and reasonable prices. For this first visit, I had a Gyro Sandwich ($3.99) & a Side House Salad ($2.99). Both were of good size. The salad was very plain, consisting only of Romaine Lettuce, some cubes of tomato, & an oily dressing without much flavor. The Gyro was ok, but I didn't think it was anywhere as good as the ones at Haji-Baba, for example, so for me Ali Baba's here is just ok among our Middle Eastern restaurant choices in the Valley. :-)
(3)Ken D.
The food here is pretty good. The place is somewhat inexpensive and was tasty. There was such a large variety of food that it seemed difficult to pick which food to pick. If you don't know which food to pick, try there shawerma fries or ask for some recommendations.
(4)Norm R.
Really good Middle Eastern food! My new go-to place when I crave lamb - they know how to grill it right! I also enjoyed their dolma, which surprised me because before this I have not been a fan of stuffed grape leaves. The prices are so easy on the budget ( s3-media1.ak.yelpcdn.com… ), which makes this place even more enticing (thumbs my nose at Haji-Baba in Tempe). It's definitely not fast food, but the wait is definitely worth it.
(4)Theron E.
I absolutely love everything about Ali Baba... the food is amazing and the service is so personable. The falafel is the best I have ever had, and I've worked at Greek and Lebanese restaurants. The prices can NOT be beat for this quality of food. Had a long talk with "Mom" when she happened to be there on one of my visits... she has so much pride in her recipes and it comes through with every bite! Oh... save room for the baklava (made in house) and Turkish coffee! Holy hell Batman!!
(5)Todd T.
After driving past this place for years, we finally decided to give it a try one night when we were craving gyros. Ordered on GrubHub: Beef Shawerma Platter, Gyro Sandwich, Baba Ghajouj (without dolma), falafel appetizer and Baklkava. As soon as the order was placed, I received a courtesy call from the restaurant to inform me that they were out of Baklava and to pick anything else off the menu to substitute for the money already paid. I thought that was a nice way to solve the problem so I happily accepted a second gyro sandwich in place of the Baklava. The food was excellent. The Hummus had a nice garlic and lemon flavor but not too much of either. The Roasted Eggplant Hummus was very rich and very tasty- it would certainly fill you up quickly if you tried to tackle it on your own. Falafel- great. It's an item we rarely eat because most places massacre it by trying to get too many spices into something that should be fairly simple. Ali Baba has it figured out - great texture, full of flavor from onions, garlic, black pepper and the chick peas. Tasty but not overwhelmingly so... Gyros and Shawerma plate were as good as you will ever find- not the thin shaved (Chicago) beef that you find in most places, but thin strips of lean beef, tender and well seasoned. All in all, I have no complaint and will remain a patron of Ali Baba. Try it if you haven't yet!!
(5)Maxine B.
My favorite Mediterranean place by far moved to phoenix for a couple of months was in dire need of a place where I could be a regular and found it. Fresh made to order food and great service I highly recommend eating here.! Support local business owners!
(5)Jeremiah S.
W e showed up at 1105 and they opened at 1100. my wife ordered the gyro sandwich. I ordered the Ali Baba combo with the three different kabobs One lamb, beef, and chicken. I try to order the lamb kabobs everywhere I go. I am not much of a gyro eater. so after ordering my waiter comes back to tell me none of the kabobs are prepared since THEY JUST OPENED. so in the end I am stuck eating a gyro since that's all that seems to be able to be cooked. So never show up when they open unless you want a gyro. MAYBE THEY SHOULD SHOW UP BEFORE 11 AM TO PREP FOOD SO THEY DO NOT ANGER THE CUSTOMERS. As far as I am concerned I should have gone elsewhere. The Gyro sandwich is plain, a child's portion of meat, and sauce tastes like it's mayo based. The food that was able to be cooked is well below adverage. I have eaten at a minimum of 200 Mediterranean style restaurants since I work all over the USA. The fact that I could only order a subpar gyro for lunch is why the 1 star. We Will Never Return.
(1)Walt P.
We ended up coming here to eat on a Friday evening after discovering our favorite gyro place on 35th Ave & Bell had been shut down. We had driven by many times and heard many reviews, so decided to try it. The lady who greeted us was friendly and chatty and and took our orders immediately. There was only one other table occupied. We ordered the appetizer sampler which came with hummus (awesome!!) falafel (double awesome!!) and dolmas (amazing!!) along with warm pita. A short time later our entrees came out; I had the lamb gyro with fries, my wife the chicken schwarma with fries and my daughter the beef schwarma with fries. Everything was hot and fresh and very tasty. Then came the baklava!! Huge slices of baklava that were to die for. I have been stationed in the Middle East and this is as good as any food I have had overseas. The owner spent a lot of time chatting with us; she really made us feel welcome, more as if we were at her home for a meal rather than in a retaurant. We waddled out, and for all the food we ate it was $39.00. Well worth the trip and I'll be back soon...
(5)Jeff W.
Why are there not more people here? The food was incredible. The service is wonderful. I got the Beef Schawerma Arabic-style. It was so filling and so good. Will return soon!
(5)Abna B.
I luuuvvvv dis place.... d food is gr8..... deir spl alibaba sauce is simply out of dis world...... I go here regularly and always have atleast d chicken shawarma sandwich.... its beautiful...... deir gyro sandwiches are also good.... and d baklawa is simply out of d world..... d service is sometimes a little slow..... but I normally overlook all tat coz d food is sooooo good
(5)Jennifer F.
On a Friday night when I didn't know what to make for dinner, I dragged my husband and three kids to this local place. The first thing my husband asked as we pulled up was "have you yelped this place?" It's the end cap of a small strip mall and doesn't look like much from the outside or the inside, but it was a pleasant surprise for me. To put this review in context this is a very inexpensive place to eat and my review is based on the comparison to other, similar restaurants and not any high end or national chain places. Two other tables of single individuals were there when we arrived. They each apparently knew the owners/staff and by the time we left they were all sitting together chatting. I like that kind of vibe and I'm not sure why this place isn't more popular. The food was good. We had hummus, fries, gyro, falafel sandwich, chicken kebab and chicken swarma. I have no complaints about the speed of service or anything else. For me, the real star of the meal was the baklava. We tried three of their desserts including a truly outstanding traditional baklava. I'll go back for that alone. With two apps, four entrees and three desserts, our tab was less than $50. Why the missing star? A couple of little things. aside from water, they only had soda - no lemonade or milk- which are my kids' favorites. Unfortunately kids are picky eaters sometimes also. The fries were a great bridge, but I would love to see a kids plate that is an intro to the food. Perhaps the rice without seasoning combined with smaller cubes of chicken kebab, some hummus and bread, cucumbers, tomatoes and pickles (they loved the pickles!). Otherwise, this was a great little place.
(4)Alex S.
We decided to try a new Middle Easter restaurant last night and, as is always the case for us living in Goodyear, packed up the car for our own little Haj to this place light years away from suburbia. Oh well: if you can't deal with having to take a pilgrimage to eat in Phoenix, then don't move out to the middle of nowhere in the West Valley, right? Actually, we were very happy we overcame our objections to taking out a second mortgage on the house to buy enough gas for the car and spent the 45 minutes one way to come to Ali Baba's. Definitely worth the drive. The other half decided to go with an order of baba ganoush as an appetizer and a chicken shwarma as his main dish; I chose a variety of appetizers as my main meal: a combo plate, which came with dolmas, falafel and hummus; a side order of baba ganoush and one of labna. Right off, we were delightfully surprised by the baba ganoush, which came to the table. While most of the baba ganoushes I've had are either smooth like hummus or a little lumpy, this one had large chunks of eggplant in it and a pleasantly smoky taste. Obviously, they must get a number of compliments about it, because while in the middle of my speech about how I've been to Middle Eastern restaurants all over the world and this baba ganoush was one of the best I've tasted, she was already thanking me out of anticipation (or maybe she could tell I was on the cusp of launching a pompous pronouncement and thought she could cut me short before my speech took up all her time before closing time 3 hours away?!). Speaking of 'chatty', as one of the reviewers stated in a review from 20 August 2013, I would not say the proprietor is 'chatty'. She's from an area north of NYC -- though she hasn't lived there for more than 30 years -- and I would describe her as being "forthright" and "direct". This might be a bit unnerving to a lot of people out west, who tend to be reserved and not gregarious with outright strangers; but this gregariousness is very typical of New Yorkers and can be quite charming and amusing to those familiar with it (see? I told you, I was pompous and chatty!). The labna was also quite good and very creamy. While thick, it seemed to melt in your mouth like smooth butter and I suspect that's the olive oil doing its job. The big surprise for me, however, was the combo appetizer plate: the dolmas were nothing to really talk about --- your standard, small and moist ones you can get out of a can (which may or may not be the case here, as they had a taste atypical of canned dolmas). The prize for obviously-homemade dolmas still goes to The Golden Greek and Haji Baba, whose dolmas -- while distinctly different from one another -- are obviously made in-house and are very good. The falafel were cute, small, muffin shaped and moist. They did fall apart easily when you put fork to them even though they were moist; and I don't know what this means in terms of "falafel culture" (i.e., whether that's good or not). The hummus was surprisingly thin and liquidy, which, considering how thick the labna and baba ganoush was, really surprised me. Still, quite tasty. All of this is served with copious amounts of bread, which I would NOT classify as pita (especially as the partner's chicken shwarma was on 'standard' pita). This bread was almost like a 'double-pita': thick, well toasted, crunchy. Especially useful in scooping up the thick baba ganoush. The size of the appetizer portions were quite large and thus very reasonably priced. My partner assures me that the chicken shwarma was very good, with thick pieces of chicken and a sauce much better than at, say, Haji Baba, which we use as the Gold Standard against all Middle Eastern restaurants in the Valley. How unfortunate, that this restaurant, which measures up very good against Haji Baba, and in some respects passes it, is as far away or further from us than Haji Baba in the East Valley! At $1.99 per piece, the baklava is reasonably priced and the portions generous. While not swimming in lemon juice and honey -- which, I admit, I'm partial to -- it is very moist. We both found it to be very sweet, but, to be fair, we generally avoid sweet foods, so our opinion on that should be taken with ... a grain of sugar? ... whatever. The strong Turkish coffee does offset that sweetness. The only 'negative' in this whole review is the lighting. Like many restaurants in the Valley, this one is in an office in a strip mall, which was never designed to be a restaurant. Thus, it has the 'standard' tiled ceiling with fluorescent lights. It is obvious by the decoration in the restaurant, sparse as it is, that a lot of effort was taken to give the atmosphere a Middle Eastern ambience and to overcome the harshness and inhospitable feeling of being in an office. Unfortunately, the fluorescent lighting, while no doubt efficient, casts a pale, bright light over everything and this overwhelms what is otherwise very nice decor.
(4)Aswathy M.
Awesome food for such a low price.. Great service as well. My regular lunch joint now!
(5)Shannen B.
This place has very delicious food and that is very fresh! Great service and inexpensive. Love this place!
(5)Ilya K.
food was good, for person that grow up on this food its just ok
(3)Carmen G.
Absolutely recommend for in-house, home-made authentic Middle-Eastern/Greek food. I was floored by how low the prices were. I got the falafel sandwich for $3. Let me type that again so that you know it was not a typo: I got the falafel sandwich for $3. What's in it? 3 falafels each the size of my fist, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, and some awesome in-house sauce. I've been there 3 times, every time with a huge appetite, and I haven't once been able to finish this gargantuan beast. CONS: VERY slow service. Our party of 3 was the only one in the restaurant and food took about 25-30 minutes to be served. Same thing happened the next time we went. But for people who don't expect fast-food in a non-fast-food joint, then there's nothing to complain about. Also, since it's family run, they hired their super young son/nephew/grandson who is probably operating under illegal child labor practices but is a very sweet boy- you just have to be super clear on your order when he's taking it.
(5)Nicki S.
I have been to this place a bunch! It's amazing. The food is always delicious and the service is always with a smile. It's a small operation a mom and pop place, so don't go in thinking that you will be in and out like chain restaurant. Enjoy the food. Visit with your company and just know you are getting fresh food that is delicious and you don't have to clean up the kitchen afterwards.
(5)Miriam S.
Good food. Nice waitstaff. Great tea. Service is a little slow, but the pita is amazing.
(4)Michaela W.
We came across this restaurant on Groupon and thought we'd give it a try. The food was exceptional, the staff was friendly, and the prices were very reasonable. We will absolutely be back!
(5)Jim D.
Ran into this place by accident but because I lived in the Middle East for 5 years thought we would give it a try. Lady up front was very personable and funny. We had falafel sandwichs and the arabic chicken shawarma with sides of hummus and babaganouj. The falafels were fresh and very good (ask for extra sauce on the side). The babaganouj was good too but the pita bread was just okay. Seems to be different pita than what was used for the falfel sandwiches? Any way, the hummus was good too but perhaps a little more lemon than I like. I prefer more garlic (personal thing). The real winner of the day was the arabic chicken shawarma! Fresh, tasty, tender and the sauce was fantastic! Server told me they use a different bread than pita on the arabic shawarma. Tasted most like the ones I had been missing from the Middle East and the best I have had since moving back to the U.S. Going back? Oh yeah!
(4)Daniel G.
