Kasbah
4801 Central Ave NE, Albuquerque, NM, 87108
Kasbah Menu
Sorry, We are updating this restaurant menu details.
Visit below restaurant in Albuquerque for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Albuquerque for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Albuquerque for healthy meals suggestion.
Sorry, we don't have Q&A for this restaurant.
Sorry, No Coupons available for this restaurant.
-
Address :
4801 Central Ave NE
Albuquerque, NM, 87108 - Phone (505) 881-4451
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :11:00 am - 9:00pm
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Dinner
Parking : Private Lot
Bike Parking : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Quiet
Alcohol : No
Outdoor Seating : No
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : No
Waiter Service : Yes
Categories
Greek Cuisine
Greek food is a fine melody of the finest pressed olive oil, fresh fermented bread, colorful vegetables, juicy meat, sea food all cooked in spices and fresh rosemary. The people from Greek were great scholars who aimed to excel in everything they do. The results are quite visible in their food as they are the inventors of olive oil which is beneficial to health. Greeks also made different type of wines from the best quality of grapes fermented in controlled environment.
Today, you can find hundreds of restaurants offering authentic Greek food or popularly termed as Mediterranean cuisine in New York city alone. People wait in line to taste the exotic Greek dishes like saganaki, taramasalata, souvlaki, loukoumades, spanakopita, moussaka, and many more. One thing which most people like about these authentic Greek dishes is abundant use of lemon juice, olive oil, fresh rosemary and sea salt. A smart mix of few ingredients can virtually take you on the pebble streets of beautiful city of Greece.
For those who don't have time to enjoy fine dining should try tasting the famous souvlaki with pita which is type of meat dish, also a trademark Greek fast food. For those who are vegetarian, or vegan can try different versions of Greek Salad. So, if you wish to enjoy a hearty yet healthy meal that tastes divine then try dining at the best Greek restaurant in your city. Greek cuisine not only tastes good but also help maintain your body in a natural way through healthy diet.
WE SERVE THE FOLLOWING STATES
Looky Weed - Buy Marijuana Online
Looky Weed is here to help you navigate the maze of legalized marijuana. We provide you with a complete dispensary directory.
Alexandra Z.
I was looking for a place to kill some time the other day, and instead of going to the Taco Tote, I went here. The place was pretty empty, but had an intimate, dimly-lit ambience to it. Now, as a young woman, I sometimes feel weird when I go out alone, like I am a loser or something. But the owner (who was also my waiter) made me feel right at home. He brought me endless refills of the wonderful mint tea (which I highly recommend), and did not rush me to leave. I ordered the Mediterranean plate, which consisted of a greek salad, spanakopita, pita bread, and dolmas. My favorite was the spanakopita! Afterwards, we had a nice chat. He is a really down-to-earth dude, and Tunisian. I can't wait to go back again! Overall, a great experience, especially if you are looking for a low-key place to chill.
(4)Barbara B.
Genuine atmosphere, food was ok, however, could use a bit of cleaning. Salt and pepper shakers a bit grimey. A few glitches, two hairs in the food made for an unfinished lunch. However,the place has great potential if they simply took better care of the above details. One final note, the hummus contained no flavor, simply tasted like whipped chick peas.
(2)Nate L.
I've started to test out several Greek and Mediterranean restaurants in town lately and have been surprised at how good they are. Kasbah is no exception. I wandered it waiting for some work to be done to my SUV at Jim's Muffler Shop nearby. I ordered a huge plate of seasoned lamb, chip cut pita bread, grape leaf wrapped rice and a Greek salad. It was way too much for me, but ended up being a great left over meal too. The server was pleasant and attentive, the food was hot and yummy and the water glass was never empty. I will be back if I'm in this side of town!
(4)Andrea G.
No Kids Menu!
(1)Shannendoah G.
I always get a tagine. Usually the honey lamb. Simply put, my favorite meal in the city.
(5)Alex N.
Good food, we had hummus and some puff pastry with potatoes (cant remember name) Both were very very good (nice fluffy bread) My brother had Lamb Couscous which was killer, well seasoned and a large portion. I had the King Bastilla, i was skeptical at first but after one bite i am hooked! The have some Gluten Free Options so we will visit again with our family!
(4)ZÄ•nÅn O.