I'm not sure why some people priced this $$ instead of $, because this is one of the most inexpensive restaurants I've ever eaten at. And the quality was great! I've eaten at other Mediterranean or Middle Eastern restaurants; Ali Baba tops them! The hummus came with a generous covering of olive oil that gave it a nice flavor, and the pita was the best I've ever had. I ordered the chicken shawerma and it was only $4.99!! All the sandwiches are similarly priced and the plates are only around $7-8. Portions were very generous; couldn't finish off the shawerma. The restaurant is also elegantly decorated in Arab styles; it's not tacky or bland. Great dining experience. Highly recommended!
(5)P S.
The people who run this restaurant and the store next door are wonderfully nice but the food at the restaurant leaves something to be desired. I have tried it three times (I really like the family who runs it) and it is just too inconsistent and never great. And like many others have said, the service can be slow and I get the feeling they don't take running a restaurant very seriously. I am afraid of what the kitchen might look like. I've never gotten ill or anything but the restaurant is so half-assed. It really is a shame because this part of town really NEEDS a great middle eastern restaurant. If you want great Greek (gyros and shawarma), try the place next to Best Buy that faces Lowes there on Thunderbird and the i-17. They are consistently wonderful.
(2)Jim S.
I was really happy to find such a wonderful restaurant nearby. I took my family out for dinner on a Monday night. After reading some of the good and bad reviews, I was prepared for either outcome. I'm so glad we gave Ali Baba's a try. Everything was home cooked and delicious. The woman who served us was also the owner of the grocery next door and was very friendly and encouraged us to try some wonderful items on the menu. When I mentioned I was a vegetarian, she also invited me to try a dish not on the menu that they had prepared for another customer that was very good. I would highly recommend this restaurant for someone looking for a friendly environment and a good healthy fresh meal.
(5)Tanya R.
Hidden gem in North Phoenix. Awesome falafel sandwich. Nice and crispy. The baklava is to die for. Can't wait to go back.
(5)Lindsay M.
Yum!!! Good quality, good prices!! A family owned restaurant with great service, I would definitely come back!
(5)K K.
Excellent Gyros. Best I have ever eaten. I will be back!
(5)Ceylon Tea Co L.
I just had dinner at this lousy cafe. Customer service was hopeless, food was below any acceptable standard. The room really needs cleaning.
(1)Kathy N.
Two stars only because I'm compassionate. Lunch today using a Groupon- I live in Buckeye so if it wasn't for Groupon I would not go out of my way to give places way off the freeway corridor a shot unless I was in their neighborhood. We were five miles from Ali Baba today so it was worth a try. I was very disappointed. The woman who works in the grocery next door was very personable, I went in there first looking for Zartar bread. She directed me to the bakery that doubles as the dining room. The cases were sparse, but what was on display looked good. The menu seemed promising. My companion had the ubiquitous gyro with fries and a soft drink. I ordered the Ali Baba plate with an order of the yogurt/cucumber "salad" on the side, to eat with my entree much as a raita is eaten with Indian cuisine. To mimic others, the service was ridiculously slow. Whoever is working their line must not have professional food service experience, or the kitchen is set up to prepare food for only one table at a time. I got the impression that they are understaffed, to put it conservatively. When asked how I wished the meats on my platter prepared, I said I wanted the chicken cooked to 160 degrees but not cooked to death, and the lamb and kufta medium. When the food was finally served, the meats had been removed from the skewers. There were four one inch cubes of chicken, four one inch cubes of lamb, and a six inch by one inch by quarter inch high strip of kofta (seasoned ground beef that is formed into oblongs or flatted out on a flat skewer and cooked over a grill. All the meat was dried out and way overcooked, and I mean way overcooked. I know that the middle east is not homogenous, and recipes vary, but I wish the kufta was seasoned more robustly with the spices that are found in Egyptian kofta. The seasoning was rather one note. The rice was cooked to perfection and had a good flavor, and there were some middle eastern pickles like strips of turnip pickled in beet juice, a pepperoncini, and cherry pepper slices. Bread is only served upon request; a nod to our American carb conscious diet, but kind of weird for a middle eastern restaurant. My experience in the middle east was one where there were huge slabs of bread served with everything. My yogurt and cucumber salad with mint was amenable, I could have done without the olive oil dripped on top because it was a bitter olive oil, not fruity. So, because of the Groupon, the way I look at it is that my entree cost five bucks instead of 15, excluding my cucumber yogurt salad. I wasn't cheap with the tip, the bill before the discount was twenty six dollars and change and I tipped $5.80. I don't hold servers responsible for kitchen mistakes, at least not in an environment where the servers don't have any power to change the speed at which the food comes out. The worst of it all is that instead of finding a place not too far from home where I can find all my favorite items from the middle east, I found a place that I can't justify the drive to visit in order to give them a second chance. It's too bad, some of the best food I have ever eaten has been at deli bakerys that put up a few tables in the corner. So, guess I have to wait until the next time I fly back east and then hit the Reading Terminal Market in Philly if I want perfectly cooked kufta, kebabs, and chicken. Bummer...............
(2)Choy Lian K.
Enjoyed the food very much and the price is great. The staff are very helpful. Must try their freshly baked bread!!
(5)Mihaela C.
I always wanted to try this restaurant so I bought a yelp voucher for this restaurant. I was recently there and even though my date and I enjoyed our food (he was a big fan about their lamb kebab), their service was not up to par with their food. I can say that everyone who has commented about the service being slow are absolutely right! We were first at the counter deciding what to eat and a young server handed us two take out menus and told us we could sit wherever we wanted since we were dinning in. So we did. About 10 minutes or so, he came out and took our order. He explained that since my date ordered the Ali Baba combo dish that the order would take longer as their meat is fresh and it takes longer to cook. It took about 20 minutes until our food arrived. Oh, I ordered the Gyro with Fries and drink which was lukewarm when it finally arrived with my date's dish. I don't know how hot his food was as I didn't taste it and he didn't say anything about it, so it appears that my food suffered a cool down while they were cooking his (the server brought out both of our dishes together). My food was tasty despite it being just warm and as mentioned above my date was a huge fan of his food, especially the lamb kebab. On a side note, there were two guys sitting at a table next to us. One of them seemed to work at the restaurant as he would go behind the counter or in the back where the cooks are from time to time. He must have had the night off since he was with his friend, however I didn't appreciate the fact that the server attended to them first as my date and I arrived there before they did. Since when did paying customers come second??? Overall, I would come back here (I know my date would) if I had a Voucher of some sort again. Tasty food, just be prepared to wait for it.
(3)Amy S.
Do not go here of you want fast service. Or any service, really. It's a shame because their food is amazing. But it's hard to enjoy when they literally disappear for your entire meal. I think there is one person running the whole place, including cooking. I've seen people walk on and wait for 10 minutes at the front and leave when no one comes out of the kitchen the entire time. I called ahead to get food to go. I asked for 3 dishes. When she told me it would be 45 minutes, I quickly said nevermind and that I wanted to cancel the order because I needed to pick it up sooner than that. She said - ok, we'll have it ready in 15 or 20 minutes. Fine. So I arrive. Nobody at the counter. Ring the bell. 5 minutes later, someone comes out, delivers food to the one table. Walks right past me back to the kitchen. What the heck!? So I ring the bell again. It's been 20 minutes since I called. He says it's not ready, and I pay. 45 minutes into it, my food comes out. I have to ask for extra rice because they forgot. Total bill was $33 for 3 dishes that I waited 50 minutes for. The portions are usually big -- this was 1/2 a to-go styrofoam container full. Not enough to fill a plate. I took pictures so I could show the owner when I drive past again. Absolutely insane!
(2)Abrar G.
My Nephew dared me to open up an account on Yelp and write a review because I loved this little restaurant so much. So here goes, my first review. We found out about his restaurant because we were in the sister Halal Meat Market doing a little shopping. The girl at the counter highly recommended the restaurant next door if we were interested in eating out for dinner. We took up her on the offer and arrived just before 9pm. There were already a few people finishing up dinner. First we ordered the Baba ghanoush for the appetizer. It arrived fast enough with freshly baked Pita Bread on the side. The Baba ghanoush was excellent. Very Fresh and home made taste with just a bit of spice. The bread was chewy and warm and was the perfect compliment to the acidity of the Eggplant and the olive and spices. The Main Dish was a Chicken Shawarma Plate. It consisted of sliced pieces of Chicken, Rice, picked middle eastern vegtibles, and some yogurt on the side. The Chicken was very flavorful and moist. I would expect the meat to be fresh and good because the Butcher is right next door. I loved the picked Vegetable that accompanied the Chicken, it set off a nice balance to the spiciness of the meat. The rice was perfectly made and the dish as a whole was quite tasty. If you need some more spice, ask for a side of chili sauce. I'm not sure what it was, a mixture of sriracha sauce and something else perhaps. What ever it was, it was very complimentary to the main dish. I also ordered a side Middle Eastern Salad. It was very tasty but I probably would recommend that they add some more olives and other pickled veggies as it seemed a little lacking with lettuce and salad dressing the main component of the salad. When the bill came, I was so surprised how a great fresh meal for two was so cheap. Appetizer, Salad, main course and drinks all for under 30 bucks. Unbelievable!! I've eaten a lot of Gyro/Shawarma places all over the world and Ali Baba's come up right there with some of the finest places I have tried. The food is super fresh and the prices are very reasonable.
(5)John S.
Had a take-out lunch from here a few weeks ago (beef shawerma) and although it took far too long to prepare, the sandwich was pretty tasty. Took my family to dinner here recently and the chicken shawerma and the gyro plate were quite good and very reasonably priced. Service, though, was uncertain and slow. I'm pleased to see them in the neighborhood and hope that they stick around. Whether they can do so depends, I suspect, on whether they can get their service issues addressed.
(3)Steven H.
I have had MUCH better.. I was very excited when I saw them open, just down the street from my work and I was ready for some new Medi food. When I got there, there was only 2 people working, took almost an hour total to get food. I am always willing to wait for excellence but it was far from it.. Kabobs were not bad.. and the hummus was excellent actually.. but the RIce.. Im pretty sure it was Uncle Bens Minute Rice.. Not exactly what I was expecting from a Medi place. Kind of bummed, wont go back most likely..
(2)Khalid B.
Text food, high quality. The Falafel sandwich is great! A real midetrian taste. The Sahwerma, checken and meat are tasty. The only disadvantage is the slow preparation for the food which is a result of the real home cooking they provide. The prices are not expensive nor cheap.
(4)Nicole B.
I love this place. The owners are extreamly nice, they also own the grocery store next door, the food is delicious, and you can tell all the ingrediants are fresh. The first time I came here I brought two of my good friends with me who love middle eastern food. To their joy, it was the best they have had in Phoenix. The owners came and talked to us, we even had a nice conversation, and, to this day they recognize us everytime they come in. Support the small business, good people and good food, you won't be disappointed. Try the chicken shwarma sandwitch and the baklava!
(5)Bill R.
I went on a Thursday at around 6:00 PM. I overlooked the fact I was the only patron there (MAJOR CLUE). I ordered the falafel; they were out. (WTH, are you kidding me?) I ordered the lamb kabob and was advised it would take 30 minutes to cook; I declined. I ordered a gyro thinking that would be quick; it wasn't. How long does it take to carve meat off a rotating spit? 15 minutes evidently... Did I mention I was the only one there? OK enough about the lack of service and the fact the staff/owners were outside smoking right by the entrance. I don't know about you, but I hate second hand smoke as I am about to dine or right after. Anyway, I am saving the worst for last. The meat was so dry and salty as to be inedible. I left most of it on the plate. Honest to goodness, no exaggeration, it was the worst gyro I have ever had. I suspect it had been cooking for days or even weeks for all I know, since all I got was the "toasted", dried-out pieces and none of the moist parts from the inside. If you think I am kidding go and try it, but go to the grocery next store first. I walked in, took a breath and almost got sick. I walked out and went through the aforementioned "smoke-curtain" to what I thought was going to be a decent Middle Eastern dinner. For record, I LOVE Middle-Eastern food and the associated smells. For those of you that have rated this the place to go, I am glad you like it. I hated it I mean REALLY hated it and will not go back unless I lose a bet. For me, that place in Tempe (Haji-Baba) is still the best, by far, but sadly it is too far for me to drive for just a meal. For those of you in Tempe, I remain envious.
(1)Sidney G.
Great family atmosphere, food is tasty and fresh. Everyone is so genuine and so personable. I come here with my family and I'm never disappointed. Their cucumber dip is to die for.
(5)Brenda B.
Everything I have tried on the menu has been really good, the staff has been very friendly, given us samples of food to try, I have taken meat pies home from their ,that are awesome !. Prices are reasonable too.
(4)JD H.
Shwarma Paradise Omar is just an Outstanding cook and partner in this delightful joint. It pains me to read some of the latest reviews especially those from Buckeye AZ that fancy themselves as "experts" of Middle Eastern cuisine.... This place rocks....it is ALL-Great food. If you are a neurotic debutante masquerading around town as Anthony Bourdain then please spare us your narcissistic Groupon fueled diatribes and just eat else where...preferably in Gaza!!! Take your time and come enjoy a slow paced extraordinarily rewarding meal.
(5)Gloria S.
This place earned some serious yum points. I came here on a Friday night around 6:30- only one other couple was seated. We ordered the hummus, which came with warm pita and my mind was blown. For my dish I ordered the falafel sandwich. I LOVED it! I had the hardest time finding a good falafel here in AZ-it is now found! The fries were amazing too! :) My boyfriend ordered chicken shwarma (I had serious plate envy) which was absolutely delicious! The chicken was so tender!!! I see a lot of complaints about slow service, but I thought service was a good speed. I also had great conversation to keep me entertained, so who can complain? I would highly recommend Ali Baba's :)
(5)Jaime S.
I was excited about the prospect of Ali Baba's. It's owned by the same folks who run Open Sesame Market, right next door. The market sells great products so I figured they should serve them well too. However that's not the case. We ordered the lamb kebab and beef shawarma plates, the appetizer trio (choice of humus or babaganouj, falafel and dolmas) and fries. The fries were underdone and over seasoned. The lamb and beef were seasoned fairly well but were overdone. The dolmas were bland, the falafel was pretty tasty but, get this...no humus or babaganouj. They ran out! I'd go back to a joint just for the humus if it was good enough. You can't run a middle Eastern restaurant and run out of humus, it simply isn't done. The food is dirt cheap, I can give them that, and the service was excellent. Those were the only bright spots of the experience. I definitely recommend a visit to Open Sesame Market but if you're hungry do yourself a favor, head across the street and hit up J.T. Gryos. He sources his stuff from Kronos Foods, but Kronos ain't bad at all and J.T. really knows how to slang it.
(1)M J.
I never can figure out why every time we come here it is empty...love the pita with hummus plate and chicken sherwma fries. Service is a bit slow but well worth the wait.
(5)Kazi H.
My favorite Mediterranean restaurant BY FAR! not ONLY is the food excellent, but the service is absolutely oustanding. Everyone is so personable and friendly. They make you feel so welcome! Amera, is excellent. She is so wonderful to interract with! And always reassures me on my order. I am a huge lover of hummus and very picky about it, and they have the best hummus I've had. Their beef shawerma is so juicy and tender. I also usually dont like lamb, but theirs is so good! WAY TO GO ALI BABA for making like lamb! i cant wait to try the ENTIRE menu. Yummy! ALSO, the place is so clean!! BIG PLUS!! I'd recommend this place to anyone! Go here for 5 star quality food!
(5)Luca C.
Essentially this restaurant is run by a teenage kid who works the front and back of the restaurant. The food is good considering its Phoenix, I do love the seasoning and spices on all the meats which is why I come back. Its also not so heavy on the grease and fat like many of its local competitors. Its a place I wouldn't go and pay full price but with a Groupon or Living Social its well worthwhile.
(3)Shanai S.
I cannot even express how delicious the food at this restaurant is. I almost always order the schwerma fries. Absolutely one of my top five favorite meals! The staff is very attentive and kind. The prices are very reasonable and the servings are large. Definitely one of my favorite restaurants!!
(5)Nick W.
I came here not looking for much. It had a large empty bakery counter with a few packages of food on the top, nothing much to see. The inside was well lit, but the decor was weak, not to say that mattered too much, it was nice. The hummus & pita were delicious and game with a great lemon & garlic flavor, and some excellent olives! My daughter loves to dip the falafel in the tahini, and orders it every single time we go in here. Prices are great, my family of 3 ate and was stuffed for about 27.00. I'd go with the App Trio to start personally. The lamb is insane and the shwarma fries are unique and tasty! It would have got more stars, but I think it takes kind of long to get your food. They usually have a young kid "working", not sure how legal that is, and it's clearly family run. Go early, and relax, shouldn't be a problem.
(3)LuAnn S.
My family and friends love, love, love this place!!! The food is EXCELLENT and the family that owns it are the BEST!!!
(5)Amber B.
The food here is so good, I'm honestly surprised it's not much busier. The tahini sauce...I'm so in love with the tahini sauce...definitely try the Appetizer Trio and douse the falafel in that sauce. I also recommend the lamb kabob sandwich and the combo platter.
(5)Geoff L.
Don't be fooled by its location in a tiny strip mall. This is an amazing Mediterranean restaurant at a very reasonable price. The shawerma fries were A-M-A-Z-I-N-G, but be aware, the portion is very large so prep your appetite! Their pitas are freshly baked and hummus home made, so that is another must have when you go there. It may be a tad bit quiet on the weekdays for lunch but believe me they don't skimp on the quality even when there are not as many customers. This place is a hidden treasure and deserves to be discovered by all those who loves good Mediterranean food.
(4)Natasha A.
Weekly, we order freshly baked bread here to go which is reasonably priced. The bread is incredibly delicious, soft and melts in your mouth. It's basically a type of large flat-bread (aka "Lavash"). All their desserts are also reasonably priced and equally fantastic. The service is excellent and the place is very clean. No complaints.
(5)Daniel L.
Fellow Yelper Kurdy S and I came to this Palestinian bakery and restaurant for dinner after finding it on Yelp. The décor consisted of tables spread across the room, decent lighting, and a large empty bakery counter with a few bags of homemade pita remaining. We were the only customers in the restaurant the entire night, so there was not much to describe in terms of the atmosphere. The Hummus with Pita ($3.99) came with blended chickpea, tahini, lemon, garlic, tomato, olives, and pickled veggies. The Hummus was excellent, as the smooth chickpea and tahini stood out to follow the sharp garlic and lemony backdrop. All the sharp flavors worked in concert with their warm homemade pita bread. The bread was thick, soft, spongy, highly addictive, and served piping hot. It was so good that I can imagine eating this pita bread all day long and not get tired of it. It was a fantastic option for the price. The Ali Baba Combo ($14.99) came with three skewers of lamb, kufta, chicken kabob, pickled veggies, and basmati rice. The meat was wonderfully seasoned, cooked evenly, and tender with a few chewy spots here and there. All the skewers were tremendously flavorful, with the chicken breast kabob that became the highlight. I recommend it. The Chicken Sharwerma Sandwich ($4.99) came with seasoned chicken, piping hot pita, tomatoes, pickles, and "Ali Baba" sauce. The chicken again was tender with full-on flavor. One of the reviewers mentioned that the sauce was mayo based, but the combination was still worthwhile for the price. Prices were fantastic but I'm giving this place a lower rating because the food took an hour to arrive. Additionally, service and ambiance were lacking, as there was very little warmth or acknowledgement of our needs while we waited for the food to arrive. It was a one-man operation with another person sitting there reading newspaper the entire time. Despite it all, the food was wonderfully delicious. Our experience suggests that this place might be more appropriate for lunch than dinner. I'd be interested in coming back to try their Arabic-style Shawerma.
(3)Ashouraita K.
This is my favourite restaurant in Arizona and I miss it dearly after moving back to Illinois. Everything is absolutely delicious. My boyfriend and I would always get falafel sandwiches, hummus, fries, and salad. Being Middle Eastern, I have had plenty of falafel, and theirs is the most flavourful falafel I have ever had. Seriously, it's amazing. The hummus is also great and they would always make the garnishing really cute. The pita bread is always fresh and warm. Even their fries are incredibly tasty. I almost forgot about the baklava. How dare I? The baklava is perfection. I cannot even begin to explain the beauty of it. You have to try it to understand. We would always order the baklava with their delicious tea. Best way to end a meal. This is the best Middle Eastern food I have had in Arizona. I definitely recommend it. The owners are wonderful and sweet people as well.
(5)Hillary R.
Very Authentic! The decor in this place is fantastic and the food is to die for! Definitely a must try :-)
(4)Michael B.
This restaurant is a true act of craftsmanship and love. The owner, Mo, was born in the U.S. but like all great immigrant restaurant owners learned the secrets from his family and is committed to the process of excellence. As an example, he gets up each morning to bake his own bread to make sure it tastes just right, and imported his baking oven from Pakistan for extra measure. He also decorated the place with his own furnishings from the region. I got the Chicken Shawarma Fries plate. Fantastic fusion food, mixing Pakistani-American traditions. This dish flowed with rich flavors of grilled chicken, herbs, onions, humus and yogurt sauce and was served w/ homemade pita bread - a full meal! Was not disappointed and will be coming back.
(4)Steven H.
I have had MUCH better.. I was very excited when I saw them open, just down the street from my work and I was ready for some new Medi food. When I got there, there was only 2 people working, took almost an hour total to get food. I am always willing to wait for excellence but it was far from it.. Kabobs were not bad.. and the hummus was excellent actually.. but the RIce.. Im pretty sure it was Uncle Bens Minute Rice.. Not exactly what I was expecting from a Medi place. Kind of bummed, wont go back most likely..
(2)Khalid B.
Text food, high quality. The Falafel sandwich is great! A real midetrian taste. The Sahwerma, checken and meat are tasty. The only disadvantage is the slow preparation for the food which is a result of the real home cooking they provide. The prices are not expensive nor cheap.
(4)Nicole B.
I love this place. The owners are extreamly nice, they also own the grocery store next door, the food is delicious, and you can tell all the ingrediants are fresh. The first time I came here I brought two of my good friends with me who love middle eastern food. To their joy, it was the best they have had in Phoenix. The owners came and talked to us, we even had a nice conversation, and, to this day they recognize us everytime they come in. Support the small business, good people and good food, you won't be disappointed. Try the chicken shwarma sandwitch and the baklava!
(5)Bill R.
I went on a Thursday at around 6:00 PM. I overlooked the fact I was the only patron there (MAJOR CLUE). I ordered the falafel; they were out. (WTH, are you kidding me?) I ordered the lamb kabob and was advised it would take 30 minutes to cook; I declined. I ordered a gyro thinking that would be quick; it wasn't. How long does it take to carve meat off a rotating spit? 15 minutes evidently... Did I mention I was the only one there? OK enough about the lack of service and the fact the staff/owners were outside smoking right by the entrance. I don't know about you, but I hate second hand smoke as I am about to dine or right after. Anyway, I am saving the worst for last. The meat was so dry and salty as to be inedible. I left most of it on the plate. Honest to goodness, no exaggeration, it was the worst gyro I have ever had. I suspect it had been cooking for days or even weeks for all I know, since all I got was the "toasted", dried-out pieces and none of the moist parts from the inside. If you think I am kidding go and try it, but go to the grocery next store first. I walked in, took a breath and almost got sick. I walked out and went through the aforementioned "smoke-curtain" to what I thought was going to be a decent Middle Eastern dinner. For record, I LOVE Middle-Eastern food and the associated smells. For those of you that have rated this the place to go, I am glad you like it. I hated it I mean REALLY hated it and will not go back unless I lose a bet. For me, that place in Tempe (Haji-Baba) is still the best, by far, but sadly it is too far for me to drive for just a meal. For those of you in Tempe, I remain envious.
(1)Sidney G.
Great family atmosphere, food is tasty and fresh. Everyone is so genuine and so personable. I come here with my family and I'm never disappointed. Their cucumber dip is to die for.
(5)Brenda B.
Everything I have tried on the menu has been really good, the staff has been very friendly, given us samples of food to try, I have taken meat pies home from their ,that are awesome !. Prices are reasonable too.
(4)JD H.
Shwarma Paradise Omar is just an Outstanding cook and partner in this delightful joint. It pains me to read some of the latest reviews especially those from Buckeye AZ that fancy themselves as "experts" of Middle Eastern cuisine.... This place rocks....it is ALL-Great food. If you are a neurotic debutante masquerading around town as Anthony Bourdain then please spare us your narcissistic Groupon fueled diatribes and just eat else where...preferably in Gaza!!! Take your time and come enjoy a slow paced extraordinarily rewarding meal.
(5)Gloria S.
This place earned some serious yum points. I came here on a Friday night around 6:30- only one other couple was seated. We ordered the hummus, which came with warm pita and my mind was blown. For my dish I ordered the falafel sandwich. I LOVED it! I had the hardest time finding a good falafel here in AZ-it is now found! The fries were amazing too! :) My boyfriend ordered chicken shwarma (I had serious plate envy) which was absolutely delicious! The chicken was so tender!!! I see a lot of complaints about slow service, but I thought service was a good speed. I also had great conversation to keep me entertained, so who can complain? I would highly recommend Ali Baba's :)
(5)Jim D.
Ran into this place by accident but because I lived in the Middle East for 5 years thought we would give it a try. Lady up front was very personable and funny. We had falafel sandwichs and the arabic chicken shawarma with sides of hummus and babaganouj. The falafels were fresh and very good (ask for extra sauce on the side). The babaganouj was good too but the pita bread was just okay. Seems to be different pita than what was used for the falfel sandwiches? Any way, the hummus was good too but perhaps a little more lemon than I like. I prefer more garlic (personal thing). The real winner of the day was the arabic chicken shawarma! Fresh, tasty, tender and the sauce was fantastic! Server told me they use a different bread than pita on the arabic shawarma. Tasted most like the ones I had been missing from the Middle East and the best I have had since moving back to the U.S. Going back? Oh yeah!
(4)Daniel G.
I'm not sure why some people priced this $$ instead of $, because this is one of the most inexpensive restaurants I've ever eaten at. And the quality was great! I've eaten at other Mediterranean or Middle Eastern restaurants; Ali Baba tops them! The hummus came with a generous covering of olive oil that gave it a nice flavor, and the pita was the best I've ever had. I ordered the chicken shawerma and it was only $4.99!! All the sandwiches are similarly priced and the plates are only around $7-8. Portions were very generous; couldn't finish off the shawerma. The restaurant is also elegantly decorated in Arab styles; it's not tacky or bland. Great dining experience. Highly recommended!
(5)Nicki S.
I have been to this place a bunch! It's amazing. The food is always delicious and the service is always with a smile. It's a small operation a mom and pop place, so don't go in thinking that you will be in and out like chain restaurant. Enjoy the food. Visit with your company and just know you are getting fresh food that is delicious and you don't have to clean up the kitchen afterwards.
(5)Miriam S.
Good food. Nice waitstaff. Great tea. Service is a little slow, but the pita is amazing.
(4)Michaela W.