I was completely disappointed. From the outside, the place looks questionable enough; sun-faded posters of european supermodels eating gyros plastered over the dusty windows, poorly maintained front appearance with cheap decoration. The inside was also bad. It was evening, about 8 p.m., and I was the only person there. The server was nice enough, but poorly trained. After receiving my appetizer of hummus and pita (the hummus had a terribly dull, flavorless, powdered hummus cheap flavor and the pita was doughy) and eating through most of the pita, the server came by to ask if I wanted any more pita just come ask her. The problem with that was she was all the way on the other side of the room behind a wall and, a corner, and shrouded welcome desk, which would have required me either to shout across the room or walk to her to ask for more. I was had leftover hummus, and besides the previous note, it was unclear whether I would be charged the extra $4 for more pita (there was probably eight little triangles, as though a single pita was quartered twice. The quality of this appetizer was definitely not worth the price). I decided not to ask for more pita. Perhaps two minutes after order my entré, it was delivered and served. I ordered the Honeyed Lamb, which I expected to take 15 minutes to cook, considering I was at the time the only patron and such a dish is expected to be cooked fresh (at least for the price, which was an exorbitant $15.99). So, I was immediately skeptical. On the right side of the dish was three slices of overcooked, tasteless squash, in the middle, long grain (probably Jasmine) rice, yellow with turmeric and sprinkled with parsley. On the left, an opaque monstrosity of prunes and prunes and prunes and prunes. For all the prunes, there was surprisingly little flavor or variety. Indeed, it seemed as though the excessiveness of prunes was attempting to cover something darker...perhaps the old, gamey, bitter, awful lamb beneath? I started trying to eat the food. A couple a few tables away had just walked in and ordered their food. They looked optimistic at first, but their spirits also took a plunge after they were served. For them, it started before they even took a bite. The lady went to grab the pepper shaker (a wise choice, considering the dull blandness of the food). She shook it and the top came off, dousing her entire meal with pepper. An improvement, in my opinion, but the poor woman had no way of knowing. I could not finish my meal. I understand the gamble one takes when trying a new restaurant, especially when intuition speaks in such measures; I could have (and in retrospect, should have) turned away at the door. I considered a to-go box but realized quickly that there was no redeeming this meal. In total I payed about $24 for this meal plus a tip. Considering everything, and considering how awful I feel now, half an hour later, I might compare this whole experience to being mugged while forced to eat excrement. It was an extremely stressful experience. Normally, I'm not at all a picky eater.
(1)John D.
One of the first Middle Eastern spots I hit when u first arrived in Albuquerque. I was checking out the lunch specials out looking for an apartment. Although it seems popular, I was disappointed with both my falafel and hummus. The service and ice tea is good. They seem to have a lunch following. First impressions are important... I have not been back.
(2)Jason G.
Driven past this place a thousand times and finally came in. I am a huge fan of middle-eastern and Moroccan food. The pics below are just right. My partner started with the mint tea, which she loved. We thought the King's Bastilla sounded amazing, and so we ordered one of those alongside the Mediterranean Plate. This was a great balance since the King's Bastilla is a sweet dinner/dessert. Shredded chicken with almond and rose water paste and egg surrounded by filo dough and sprinkled with confectioner sugar and cinnamon. This was an excellent dish, though I felt it was a little heavy on the rose water flavor (I don't know enough about it to know if one could make it less floral). Overall, a very nice dish with lovely textures. I love filo dough! The mediterranean plate was also very good. Two dolmas (stuffed grape leaves) were nice, though a little heavy with the oil, but again, I don't know if this is how most dolmas are or not...Maybe I should have squeezed more lemon juice on them which was provided. Love the balance of the Greek salad. Good pita. Great cucumber sauce - heavy on the garlic which is fine with me. :-) Spanikopita was great. We will be back. And we will bring friends.
(4)Karen E.
I really like this place. Overall, I got a home-made feel from all of their dishes. Where to start? I am from Chicago and was raised on its Greektown, and this place held a lot of positives for me. Their location ain't bad either. There is something magical about their mint tea. Seriously. Try it iced. It's perfect. Their gyros is good. Really good. Their yogurt/cucumber sauce is really really good too. And their hummus? So light and creamy. I'm not a huuuuge fan of cumin, but I didn't really have a problem with it being in their hummus. That's how good their hummus is. The spanakopita was really nice too. And the greek salad. The highlight for me was their couscous dish. I got the chicken but I didn't need the meat. The sauce and the veggies and little bit of garbanzos, was really really good. In fact, I'm going to order it today. I wasn't a huge fan of the falafel sandwich. But it wasn't a bad experience. The only other complaint I might have is that they seem reserved about salt. Nothing was bland. And when I salted it, all of the subtle, home-cooked and delicious flavors were really there.
(4)Linnea I.
I really want to like this place. I really, really do. Middle Eastern/ Mediterranean is my go to comfort food. But a recent meal made me give up. The food simply wasn't seasoned well. I started with falafel, which had a nice texture, but next to no flavor. There were little, occasional, pockets of flavor, but very inconsistent. My chicken with couscous was quite dull (although perked up when I took the remainder of it home and reheated it). The baklava was also just "meh". I feel bad because the staff are really, really and want people to be pleased.
(2)Elizabeth H.
Super fresh, homemade, authentic food from Mediterranean regions of Greece, Morocco and Tunisia. Best baba ganoush ever! The restaurant itself could use a bit of a spiff up but the food is fresh, fantastic and reasonably priced.
(5)Gizele S.