We came across this restaurant on Groupon and thought we'd give it a try. The food was exceptional, the staff was friendly, and the prices were very reasonable. We will absolutely be back!
(5)Ilya K.
food was good, for person that grow up on this food its just ok
(3)P S.
The people who run this restaurant and the store next door are wonderfully nice but the food at the restaurant leaves something to be desired. I have tried it three times (I really like the family who runs it) and it is just too inconsistent and never great. And like many others have said, the service can be slow and I get the feeling they don't take running a restaurant very seriously. I am afraid of what the kitchen might look like. I've never gotten ill or anything but the restaurant is so half-assed. It really is a shame because this part of town really NEEDS a great middle eastern restaurant. If you want great Greek (gyros and shawarma), try the place next to Best Buy that faces Lowes there on Thunderbird and the i-17. They are consistently wonderful.
(2)Kathy N.
Two stars only because I'm compassionate. Lunch today using a Groupon- I live in Buckeye so if it wasn't for Groupon I would not go out of my way to give places way off the freeway corridor a shot unless I was in their neighborhood. We were five miles from Ali Baba today so it was worth a try. I was very disappointed. The woman who works in the grocery next door was very personable, I went in there first looking for Zartar bread. She directed me to the bakery that doubles as the dining room. The cases were sparse, but what was on display looked good. The menu seemed promising. My companion had the ubiquitous gyro with fries and a soft drink. I ordered the Ali Baba plate with an order of the yogurt/cucumber "salad" on the side, to eat with my entree much as a raita is eaten with Indian cuisine. To mimic others, the service was ridiculously slow. Whoever is working their line must not have professional food service experience, or the kitchen is set up to prepare food for only one table at a time. I got the impression that they are understaffed, to put it conservatively. When asked how I wished the meats on my platter prepared, I said I wanted the chicken cooked to 160 degrees but not cooked to death, and the lamb and kufta medium. When the food was finally served, the meats had been removed from the skewers. There were four one inch cubes of chicken, four one inch cubes of lamb, and a six inch by one inch by quarter inch high strip of kofta (seasoned ground beef that is formed into oblongs or flatted out on a flat skewer and cooked over a grill. All the meat was dried out and way overcooked, and I mean way overcooked. I know that the middle east is not homogenous, and recipes vary, but I wish the kufta was seasoned more robustly with the spices that are found in Egyptian kofta. The seasoning was rather one note. The rice was cooked to perfection and had a good flavor, and there were some middle eastern pickles like strips of turnip pickled in beet juice, a pepperoncini, and cherry pepper slices. Bread is only served upon request; a nod to our American carb conscious diet, but kind of weird for a middle eastern restaurant. My experience in the middle east was one where there were huge slabs of bread served with everything. My yogurt and cucumber salad with mint was amenable, I could have done without the olive oil dripped on top because it was a bitter olive oil, not fruity. So, because of the Groupon, the way I look at it is that my entree cost five bucks instead of 15, excluding my cucumber yogurt salad. I wasn't cheap with the tip, the bill before the discount was twenty six dollars and change and I tipped $5.80. I don't hold servers responsible for kitchen mistakes, at least not in an environment where the servers don't have any power to change the speed at which the food comes out. The worst of it all is that instead of finding a place not too far from home where I can find all my favorite items from the middle east, I found a place that I can't justify the drive to visit in order to give them a second chance. It's too bad, some of the best food I have ever eaten has been at deli bakerys that put up a few tables in the corner. So, guess I have to wait until the next time I fly back east and then hit the Reading Terminal Market in Philly if I want perfectly cooked kufta, kebabs, and chicken. Bummer...............
(2)Choy Lian K.
Enjoyed the food very much and the price is great. The staff are very helpful. Must try their freshly baked bread!!
(5)Jim S.
I was really happy to find such a wonderful restaurant nearby. I took my family out for dinner on a Monday night. After reading some of the good and bad reviews, I was prepared for either outcome. I'm so glad we gave Ali Baba's a try. Everything was home cooked and delicious. The woman who served us was also the owner of the grocery next door and was very friendly and encouraged us to try some wonderful items on the menu. When I mentioned I was a vegetarian, she also invited me to try a dish not on the menu that they had prepared for another customer that was very good. I would highly recommend this restaurant for someone looking for a friendly environment and a good healthy fresh meal.
(5)Tanya R.
Hidden gem in North Phoenix. Awesome falafel sandwich. Nice and crispy. The baklava is to die for. Can't wait to go back.
(5)Lindsay M.
Yum!!! Good quality, good prices!! A family owned restaurant with great service, I would definitely come back!
(5)Mihaela C.
I always wanted to try this restaurant so I bought a yelp voucher for this restaurant. I was recently there and even though my date and I enjoyed our food (he was a big fan about their lamb kebab), their service was not up to par with their food. I can say that everyone who has commented about the service being slow are absolutely right! We were first at the counter deciding what to eat and a young server handed us two take out menus and told us we could sit wherever we wanted since we were dinning in. So we did. About 10 minutes or so, he came out and took our order. He explained that since my date ordered the Ali Baba combo dish that the order would take longer as their meat is fresh and it takes longer to cook. It took about 20 minutes until our food arrived. Oh, I ordered the Gyro with Fries and drink which was lukewarm when it finally arrived with my date's dish. I don't know how hot his food was as I didn't taste it and he didn't say anything about it, so it appears that my food suffered a cool down while they were cooking his (the server brought out both of our dishes together). My food was tasty despite it being just warm and as mentioned above my date was a huge fan of his food, especially the lamb kebab. On a side note, there were two guys sitting at a table next to us. One of them seemed to work at the restaurant as he would go behind the counter or in the back where the cooks are from time to time. He must have had the night off since he was with his friend, however I didn't appreciate the fact that the server attended to them first as my date and I arrived there before they did. Since when did paying customers come second??? Overall, I would come back here (I know my date would) if I had a Voucher of some sort again. Tasty food, just be prepared to wait for it.
(3)Amy S.
Do not go here of you want fast service. Or any service, really. It's a shame because their food is amazing. But it's hard to enjoy when they literally disappear for your entire meal. I think there is one person running the whole place, including cooking. I've seen people walk on and wait for 10 minutes at the front and leave when no one comes out of the kitchen the entire time. I called ahead to get food to go. I asked for 3 dishes. When she told me it would be 45 minutes, I quickly said nevermind and that I wanted to cancel the order because I needed to pick it up sooner than that. She said - ok, we'll have it ready in 15 or 20 minutes. Fine. So I arrive. Nobody at the counter. Ring the bell. 5 minutes later, someone comes out, delivers food to the one table. Walks right past me back to the kitchen. What the heck!? So I ring the bell again. It's been 20 minutes since I called. He says it's not ready, and I pay. 45 minutes into it, my food comes out. I have to ask for extra rice because they forgot. Total bill was $33 for 3 dishes that I waited 50 minutes for. The portions are usually big -- this was 1/2 a to-go styrofoam container full. Not enough to fill a plate. I took pictures so I could show the owner when I drive past again. Absolutely insane!
(2)K K.
Excellent Gyros. Best I have ever eaten. I will be back!
(5)Ceylon Tea Co L.
I just had dinner at this lousy cafe. Customer service was hopeless, food was below any acceptable standard. The room really needs cleaning.
(1)Abrar G.
My Nephew dared me to open up an account on Yelp and write a review because I loved this little restaurant so much. So here goes, my first review. We found out about his restaurant because we were in the sister Halal Meat Market doing a little shopping. The girl at the counter highly recommended the restaurant next door if we were interested in eating out for dinner. We took up her on the offer and arrived just before 9pm. There were already a few people finishing up dinner. First we ordered the Baba ghanoush for the appetizer. It arrived fast enough with freshly baked Pita Bread on the side. The Baba ghanoush was excellent. Very Fresh and home made taste with just a bit of spice. The bread was chewy and warm and was the perfect compliment to the acidity of the Eggplant and the olive and spices. The Main Dish was a Chicken Shawarma Plate. It consisted of sliced pieces of Chicken, Rice, picked middle eastern vegtibles, and some yogurt on the side. The Chicken was very flavorful and moist. I would expect the meat to be fresh and good because the Butcher is right next door. I loved the picked Vegetable that accompanied the Chicken, it set off a nice balance to the spiciness of the meat. The rice was perfectly made and the dish as a whole was quite tasty. If you need some more spice, ask for a side of chili sauce. I'm not sure what it was, a mixture of sriracha sauce and something else perhaps. What ever it was, it was very complimentary to the main dish. I also ordered a side Middle Eastern Salad. It was very tasty but I probably would recommend that they add some more olives and other pickled veggies as it seemed a little lacking with lettuce and salad dressing the main component of the salad. When the bill came, I was so surprised how a great fresh meal for two was so cheap. Appetizer, Salad, main course and drinks all for under 30 bucks. Unbelievable!! I've eaten a lot of Gyro/Shawarma places all over the world and Ali Baba's come up right there with some of the finest places I have tried. The food is super fresh and the prices are very reasonable.
(5)John S.
Had a take-out lunch from here a few weeks ago (beef shawerma) and although it took far too long to prepare, the sandwich was pretty tasty. Took my family to dinner here recently and the chicken shawerma and the gyro plate were quite good and very reasonably priced. Service, though, was uncertain and slow. I'm pleased to see them in the neighborhood and hope that they stick around. Whether they can do so depends, I suspect, on whether they can get their service issues addressed.
(3)Neesh Q.
This review is for catering. The whole process was absolutely hassle-free. Mohammed worked with me to get the customized order I needed for our get together and also worked around the last minute request. As far as the food, we ordered kufta kabob sandwiches which were AMAZING! The hummus was also very light and went well with the sandwiches. Will definitely consider Ali Baba for catering again in the future.
(5)Ss V.
Extremely friendly service, nice sized portions and delicious food. Setting is very pleasant. The falafel was delicious and melted in our mouths. The chicken and lamb were tender and flavorful.
(5)Christine H.
The shawarma fries are the best! The meat is soooooooo awesome! Can't wait to try their other dishes :)
(5)Phlu P.
Great food and really great prices. We came here for a late lunch/early dinner with the team and loved the food.
(5)Andrew S.
Awesome food the people are so nice and friendly a real family owned restaurant with excellent and I mean excellent food!
(5)Kelly S.
Great find in this place. The gyro and hummus was great! I did take out it was a little warm inside when I got there but great food.
(5)Mark K.
What a nice find. We passed by looking for a place to have dinner and just stopped in. Place is very nice with Persian decor. We we warmly greeted and ordered the rio appetizer. Wow was it ever g [d. We had the babaganoush and hummus. Huge platter with perfectly cooked falafel and warm bread. ...yum. mains were various kebabs ( I had the mixed platter) Which had lamb chicken and kuftar. Everything was perfectly cooked and huge portions. For desert we had Turkish coffee and a dessert made with cheese and shredded pastry (the owner came to our take and suggested it), and boy was it good. This is way better than the Persian Room and half the price.
(5)Lauren H.
Just tried this place for the second time, and after tasting their baklava, they definitely get 5 stars from us. Delicious dressing on the Greek salad, fresh and tasty pitas and some of the best baklava I've ever had. The pistachio roll is the crispiest, and it will surprise you how happy it makes your mouth. It's a must try for sure.
(5)Sasidhar K.
In Short: Tasty Food - Low prices. Freshly made Soft Pita with Hummus. Cheap Gyro Sandwiches Love their Lamb Platter. Details: This review is based on my visits to this place in late 2013. Manytimes I call them up for take out. My regular order is Lamb Platter with Rice. On the side Hummus with Pita bread. Pros The lamb is perfectly made based on what you order. I mostly go for Well Done. Pita bread is always freshly made and soft. Hummus tastes great. I've tried the Baklava here, but not as good as I expected. The rates are very reasonable and you can have a full course within $15. There's only one guy who helps with orders and serving, and he's awesome with service. :) Cons I tried Dine In and Lunch, and it took a while for the food to reach me. That's when I've decided on Take outs. I had a bad experience once with partially cooked rice. I've tried their Falafel, and they are on the crunchier side.(Little Extra Fried) The Ambiance is good, you will find a few curtains covering some doorways. There are a few hangings and some mid eastern artwork to get the Authentic feel.
(4)Christina S.
This place is a fantastic find for Middle Eastern food! Our group of 12, 9 adults and 3 children, all left wholly satisfied. Not only is the food delicious and flavorful, the customer service is outstanding! Granted, our drinks weren't filled as quickly as we'd hoped, and the apps could have been a lil speedier, but they are a lovely family owned business who take care of everything. They are so welcoming and accommodating to your wants and needs, and immensely patient with questions, and just kind, sweet and pleasurable people that I would forgive them of just about anything, and return time and time again. Omar is just the star of this place. He put together 4 tables for our group. I called a few minutes ahead to warn them, haha. He introduced himself, told us some of his family's and the restaurant's history, brewed some fresh Turkish tea for us, and just made it clear he could help us with anything- and that he would also be cooking our meals. :) Because we had such a large group, I really got to sample practically the entire menu! My favorite items were the chicken shawerma sandwich, the falafel (best I ever had) and the rice (made with a bit of saffron and cardamom, and was truly perfection). The Ali Baba sauce is not to be missed- think ranch with a middle eastern twist, and the hummus was a clear winner also. Because my chicken kebabs were a tad dry (still flavorful), I would likely opt for the chicken shawerma next time. The beef shawerma was nice and tender as well. Some people had seasoned fries with their meals, and they were delish. Kids (and adults) would be pleased with this non-middle eastern option. Tasty! Their prices are extremely reasonable, they have a bakery store right next door, and they use only the freshest of meats. On top of which, as I said, the customer service can't be beat, and the food is prepared with care and passion. Don't miss the rice and falafel, people. Go in with a little bit of patience, and you can bet you'll be rewarded!
(5)Lars T.
BEST Scwerma Sandwich YET in Phx area!!! and friendly owner.... Relaxed, cozy, homemade. Definitely will be back.
(4)Rand H.
Stopped in here for lunch today, joined by Norm R. This is a nice cafe with a friendly host and reasonable prices. For this first visit, I had a Gyro Sandwich ($3.99) & a Side House Salad ($2.99). Both were of good size. The salad was very plain, consisting only of Romaine Lettuce, some cubes of tomato, & an oily dressing without much flavor. The Gyro was ok, but I didn't think it was anywhere as good as the ones at Haji-Baba, for example, so for me Ali Baba's here is just ok among our Middle Eastern restaurant choices in the Valley. :-)
(3)Norm R.
Really good Middle Eastern food! My new go-to place when I crave lamb - they know how to grill it right! I also enjoyed their dolma, which surprised me because before this I have not been a fan of stuffed grape leaves. The prices are so easy on the budget ( s3-media1.ak.yelpcdn.com… ), which makes this place even more enticing (thumbs my nose at Haji-Baba in Tempe). It's definitely not fast food, but the wait is definitely worth it.
(4)Theron E.
I absolutely love everything about Ali Baba... the food is amazing and the service is so personable. The falafel is the best I have ever had, and I've worked at Greek and Lebanese restaurants. The prices can NOT be beat for this quality of food. Had a long talk with "Mom" when she happened to be there on one of my visits... she has so much pride in her recipes and it comes through with every bite! Oh... save room for the baklava (made in house) and Turkish coffee! Holy hell Batman!!
(5)Todd T.
After driving past this place for years, we finally decided to give it a try one night when we were craving gyros. Ordered on GrubHub: Beef Shawerma Platter, Gyro Sandwich, Baba Ghajouj (without dolma), falafel appetizer and Baklkava. As soon as the order was placed, I received a courtesy call from the restaurant to inform me that they were out of Baklava and to pick anything else off the menu to substitute for the money already paid. I thought that was a nice way to solve the problem so I happily accepted a second gyro sandwich in place of the Baklava. The food was excellent. The Hummus had a nice garlic and lemon flavor but not too much of either. The Roasted Eggplant Hummus was very rich and very tasty- it would certainly fill you up quickly if you tried to tackle it on your own. Falafel- great. It's an item we rarely eat because most places massacre it by trying to get too many spices into something that should be fairly simple. Ali Baba has it figured out - great texture, full of flavor from onions, garlic, black pepper and the chick peas. Tasty but not overwhelmingly so... Gyros and Shawerma plate were as good as you will ever find- not the thin shaved (Chicago) beef that you find in most places, but thin strips of lean beef, tender and well seasoned. All in all, I have no complaint and will remain a patron of Ali Baba. Try it if you haven't yet!!
(5)Maxine B.
My favorite Mediterranean place by far moved to phoenix for a couple of months was in dire need of a place where I could be a regular and found it. Fresh made to order food and great service I highly recommend eating here.! Support local business owners!
(5)Jeremiah S.
W e showed up at 1105 and they opened at 1100. my wife ordered the gyro sandwich. I ordered the Ali Baba combo with the three different kabobs One lamb, beef, and chicken. I try to order the lamb kabobs everywhere I go. I am not much of a gyro eater. so after ordering my waiter comes back to tell me none of the kabobs are prepared since THEY JUST OPENED. so in the end I am stuck eating a gyro since that's all that seems to be able to be cooked. So never show up when they open unless you want a gyro. MAYBE THEY SHOULD SHOW UP BEFORE 11 AM TO PREP FOOD SO THEY DO NOT ANGER THE CUSTOMERS. As far as I am concerned I should have gone elsewhere. The Gyro sandwich is plain, a child's portion of meat, and sauce tastes like it's mayo based. The food that was able to be cooked is well below adverage. I have eaten at a minimum of 200 Mediterranean style restaurants since I work all over the USA. The fact that I could only order a subpar gyro for lunch is why the 1 star. We Will Never Return.
(1)Ken D.
The food here is pretty good. The place is somewhat inexpensive and was tasty. There was such a large variety of food that it seemed difficult to pick which food to pick. If you don't know which food to pick, try there shawerma fries or ask for some recommendations.
(4)Walt P.
We ended up coming here to eat on a Friday evening after discovering our favorite gyro place on 35th Ave & Bell had been shut down. We had driven by many times and heard many reviews, so decided to try it. The lady who greeted us was friendly and chatty and and took our orders immediately. There was only one other table occupied. We ordered the appetizer sampler which came with hummus (awesome!!) falafel (double awesome!!) and dolmas (amazing!!) along with warm pita. A short time later our entrees came out; I had the lamb gyro with fries, my wife the chicken schwarma with fries and my daughter the beef schwarma with fries. Everything was hot and fresh and very tasty. Then came the baklava!! Huge slices of baklava that were to die for. I have been stationed in the Middle East and this is as good as any food I have had overseas. The owner spent a lot of time chatting with us; she really made us feel welcome, more as if we were at her home for a meal rather than in a retaurant. We waddled out, and for all the food we ate it was $39.00. Well worth the trip and I'll be back soon...
(5)Jeff W.
Why are there not more people here? The food was incredible. The service is wonderful. I got the Beef Schawerma Arabic-style. It was so filling and so good. Will return soon!
(5)Abna B.
I luuuvvvv dis place.... d food is gr8..... deir spl alibaba sauce is simply out of dis world...... I go here regularly and always have atleast d chicken shawarma sandwich.... its beautiful...... deir gyro sandwiches are also good.... and d baklawa is simply out of d world..... d service is sometimes a little slow..... but I normally overlook all tat coz d food is sooooo good
(5)Kazi H.
My favorite Mediterranean restaurant BY FAR! not ONLY is the food excellent, but the service is absolutely oustanding. Everyone is so personable and friendly. They make you feel so welcome! Amera, is excellent. She is so wonderful to interract with! And always reassures me on my order. I am a huge lover of hummus and very picky about it, and they have the best hummus I've had. Their beef shawerma is so juicy and tender. I also usually dont like lamb, but theirs is so good! WAY TO GO ALI BABA for making like lamb! i cant wait to try the ENTIRE menu. Yummy! ALSO, the place is so clean!! BIG PLUS!! I'd recommend this place to anyone! Go here for 5 star quality food!
(5)Jennifer F.
On a Friday night when I didn't know what to make for dinner, I dragged my husband and three kids to this local place. The first thing my husband asked as we pulled up was "have you yelped this place?" It's the end cap of a small strip mall and doesn't look like much from the outside or the inside, but it was a pleasant surprise for me. To put this review in context this is a very inexpensive place to eat and my review is based on the comparison to other, similar restaurants and not any high end or national chain places. Two other tables of single individuals were there when we arrived. They each apparently knew the owners/staff and by the time we left they were all sitting together chatting. I like that kind of vibe and I'm not sure why this place isn't more popular. The food was good. We had hummus, fries, gyro, falafel sandwich, chicken kebab and chicken swarma. I have no complaints about the speed of service or anything else. For me, the real star of the meal was the baklava. We tried three of their desserts including a truly outstanding traditional baklava. I'll go back for that alone. With two apps, four entrees and three desserts, our tab was less than $50. Why the missing star? A couple of little things. aside from water, they only had soda - no lemonade or milk- which are my kids' favorites. Unfortunately kids are picky eaters sometimes also. The fries were a great bridge, but I would love to see a kids plate that is an intro to the food. Perhaps the rice without seasoning combined with smaller cubes of chicken kebab, some hummus and bread, cucumbers, tomatoes and pickles (they loved the pickles!). Otherwise, this was a great little place.
(4)Alex S.
We decided to try a new Middle Easter restaurant last night and, as is always the case for us living in Goodyear, packed up the car for our own little Haj to this place light years away from suburbia. Oh well: if you can't deal with having to take a pilgrimage to eat in Phoenix, then don't move out to the middle of nowhere in the West Valley, right? Actually, we were very happy we overcame our objections to taking out a second mortgage on the house to buy enough gas for the car and spent the 45 minutes one way to come to Ali Baba's. Definitely worth the drive. The other half decided to go with an order of baba ganoush as an appetizer and a chicken shwarma as his main dish; I chose a variety of appetizers as my main meal: a combo plate, which came with dolmas, falafel and hummus; a side order of baba ganoush and one of labna. Right off, we were delightfully surprised by the baba ganoush, which came to the table. While most of the baba ganoushes I've had are either smooth like hummus or a little lumpy, this one had large chunks of eggplant in it and a pleasantly smoky taste. Obviously, they must get a number of compliments about it, because while in the middle of my speech about how I've been to Middle Eastern restaurants all over the world and this baba ganoush was one of the best I've tasted, she was already thanking me out of anticipation (or maybe she could tell I was on the cusp of launching a pompous pronouncement and thought she could cut me short before my speech took up all her time before closing time 3 hours away?!). Speaking of 'chatty', as one of the reviewers stated in a review from 20 August 2013, I would not say the proprietor is 'chatty'. She's from an area north of NYC -- though she hasn't lived there for more than 30 years -- and I would describe her as being "forthright" and "direct". This might be a bit unnerving to a lot of people out west, who tend to be reserved and not gregarious with outright strangers; but this gregariousness is very typical of New Yorkers and can be quite charming and amusing to those familiar with it (see? I told you, I was pompous and chatty!). The labna was also quite good and very creamy. While thick, it seemed to melt in your mouth like smooth butter and I suspect that's the olive oil doing its job. The big surprise for me, however, was the combo appetizer plate: the dolmas were nothing to really talk about --- your standard, small and moist ones you can get out of a can (which may or may not be the case here, as they had a taste atypical of canned dolmas). The prize for obviously-homemade dolmas still goes to The Golden Greek and Haji Baba, whose dolmas -- while distinctly different from one another -- are obviously made in-house and are very good. The falafel were cute, small, muffin shaped and moist. They did fall apart easily when you put fork to them even though they were moist; and I don't know what this means in terms of "falafel culture" (i.e., whether that's good or not). The hummus was surprisingly thin and liquidy, which, considering how thick the labna and baba ganoush was, really surprised me. Still, quite tasty. All of this is served with copious amounts of bread, which I would NOT classify as pita (especially as the partner's chicken shwarma was on 'standard' pita). This bread was almost like a 'double-pita': thick, well toasted, crunchy. Especially useful in scooping up the thick baba ganoush. The size of the appetizer portions were quite large and thus very reasonably priced. My partner assures me that the chicken shwarma was very good, with thick pieces of chicken and a sauce much better than at, say, Haji Baba, which we use as the Gold Standard against all Middle Eastern restaurants in the Valley. How unfortunate, that this restaurant, which measures up very good against Haji Baba, and in some respects passes it, is as far away or further from us than Haji Baba in the East Valley! At $1.99 per piece, the baklava is reasonably priced and the portions generous. While not swimming in lemon juice and honey -- which, I admit, I'm partial to -- it is very moist. We both found it to be very sweet, but, to be fair, we generally avoid sweet foods, so our opinion on that should be taken with ... a grain of sugar? ... whatever. The strong Turkish coffee does offset that sweetness. The only 'negative' in this whole review is the lighting. Like many restaurants in the Valley, this one is in an office in a strip mall, which was never designed to be a restaurant. Thus, it has the 'standard' tiled ceiling with fluorescent lights. It is obvious by the decoration in the restaurant, sparse as it is, that a lot of effort was taken to give the atmosphere a Middle Eastern ambience and to overcome the harshness and inhospitable feeling of being in an office. Unfortunately, the fluorescent lighting, while no doubt efficient, casts a pale, bright light over everything and this overwhelms what is otherwise very nice decor.
(4)Aswathy M.
Awesome food for such a low price.. Great service as well. My regular lunch joint now!
(5)Shannen B.
This place has very delicious food and that is very fresh! Great service and inexpensive. Love this place!
(5)Jaime S.
I was excited about the prospect of Ali Baba's. It's owned by the same folks who run Open Sesame Market, right next door. The market sells great products so I figured they should serve them well too. However that's not the case. We ordered the lamb kebab and beef shawarma plates, the appetizer trio (choice of humus or babaganouj, falafel and dolmas) and fries. The fries were underdone and over seasoned. The lamb and beef were seasoned fairly well but were overdone. The dolmas were bland, the falafel was pretty tasty but, get this...no humus or babaganouj. They ran out! I'd go back to a joint just for the humus if it was good enough. You can't run a middle Eastern restaurant and run out of humus, it simply isn't done. The food is dirt cheap, I can give them that, and the service was excellent. Those were the only bright spots of the experience. I definitely recommend a visit to Open Sesame Market but if you're hungry do yourself a favor, head across the street and hit up J.T. Gryos. He sources his stuff from Kronos Foods, but Kronos ain't bad at all and J.T. really knows how to slang it.
(1)M J.
I never can figure out why every time we come here it is empty...love the pita with hummus plate and chicken sherwma fries. Service is a bit slow but well worth the wait.
(5)Luca C.
Essentially this restaurant is run by a teenage kid who works the front and back of the restaurant. The food is good considering its Phoenix, I do love the seasoning and spices on all the meats which is why I come back. Its also not so heavy on the grease and fat like many of its local competitors. Its a place I wouldn't go and pay full price but with a Groupon or Living Social its well worthwhile.
(3)Shanai S.
I cannot even express how delicious the food at this restaurant is. I almost always order the schwerma fries. Absolutely one of my top five favorite meals! The staff is very attentive and kind. The prices are very reasonable and the servings are large. Definitely one of my favorite restaurants!!
(5)Carmen G.
Absolutely recommend for in-house, home-made authentic Middle-Eastern/Greek food. I was floored by how low the prices were. I got the falafel sandwich for $3. Let me type that again so that you know it was not a typo: I got the falafel sandwich for $3. What's in it? 3 falafels each the size of my fist, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, and some awesome in-house sauce. I've been there 3 times, every time with a huge appetite, and I haven't once been able to finish this gargantuan beast. CONS: VERY slow service. Our party of 3 was the only one in the restaurant and food took about 25-30 minutes to be served. Same thing happened the next time we went. But for people who don't expect fast-food in a non-fast-food joint, then there's nothing to complain about. Also, since it's family run, they hired their super young son/nephew/grandson who is probably operating under illegal child labor practices but is a very sweet boy- you just have to be super clear on your order when he's taking it.
(5)Jim D.
Ran into this place by accident but because I lived in the Middle East for 5 years thought we would give it a try. Lady up front was very personable and funny. We had falafel sandwichs and the arabic chicken shawarma with sides of hummus and babaganouj. The falafels were fresh and very good (ask for extra sauce on the side). The babaganouj was good too but the pita bread was just okay. Seems to be different pita than what was used for the falfel sandwiches? Any way, the hummus was good too but perhaps a little more lemon than I like. I prefer more garlic (personal thing). The real winner of the day was the arabic chicken shawarma! Fresh, tasty, tender and the sauce was fantastic! Server told me they use a different bread than pita on the arabic shawarma. Tasted most like the ones I had been missing from the Middle East and the best I have had since moving back to the U.S. Going back? Oh yeah!
(4)Daniel G.
I'm not sure why some people priced this $$ instead of $, because this is one of the most inexpensive restaurants I've ever eaten at. And the quality was great! I've eaten at other Mediterranean or Middle Eastern restaurants; Ali Baba tops them! The hummus came with a generous covering of olive oil that gave it a nice flavor, and the pita was the best I've ever had. I ordered the chicken shawerma and it was only $4.99!! All the sandwiches are similarly priced and the plates are only around $7-8. Portions were very generous; couldn't finish off the shawerma. The restaurant is also elegantly decorated in Arab styles; it's not tacky or bland. Great dining experience. Highly recommended!
(5)Nicki S.
I have been to this place a bunch! It's amazing. The food is always delicious and the service is always with a smile. It's a small operation a mom and pop place, so don't go in thinking that you will be in and out like chain restaurant. Enjoy the food. Visit with your company and just know you are getting fresh food that is delicious and you don't have to clean up the kitchen afterwards.
(5)Miriam S.
Good food. Nice waitstaff. Great tea. Service is a little slow, but the pita is amazing.
(4)Michaela W.
We came across this restaurant on Groupon and thought we'd give it a try. The food was exceptional, the staff was friendly, and the prices were very reasonable. We will absolutely be back!
(5)Ilya K.
food was good, for person that grow up on this food its just ok
(3)P S.
The people who run this restaurant and the store next door are wonderfully nice but the food at the restaurant leaves something to be desired. I have tried it three times (I really like the family who runs it) and it is just too inconsistent and never great. And like many others have said, the service can be slow and I get the feeling they don't take running a restaurant very seriously. I am afraid of what the kitchen might look like. I've never gotten ill or anything but the restaurant is so half-assed. It really is a shame because this part of town really NEEDS a great middle eastern restaurant. If you want great Greek (gyros and shawarma), try the place next to Best Buy that faces Lowes there on Thunderbird and the i-17. They are consistently wonderful.
(2)Gloria S.
This place earned some serious yum points. I came here on a Friday night around 6:30- only one other couple was seated. We ordered the hummus, which came with warm pita and my mind was blown. For my dish I ordered the falafel sandwich. I LOVED it! I had the hardest time finding a good falafel here in AZ-it is now found! The fries were amazing too! :) My boyfriend ordered chicken shwarma (I had serious plate envy) which was absolutely delicious! The chicken was so tender!!! I see a lot of complaints about slow service, but I thought service was a good speed. I also had great conversation to keep me entertained, so who can complain? I would highly recommend Ali Baba's :)
(5)Steven H.
I have had MUCH better.. I was very excited when I saw them open, just down the street from my work and I was ready for some new Medi food. When I got there, there was only 2 people working, took almost an hour total to get food. I am always willing to wait for excellence but it was far from it.. Kabobs were not bad.. and the hummus was excellent actually.. but the RIce.. Im pretty sure it was Uncle Bens Minute Rice.. Not exactly what I was expecting from a Medi place. Kind of bummed, wont go back most likely..
(2)Khalid B.
Text food, high quality. The Falafel sandwich is great! A real midetrian taste. The Sahwerma, checken and meat are tasty. The only disadvantage is the slow preparation for the food which is a result of the real home cooking they provide. The prices are not expensive nor cheap.
(4)Kathy N.
Two stars only because I'm compassionate. Lunch today using a Groupon- I live in Buckeye so if it wasn't for Groupon I would not go out of my way to give places way off the freeway corridor a shot unless I was in their neighborhood. We were five miles from Ali Baba today so it was worth a try. I was very disappointed. The woman who works in the grocery next door was very personable, I went in there first looking for Zartar bread. She directed me to the bakery that doubles as the dining room. The cases were sparse, but what was on display looked good. The menu seemed promising. My companion had the ubiquitous gyro with fries and a soft drink. I ordered the Ali Baba plate with an order of the yogurt/cucumber "salad" on the side, to eat with my entree much as a raita is eaten with Indian cuisine. To mimic others, the service was ridiculously slow. Whoever is working their line must not have professional food service experience, or the kitchen is set up to prepare food for only one table at a time. I got the impression that they are understaffed, to put it conservatively. When asked how I wished the meats on my platter prepared, I said I wanted the chicken cooked to 160 degrees but not cooked to death, and the lamb and kufta medium. When the food was finally served, the meats had been removed from the skewers. There were four one inch cubes of chicken, four one inch cubes of lamb, and a six inch by one inch by quarter inch high strip of kofta (seasoned ground beef that is formed into oblongs or flatted out on a flat skewer and cooked over a grill. All the meat was dried out and way overcooked, and I mean way overcooked. I know that the middle east is not homogenous, and recipes vary, but I wish the kufta was seasoned more robustly with the spices that are found in Egyptian kofta. The seasoning was rather one note. The rice was cooked to perfection and had a good flavor, and there were some middle eastern pickles like strips of turnip pickled in beet juice, a pepperoncini, and cherry pepper slices. Bread is only served upon request; a nod to our American carb conscious diet, but kind of weird for a middle eastern restaurant. My experience in the middle east was one where there were huge slabs of bread served with everything. My yogurt and cucumber salad with mint was amenable, I could have done without the olive oil dripped on top because it was a bitter olive oil, not fruity. So, because of the Groupon, the way I look at it is that my entree cost five bucks instead of 15, excluding my cucumber yogurt salad. I wasn't cheap with the tip, the bill before the discount was twenty six dollars and change and I tipped $5.80. I don't hold servers responsible for kitchen mistakes, at least not in an environment where the servers don't have any power to change the speed at which the food comes out. The worst of it all is that instead of finding a place not too far from home where I can find all my favorite items from the middle east, I found a place that I can't justify the drive to visit in order to give them a second chance. It's too bad, some of the best food I have ever eaten has been at deli bakerys that put up a few tables in the corner. So, guess I have to wait until the next time I fly back east and then hit the Reading Terminal Market in Philly if I want perfectly cooked kufta, kebabs, and chicken. Bummer...............
(2)Choy Lian K.
Enjoyed the food very much and the price is great. The staff are very helpful. Must try their freshly baked bread!!
(5)Jim S.
I was really happy to find such a wonderful restaurant nearby. I took my family out for dinner on a Monday night. After reading some of the good and bad reviews, I was prepared for either outcome. I'm so glad we gave Ali Baba's a try. Everything was home cooked and delicious. The woman who served us was also the owner of the grocery next door and was very friendly and encouraged us to try some wonderful items on the menu. When I mentioned I was a vegetarian, she also invited me to try a dish not on the menu that they had prepared for another customer that was very good. I would highly recommend this restaurant for someone looking for a friendly environment and a good healthy fresh meal.
(5)Tanya R.
Hidden gem in North Phoenix. Awesome falafel sandwich. Nice and crispy. The baklava is to die for. Can't wait to go back.
(5)Lindsay M.
Yum!!! Good quality, good prices!! A family owned restaurant with great service, I would definitely come back!
(5)Mihaela C.
I always wanted to try this restaurant so I bought a yelp voucher for this restaurant. I was recently there and even though my date and I enjoyed our food (he was a big fan about their lamb kebab), their service was not up to par with their food. I can say that everyone who has commented about the service being slow are absolutely right! We were first at the counter deciding what to eat and a young server handed us two take out menus and told us we could sit wherever we wanted since we were dinning in. So we did. About 10 minutes or so, he came out and took our order. He explained that since my date ordered the Ali Baba combo dish that the order would take longer as their meat is fresh and it takes longer to cook. It took about 20 minutes until our food arrived. Oh, I ordered the Gyro with Fries and drink which was lukewarm when it finally arrived with my date's dish. I don't know how hot his food was as I didn't taste it and he didn't say anything about it, so it appears that my food suffered a cool down while they were cooking his (the server brought out both of our dishes together). My food was tasty despite it being just warm and as mentioned above my date was a huge fan of his food, especially the lamb kebab. On a side note, there were two guys sitting at a table next to us. One of them seemed to work at the restaurant as he would go behind the counter or in the back where the cooks are from time to time. He must have had the night off since he was with his friend, however I didn't appreciate the fact that the server attended to them first as my date and I arrived there before they did. Since when did paying customers come second??? Overall, I would come back here (I know my date would) if I had a Voucher of some sort again. Tasty food, just be prepared to wait for it.
(3)Amy S.
Do not go here of you want fast service. Or any service, really. It's a shame because their food is amazing. But it's hard to enjoy when they literally disappear for your entire meal. I think there is one person running the whole place, including cooking. I've seen people walk on and wait for 10 minutes at the front and leave when no one comes out of the kitchen the entire time. I called ahead to get food to go. I asked for 3 dishes. When she told me it would be 45 minutes, I quickly said nevermind and that I wanted to cancel the order because I needed to pick it up sooner than that. She said - ok, we'll have it ready in 15 or 20 minutes. Fine. So I arrive. Nobody at the counter. Ring the bell. 5 minutes later, someone comes out, delivers food to the one table. Walks right past me back to the kitchen. What the heck!? So I ring the bell again. It's been 20 minutes since I called. He says it's not ready, and I pay. 45 minutes into it, my food comes out. I have to ask for extra rice because they forgot. Total bill was $33 for 3 dishes that I waited 50 minutes for. The portions are usually big -- this was 1/2 a to-go styrofoam container full. Not enough to fill a plate. I took pictures so I could show the owner when I drive past again. Absolutely insane!
(2)K K.
Excellent Gyros. Best I have ever eaten. I will be back!
(5)Ceylon Tea Co L.
I just had dinner at this lousy cafe. Customer service was hopeless, food was below any acceptable standard. The room really needs cleaning.
(1)Abrar G.
My Nephew dared me to open up an account on Yelp and write a review because I loved this little restaurant so much. So here goes, my first review. We found out about his restaurant because we were in the sister Halal Meat Market doing a little shopping. The girl at the counter highly recommended the restaurant next door if we were interested in eating out for dinner. We took up her on the offer and arrived just before 9pm. There were already a few people finishing up dinner. First we ordered the Baba ghanoush for the appetizer. It arrived fast enough with freshly baked Pita Bread on the side. The Baba ghanoush was excellent. Very Fresh and home made taste with just a bit of spice. The bread was chewy and warm and was the perfect compliment to the acidity of the Eggplant and the olive and spices. The Main Dish was a Chicken Shawarma Plate. It consisted of sliced pieces of Chicken, Rice, picked middle eastern vegtibles, and some yogurt on the side. The Chicken was very flavorful and moist. I would expect the meat to be fresh and good because the Butcher is right next door. I loved the picked Vegetable that accompanied the Chicken, it set off a nice balance to the spiciness of the meat. The rice was perfectly made and the dish as a whole was quite tasty. If you need some more spice, ask for a side of chili sauce. I'm not sure what it was, a mixture of sriracha sauce and something else perhaps. What ever it was, it was very complimentary to the main dish. I also ordered a side Middle Eastern Salad. It was very tasty but I probably would recommend that they add some more olives and other pickled veggies as it seemed a little lacking with lettuce and salad dressing the main component of the salad. When the bill came, I was so surprised how a great fresh meal for two was so cheap. Appetizer, Salad, main course and drinks all for under 30 bucks. Unbelievable!! I've eaten a lot of Gyro/Shawarma places all over the world and Ali Baba's come up right there with some of the finest places I have tried. The food is super fresh and the prices are very reasonable.
(5)John S.
Had a take-out lunch from here a few weeks ago (beef shawerma) and although it took far too long to prepare, the sandwich was pretty tasty. Took my family to dinner here recently and the chicken shawerma and the gyro plate were quite good and very reasonably priced. Service, though, was uncertain and slow. I'm pleased to see them in the neighborhood and hope that they stick around. Whether they can do so depends, I suspect, on whether they can get their service issues addressed.
(3)Phlu P.
Great food and really great prices. We came here for a late lunch/early dinner with the team and loved the food.
(5)Andrew S.
Awesome food the people are so nice and friendly a real family owned restaurant with excellent and I mean excellent food!
(5)Kelly S.
Great find in this place. The gyro and hummus was great! I did take out it was a little warm inside when I got there but great food.
(5)Sasidhar K.
In Short: Tasty Food - Low prices. Freshly made Soft Pita with Hummus. Cheap Gyro Sandwiches Love their Lamb Platter. Details: This review is based on my visits to this place in late 2013. Manytimes I call them up for take out. My regular order is Lamb Platter with Rice. On the side Hummus with Pita bread. Pros The lamb is perfectly made based on what you order. I mostly go for Well Done. Pita bread is always freshly made and soft. Hummus tastes great. I've tried the Baklava here, but not as good as I expected. The rates are very reasonable and you can have a full course within $15. There's only one guy who helps with orders and serving, and he's awesome with service. :) Cons I tried Dine In and Lunch, and it took a while for the food to reach me. That's when I've decided on Take outs. I had a bad experience once with partially cooked rice. I've tried their Falafel, and they are on the crunchier side.(Little Extra Fried) The Ambiance is good, you will find a few curtains covering some doorways. There are a few hangings and some mid eastern artwork to get the Authentic feel.
(4)Theron E.
I absolutely love everything about Ali Baba... the food is amazing and the service is so personable. The falafel is the best I have ever had, and I've worked at Greek and Lebanese restaurants. The prices can NOT be beat for this quality of food. Had a long talk with "Mom" when she happened to be there on one of my visits... she has so much pride in her recipes and it comes through with every bite! Oh... save room for the baklava (made in house) and Turkish coffee! Holy hell Batman!!
(5)M J.
I never can figure out why every time we come here it is empty...love the pita with hummus plate and chicken sherwma fries. Service is a bit slow but well worth the wait.
(5)Kazi H.
My favorite Mediterranean restaurant BY FAR! not ONLY is the food excellent, but the service is absolutely oustanding. Everyone is so personable and friendly. They make you feel so welcome! Amera, is excellent. She is so wonderful to interract with! And always reassures me on my order. I am a huge lover of hummus and very picky about it, and they have the best hummus I've had. Their beef shawerma is so juicy and tender. I also usually dont like lamb, but theirs is so good! WAY TO GO ALI BABA for making like lamb! i cant wait to try the ENTIRE menu. Yummy! ALSO, the place is so clean!! BIG PLUS!! I'd recommend this place to anyone! Go here for 5 star quality food!
(5)Christina S.
This place is a fantastic find for Middle Eastern food! Our group of 12, 9 adults and 3 children, all left wholly satisfied. Not only is the food delicious and flavorful, the customer service is outstanding! Granted, our drinks weren't filled as quickly as we'd hoped, and the apps could have been a lil speedier, but they are a lovely family owned business who take care of everything. They are so welcoming and accommodating to your wants and needs, and immensely patient with questions, and just kind, sweet and pleasurable people that I would forgive them of just about anything, and return time and time again. Omar is just the star of this place. He put together 4 tables for our group. I called a few minutes ahead to warn them, haha. He introduced himself, told us some of his family's and the restaurant's history, brewed some fresh Turkish tea for us, and just made it clear he could help us with anything- and that he would also be cooking our meals. :) Because we had such a large group, I really got to sample practically the entire menu! My favorite items were the chicken shawerma sandwich, the falafel (best I ever had) and the rice (made with a bit of saffron and cardamom, and was truly perfection). The Ali Baba sauce is not to be missed- think ranch with a middle eastern twist, and the hummus was a clear winner also. Because my chicken kebabs were a tad dry (still flavorful), I would likely opt for the chicken shawerma next time. The beef shawerma was nice and tender as well. Some people had seasoned fries with their meals, and they were delish. Kids (and adults) would be pleased with this non-middle eastern option. Tasty! Their prices are extremely reasonable, they have a bakery store right next door, and they use only the freshest of meats. On top of which, as I said, the customer service can't be beat, and the food is prepared with care and passion. Don't miss the rice and falafel, people. Go in with a little bit of patience, and you can bet you'll be rewarded!
(5)Lars T.
BEST Scwerma Sandwich YET in Phx area!!! and friendly owner.... Relaxed, cozy, homemade. Definitely will be back.
(4)Neesh Q.
This review is for catering. The whole process was absolutely hassle-free. Mohammed worked with me to get the customized order I needed for our get together and also worked around the last minute request. As far as the food, we ordered kufta kabob sandwiches which were AMAZING! The hummus was also very light and went well with the sandwiches. Will definitely consider Ali Baba for catering again in the future.
(5)Ss V.
Extremely friendly service, nice sized portions and delicious food. Setting is very pleasant. The falafel was delicious and melted in our mouths. The chicken and lamb were tender and flavorful.
(5)Michael B.
This restaurant is a true act of craftsmanship and love. The owner, Mo, was born in the U.S. but like all great immigrant restaurant owners learned the secrets from his family and is committed to the process of excellence. As an example, he gets up each morning to bake his own bread to make sure it tastes just right, and imported his baking oven from Pakistan for extra measure. He also decorated the place with his own furnishings from the region. I got the Chicken Shawarma Fries plate. Fantastic fusion food, mixing Pakistani-American traditions. This dish flowed with rich flavors of grilled chicken, herbs, onions, humus and yogurt sauce and was served w/ homemade pita bread - a full meal! Was not disappointed and will be coming back.
(4)Hillary R.
Very Authentic! The decor in this place is fantastic and the food is to die for! Definitely a must try :-)
(4)Daniel L.
Fellow Yelper Kurdy S and I came to this Palestinian bakery and restaurant for dinner after finding it on Yelp. The décor consisted of tables spread across the room, decent lighting, and a large empty bakery counter with a few bags of homemade pita remaining. We were the only customers in the restaurant the entire night, so there was not much to describe in terms of the atmosphere. The Hummus with Pita ($3.99) came with blended chickpea, tahini, lemon, garlic, tomato, olives, and pickled veggies. The Hummus was excellent, as the smooth chickpea and tahini stood out to follow the sharp garlic and lemony backdrop. All the sharp flavors worked in concert with their warm homemade pita bread. The bread was thick, soft, spongy, highly addictive, and served piping hot. It was so good that I can imagine eating this pita bread all day long and not get tired of it. It was a fantastic option for the price. The Ali Baba Combo ($14.99) came with three skewers of lamb, kufta, chicken kabob, pickled veggies, and basmati rice. The meat was wonderfully seasoned, cooked evenly, and tender with a few chewy spots here and there. All the skewers were tremendously flavorful, with the chicken breast kabob that became the highlight. I recommend it. The Chicken Sharwerma Sandwich ($4.99) came with seasoned chicken, piping hot pita, tomatoes, pickles, and "Ali Baba" sauce. The chicken again was tender with full-on flavor. One of the reviewers mentioned that the sauce was mayo based, but the combination was still worthwhile for the price. Prices were fantastic but I'm giving this place a lower rating because the food took an hour to arrive. Additionally, service and ambiance were lacking, as there was very little warmth or acknowledgement of our needs while we waited for the food to arrive. It was a one-man operation with another person sitting there reading newspaper the entire time. Despite it all, the food was wonderfully delicious. Our experience suggests that this place might be more appropriate for lunch than dinner. I'd be interested in coming back to try their Arabic-style Shawerma.
(3)Mark K.
What a nice find. We passed by looking for a place to have dinner and just stopped in. Place is very nice with Persian decor. We we warmly greeted and ordered the rio appetizer. Wow was it ever g [d. We had the babaganoush and hummus. Huge platter with perfectly cooked falafel and warm bread. ...yum. mains were various kebabs ( I had the mixed platter) Which had lamb chicken and kuftar. Everything was perfectly cooked and huge portions. For desert we had Turkish coffee and a dessert made with cheese and shredded pastry (the owner came to our take and suggested it), and boy was it good. This is way better than the Persian Room and half the price.
(5)Ashouraita K.
This is my favourite restaurant in Arizona and I miss it dearly after moving back to Illinois. Everything is absolutely delicious. My boyfriend and I would always get falafel sandwiches, hummus, fries, and salad. Being Middle Eastern, I have had plenty of falafel, and theirs is the most flavourful falafel I have ever had. Seriously, it's amazing. The hummus is also great and they would always make the garnishing really cute. The pita bread is always fresh and warm. Even their fries are incredibly tasty. I almost forgot about the baklava. How dare I? The baklava is perfection. I cannot even begin to explain the beauty of it. You have to try it to understand. We would always order the baklava with their delicious tea. Best way to end a meal. This is the best Middle Eastern food I have had in Arizona. I definitely recommend it. The owners are wonderful and sweet people as well.
(5)Nick W.
I came here not looking for much. It had a large empty bakery counter with a few packages of food on the top, nothing much to see. The inside was well lit, but the decor was weak, not to say that mattered too much, it was nice. The hummus & pita were delicious and game with a great lemon & garlic flavor, and some excellent olives! My daughter loves to dip the falafel in the tahini, and orders it every single time we go in here. Prices are great, my family of 3 ate and was stuffed for about 27.00. I'd go with the App Trio to start personally. The lamb is insane and the shwarma fries are unique and tasty! It would have got more stars, but I think it takes kind of long to get your food. They usually have a young kid "working", not sure how legal that is, and it's clearly family run. Go early, and relax, shouldn't be a problem.
(3)LuAnn S.
My family and friends love, love, love this place!!! The food is EXCELLENT and the family that owns it are the BEST!!!
(5)Amber B.
The food here is so good, I'm honestly surprised it's not much busier. The tahini sauce...I'm so in love with the tahini sauce...definitely try the Appetizer Trio and douse the falafel in that sauce. I also recommend the lamb kabob sandwich and the combo platter.
(5)Geoff L.
Don't be fooled by its location in a tiny strip mall. This is an amazing Mediterranean restaurant at a very reasonable price. The shawerma fries were A-M-A-Z-I-N-G, but be aware, the portion is very large so prep your appetite! Their pitas are freshly baked and hummus home made, so that is another must have when you go there. It may be a tad bit quiet on the weekdays for lunch but believe me they don't skimp on the quality even when there are not as many customers. This place is a hidden treasure and deserves to be discovered by all those who loves good Mediterranean food.
(4)Natasha A.
Weekly, we order freshly baked bread here to go which is reasonably priced. The bread is incredibly delicious, soft and melts in your mouth. It's basically a type of large flat-bread (aka "Lavash"). All their desserts are also reasonably priced and equally fantastic. The service is excellent and the place is very clean. No complaints.
(5)Lauren H.
Just tried this place for the second time, and after tasting their baklava, they definitely get 5 stars from us. Delicious dressing on the Greek salad, fresh and tasty pitas and some of the best baklava I've ever had. The pistachio roll is the crispiest, and it will surprise you how happy it makes your mouth. It's a must try for sure.
(5)Christine H.
The shawarma fries are the best! The meat is soooooooo awesome! Can't wait to try their other dishes :)
(5)Rand H.
Stopped in here for lunch today, joined by Norm R. This is a nice cafe with a friendly host and reasonable prices. For this first visit, I had a Gyro Sandwich ($3.99) & a Side House Salad ($2.99). Both were of good size. The salad was very plain, consisting only of Romaine Lettuce, some cubes of tomato, & an oily dressing without much flavor. The Gyro was ok, but I didn't think it was anywhere as good as the ones at Haji-Baba, for example, so for me Ali Baba's here is just ok among our Middle Eastern restaurant choices in the Valley. :-)
(3)Norm R.
Really good Middle Eastern food! My new go-to place when I crave lamb - they know how to grill it right! I also enjoyed their dolma, which surprised me because before this I have not been a fan of stuffed grape leaves. The prices are so easy on the budget ( s3-media1.ak.yelpcdn.com… ), which makes this place even more enticing (thumbs my nose at Haji-Baba in Tempe). It's definitely not fast food, but the wait is definitely worth it.
(4)Maxine B.
My favorite Mediterranean place by far moved to phoenix for a couple of months was in dire need of a place where I could be a regular and found it. Fresh made to order food and great service I highly recommend eating here.! Support local business owners!
(5)Luca C.
Essentially this restaurant is run by a teenage kid who works the front and back of the restaurant. The food is good considering its Phoenix, I do love the seasoning and spices on all the meats which is why I come back. Its also not so heavy on the grease and fat like many of its local competitors. Its a place I wouldn't go and pay full price but with a Groupon or Living Social its well worthwhile.
(3)Carmen G.
Absolutely recommend for in-house, home-made authentic Middle-Eastern/Greek food. I was floored by how low the prices were. I got the falafel sandwich for $3. Let me type that again so that you know it was not a typo: I got the falafel sandwich for $3. What's in it? 3 falafels each the size of my fist, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, and some awesome in-house sauce. I've been there 3 times, every time with a huge appetite, and I haven't once been able to finish this gargantuan beast. CONS: VERY slow service. Our party of 3 was the only one in the restaurant and food took about 25-30 minutes to be served. Same thing happened the next time we went. But for people who don't expect fast-food in a non-fast-food joint, then there's nothing to complain about. Also, since it's family run, they hired their super young son/nephew/grandson who is probably operating under illegal child labor practices but is a very sweet boy- you just have to be super clear on your order when he's taking it.
(5)Nicole B.
I love this place. The owners are extreamly nice, they also own the grocery store next door, the food is delicious, and you can tell all the ingrediants are fresh. The first time I came here I brought two of my good friends with me who love middle eastern food. To their joy, it was the best they have had in Phoenix. The owners came and talked to us, we even had a nice conversation, and, to this day they recognize us everytime they come in. Support the small business, good people and good food, you won't be disappointed. Try the chicken shwarma sandwitch and the baklava!
(5)Bill R.
I went on a Thursday at around 6:00 PM. I overlooked the fact I was the only patron there (MAJOR CLUE). I ordered the falafel; they were out. (WTH, are you kidding me?) I ordered the lamb kabob and was advised it would take 30 minutes to cook; I declined. I ordered a gyro thinking that would be quick; it wasn't. How long does it take to carve meat off a rotating spit? 15 minutes evidently... Did I mention I was the only one there? OK enough about the lack of service and the fact the staff/owners were outside smoking right by the entrance. I don't know about you, but I hate second hand smoke as I am about to dine or right after. Anyway, I am saving the worst for last. The meat was so dry and salty as to be inedible. I left most of it on the plate. Honest to goodness, no exaggeration, it was the worst gyro I have ever had. I suspect it had been cooking for days or even weeks for all I know, since all I got was the "toasted", dried-out pieces and none of the moist parts from the inside. If you think I am kidding go and try it, but go to the grocery next store first. I walked in, took a breath and almost got sick. I walked out and went through the aforementioned "smoke-curtain" to what I thought was going to be a decent Middle Eastern dinner. For record, I LOVE Middle-Eastern food and the associated smells. For those of you that have rated this the place to go, I am glad you like it. I hated it I mean REALLY hated it and will not go back unless I lose a bet. For me, that place in Tempe (Haji-Baba) is still the best, by far, but sadly it is too far for me to drive for just a meal. For those of you in Tempe, I remain envious.
(1)Sidney G.
Great family atmosphere, food is tasty and fresh. Everyone is so genuine and so personable. I come here with my family and I'm never disappointed. Their cucumber dip is to die for.
(5)Brenda B.
Everything I have tried on the menu has been really good, the staff has been very friendly, given us samples of food to try, I have taken meat pies home from their ,that are awesome !. Prices are reasonable too.
(4)JD H.
Shwarma Paradise Omar is just an Outstanding cook and partner in this delightful joint. It pains me to read some of the latest reviews especially those from Buckeye AZ that fancy themselves as "experts" of Middle Eastern cuisine.... This place rocks....it is ALL-Great food. If you are a neurotic debutante masquerading around town as Anthony Bourdain then please spare us your narcissistic Groupon fueled diatribes and just eat else where...preferably in Gaza!!! Take your time and come enjoy a slow paced extraordinarily rewarding meal.
(5)Todd T.
After driving past this place for years, we finally decided to give it a try one night when we were craving gyros. Ordered on GrubHub: Beef Shawerma Platter, Gyro Sandwich, Baba Ghajouj (without dolma), falafel appetizer and Baklkava. As soon as the order was placed, I received a courtesy call from the restaurant to inform me that they were out of Baklava and to pick anything else off the menu to substitute for the money already paid. I thought that was a nice way to solve the problem so I happily accepted a second gyro sandwich in place of the Baklava. The food was excellent. The Hummus had a nice garlic and lemon flavor but not too much of either. The Roasted Eggplant Hummus was very rich and very tasty- it would certainly fill you up quickly if you tried to tackle it on your own. Falafel- great. It's an item we rarely eat because most places massacre it by trying to get too many spices into something that should be fairly simple. Ali Baba has it figured out - great texture, full of flavor from onions, garlic, black pepper and the chick peas. Tasty but not overwhelmingly so... Gyros and Shawerma plate were as good as you will ever find- not the thin shaved (Chicago) beef that you find in most places, but thin strips of lean beef, tender and well seasoned. All in all, I have no complaint and will remain a patron of Ali Baba. Try it if you haven't yet!!
(5)Jeremiah S.
W e showed up at 1105 and they opened at 1100. my wife ordered the gyro sandwich. I ordered the Ali Baba combo with the three different kabobs One lamb, beef, and chicken. I try to order the lamb kabobs everywhere I go. I am not much of a gyro eater. so after ordering my waiter comes back to tell me none of the kabobs are prepared since THEY JUST OPENED. so in the end I am stuck eating a gyro since that's all that seems to be able to be cooked. So never show up when they open unless you want a gyro. MAYBE THEY SHOULD SHOW UP BEFORE 11 AM TO PREP FOOD SO THEY DO NOT ANGER THE CUSTOMERS. As far as I am concerned I should have gone elsewhere. The Gyro sandwich is plain, a child's portion of meat, and sauce tastes like it's mayo based. The food that was able to be cooked is well below adverage. I have eaten at a minimum of 200 Mediterranean style restaurants since I work all over the USA. The fact that I could only order a subpar gyro for lunch is why the 1 star. We Will Never Return.
(1)Ken D.
The food here is pretty good. The place is somewhat inexpensive and was tasty. There was such a large variety of food that it seemed difficult to pick which food to pick. If you don't know which food to pick, try there shawerma fries or ask for some recommendations.
(4)Walt P.
We ended up coming here to eat on a Friday evening after discovering our favorite gyro place on 35th Ave & Bell had been shut down. We had driven by many times and heard many reviews, so decided to try it. The lady who greeted us was friendly and chatty and and took our orders immediately. There was only one other table occupied. We ordered the appetizer sampler which came with hummus (awesome!!) falafel (double awesome!!) and dolmas (amazing!!) along with warm pita. A short time later our entrees came out; I had the lamb gyro with fries, my wife the chicken schwarma with fries and my daughter the beef schwarma with fries. Everything was hot and fresh and very tasty. Then came the baklava!! Huge slices of baklava that were to die for. I have been stationed in the Middle East and this is as good as any food I have had overseas. The owner spent a lot of time chatting with us; she really made us feel welcome, more as if we were at her home for a meal rather than in a retaurant. We waddled out, and for all the food we ate it was $39.00. Well worth the trip and I'll be back soon...
(5)Jeff W.
Why are there not more people here? The food was incredible. The service is wonderful. I got the Beef Schawerma Arabic-style. It was so filling and so good. Will return soon!
(5)Jaime S.
I was excited about the prospect of Ali Baba's. It's owned by the same folks who run Open Sesame Market, right next door. The market sells great products so I figured they should serve them well too. However that's not the case. We ordered the lamb kebab and beef shawarma plates, the appetizer trio (choice of humus or babaganouj, falafel and dolmas) and fries. The fries were underdone and over seasoned. The lamb and beef were seasoned fairly well but were overdone. The dolmas were bland, the falafel was pretty tasty but, get this...no humus or babaganouj. They ran out! I'd go back to a joint just for the humus if it was good enough. You can't run a middle Eastern restaurant and run out of humus, it simply isn't done. The food is dirt cheap, I can give them that, and the service was excellent. Those were the only bright spots of the experience. I definitely recommend a visit to Open Sesame Market but if you're hungry do yourself a favor, head across the street and hit up J.T. Gryos. He sources his stuff from Kronos Foods, but Kronos ain't bad at all and J.T. really knows how to slang it.
(1)Alex S.
We decided to try a new Middle Easter restaurant last night and, as is always the case for us living in Goodyear, packed up the car for our own little Haj to this place light years away from suburbia. Oh well: if you can't deal with having to take a pilgrimage to eat in Phoenix, then don't move out to the middle of nowhere in the West Valley, right? Actually, we were very happy we overcame our objections to taking out a second mortgage on the house to buy enough gas for the car and spent the 45 minutes one way to come to Ali Baba's. Definitely worth the drive. The other half decided to go with an order of baba ganoush as an appetizer and a chicken shwarma as his main dish; I chose a variety of appetizers as my main meal: a combo plate, which came with dolmas, falafel and hummus; a side order of baba ganoush and one of labna. Right off, we were delightfully surprised by the baba ganoush, which came to the table. While most of the baba ganoushes I've had are either smooth like hummus or a little lumpy, this one had large chunks of eggplant in it and a pleasantly smoky taste. Obviously, they must get a number of compliments about it, because while in the middle of my speech about how I've been to Middle Eastern restaurants all over the world and this baba ganoush was one of the best I've tasted, she was already thanking me out of anticipation (or maybe she could tell I was on the cusp of launching a pompous pronouncement and thought she could cut me short before my speech took up all her time before closing time 3 hours away?!). Speaking of 'chatty', as one of the reviewers stated in a review from 20 August 2013, I would not say the proprietor is 'chatty'. She's from an area north of NYC -- though she hasn't lived there for more than 30 years -- and I would describe her as being "forthright" and "direct". This might be a bit unnerving to a lot of people out west, who tend to be reserved and not gregarious with outright strangers; but this gregariousness is very typical of New Yorkers and can be quite charming and amusing to those familiar with it (see? I told you, I was pompous and chatty!). The labna was also quite good and very creamy. While thick, it seemed to melt in your mouth like smooth butter and I suspect that's the olive oil doing its job. The big surprise for me, however, was the combo appetizer plate: the dolmas were nothing to really talk about --- your standard, small and moist ones you can get out of a can (which may or may not be the case here, as they had a taste atypical of canned dolmas). The prize for obviously-homemade dolmas still goes to The Golden Greek and Haji Baba, whose dolmas -- while distinctly different from one another -- are obviously made in-house and are very good. The falafel were cute, small, muffin shaped and moist. They did fall apart easily when you put fork to them even though they were moist; and I don't know what this means in terms of "falafel culture" (i.e., whether that's good or not). The hummus was surprisingly thin and liquidy, which, considering how thick the labna and baba ganoush was, really surprised me. Still, quite tasty. All of this is served with copious amounts of bread, which I would NOT classify as pita (especially as the partner's chicken shwarma was on 'standard' pita). This bread was almost like a 'double-pita': thick, well toasted, crunchy. Especially useful in scooping up the thick baba ganoush. The size of the appetizer portions were quite large and thus very reasonably priced. My partner assures me that the chicken shwarma was very good, with thick pieces of chicken and a sauce much better than at, say, Haji Baba, which we use as the Gold Standard against all Middle Eastern restaurants in the Valley. How unfortunate, that this restaurant, which measures up very good against Haji Baba, and in some respects passes it, is as far away or further from us than Haji Baba in the East Valley! At $1.99 per piece, the baklava is reasonably priced and the portions generous. While not swimming in lemon juice and honey -- which, I admit, I'm partial to -- it is very moist. We both found it to be very sweet, but, to be fair, we generally avoid sweet foods, so our opinion on that should be taken with ... a grain of sugar? ... whatever. The strong Turkish coffee does offset that sweetness. The only 'negative' in this whole review is the lighting. Like many restaurants in the Valley, this one is in an office in a strip mall, which was never designed to be a restaurant. Thus, it has the 'standard' tiled ceiling with fluorescent lights. It is obvious by the decoration in the restaurant, sparse as it is, that a lot of effort was taken to give the atmosphere a Middle Eastern ambience and to overcome the harshness and inhospitable feeling of being in an office. Unfortunately, the fluorescent lighting, while no doubt efficient, casts a pale, bright light over everything and this overwhelms what is otherwise very nice decor.
(4)Aswathy M.
Awesome food for such a low price.. Great service as well. My regular lunch joint now!
(5)Shanai S.
I cannot even express how delicious the food at this restaurant is. I almost always order the schwerma fries. Absolutely one of my top five favorite meals! The staff is very attentive and kind. The prices are very reasonable and the servings are large. Definitely one of my favorite restaurants!!
(5)Abna B.
I luuuvvvv dis place.... d food is gr8..... deir spl alibaba sauce is simply out of dis world...... I go here regularly and always have atleast d chicken shawarma sandwich.... its beautiful...... deir gyro sandwiches are also good.... and d baklawa is simply out of d world..... d service is sometimes a little slow..... but I normally overlook all tat coz d food is sooooo good
(5)Jennifer F.
On a Friday night when I didn't know what to make for dinner, I dragged my husband and three kids to this local place. The first thing my husband asked as we pulled up was "have you yelped this place?" It's the end cap of a small strip mall and doesn't look like much from the outside or the inside, but it was a pleasant surprise for me. To put this review in context this is a very inexpensive place to eat and my review is based on the comparison to other, similar restaurants and not any high end or national chain places. Two other tables of single individuals were there when we arrived. They each apparently knew the owners/staff and by the time we left they were all sitting together chatting. I like that kind of vibe and I'm not sure why this place isn't more popular. The food was good. We had hummus, fries, gyro, falafel sandwich, chicken kebab and chicken swarma. I have no complaints about the speed of service or anything else. For me, the real star of the meal was the baklava. We tried three of their desserts including a truly outstanding traditional baklava. I'll go back for that alone. With two apps, four entrees and three desserts, our tab was less than $50. Why the missing star? A couple of little things. aside from water, they only had soda - no lemonade or milk- which are my kids' favorites. Unfortunately kids are picky eaters sometimes also. The fries were a great bridge, but I would love to see a kids plate that is an intro to the food. Perhaps the rice without seasoning combined with smaller cubes of chicken kebab, some hummus and bread, cucumbers, tomatoes and pickles (they loved the pickles!). Otherwise, this was a great little place.
(4)Shannen B.
This place has very delicious food and that is very fresh! Great service and inexpensive. Love this place!
(5)