Awesome food. Ridha is owner gives great customer service. We are military family. Will miss place when we are transferred out.
(5)Kara S.
The interior is small but inviting, decorated in dark burgundy and white with posters and items from Tunisia, Morocco, and Greece. We started our meal with mint tea, which is served piping hot or on the rocks. I encourage you to try this refreshing beverage not only due to the marvelous taste but also because it is meant as a show of hospitality from your host/-ess. The menu has various appetizers on offer but on that day, we were craving spanakopita. Even though I felt it was light on the dill, we thoroughly enjoyed the spinach and feta pastry. Our party took advantage of the lunch specials, served from 11am to 2pm Mon thru Sat. We most certainly wish to return for dinner although we are a bit put off by the fact that this restaurant does not serve alcohol. For lunch, we tried the Tunisian Plate and the Greek Combo. The Greek Combo is pretty straightforward: dolmas, Greek salad (or rice, if you prefer), pita, lamb and beef gyro slices. The meat was deliciously flavored and not dry at all. Kasbah is pretty generous with its portions as well so you get a large salad with quality ingredients. The Tunisian Plate was a wonderful surprise. Along with the salad and pita points, you are also served a brika, which consists of potato mousse, parsley, and egg wrapped in pastry and fried. I'd never eaten anything like it!
(4)Jenn D.
I was excited to try this little restaurant, but left a bit disappointed. I think there is potential, but until the food has more flavor (I had the chicken tagine) and the falafel isn't doughy I won't be returning. And definitely not to pay what seems like a high price for food that wasn't completely satisfying. However, the Moroccan mint tea is awesome! Some of the best tea I've tasted. I sampled a bite of my companion's gyro and wish I had ordered one instead of my dish. But I do have to say the chicken in my dish was cooked to perfection. Just add more flavor, please! The service was good, so that is a plus. But the restroom... grimy, so that's not pleasant. Maybe this restaurant started out well or I just went on a bad day???
(2)RealWater W.
Although this spot is located right next to the ever so popular Dion's, you must cross over and dine here. I get my orders to go so while I wait I am always offered Moroccan Hot Mint Tea. Friendly, prompt service every time. I get the Falafel sandwich. I like it because it's clearly not a powdered mix. You can see the smashed garbanzos and it's not deep fried, for me that is a plus. Served with fresh veggies and sauce. I hope to dine in one of these days but for now I have to say this is my favorite place for Falafel.
(3)Mike L.
I really enjoyed eating here. We started with a Greek salad and baba ganoush. Both were excellent. The dressing on the salad had a house made dressing that was great. I followed this up with the Lamb tagine with Honey. What a wonderful dish. As soon as I got home I was googling it to find a recipe so I can make it for myself:-) I wish I could remember what we had for dessert, it wasn't on the menu. It was prepared at the Kasbah with rosewater and almonds, light, not too sweet and tasty. I would definitely come back here again!
(4)Christopher S.
Meh. When my wife and I drove by Kasbah, we knew we had to try it. Unfortunately, the restaurant was less than mediocre. The food was bland, and my wife's food wasn't cooked thoroughly. The Moroccan mint tea was about the only good thing we tried. Maybe we'll give it another try in a few months, but doubtful.
(2)Cristina M.
I finally tried this place. I'm not sure when it opened, but I frequently drive down this part of Central (especially having kids, we go to the Dion's on Monroe and Central every few months) and see this place and always tell my husband that we should try it. Last night was my lucky night. It's a small place with posters and art from Morocco and Tunisia, tastefully displayed. The menu is not large, but certainly enough variety, with some Greek, and mostly Moroccan and Tunisian. Tempting as a Greek salad was, I did not go for Greek-I wanted the more exotic and so I branched out and ordered the tangine of lamb and honey. I'm not a big fan of raisins, especially cooked, and previous Moroccan food I've had has had a lot of raisins. I'm also a little wary of sweet and savory dishes in general but like I said, I was being adventurous. This dish was filled with dried apricots, dried plums, and (I'll call them) dried grapes, big chunks of extraordinarily tender lamb, served with a sweet (honey?) saffron basmati rice and a couple of slices of steamed vegetables (those weren't so great, actually). So many different tastes and textures, and it was very good. I'd never had stewed prunes or apricots before, especially with meat, but they actually went very well together. The platter my food was served on was large and although the dish cost $15.99, it was a lot of food. I couldn't eat all the dried fruit (and imagine the calories!!), but I did a good job of eating almost everything on my plate. I admit that the dried plums (prunes, if you will) had a texture that was a little hard to swallow (literally), but the flavor was quite remarkable. To those who thought the food wasn't flavorful enough, I argue that it's different. Every country has its own unique way of seasoning their food and maybe it's not to our American tastes, but Kasbah's food certainly had its own unique flavor and while it was "lacking" garlic, for instance, it certainly wasn't lacking any flavor. My husband had the Mediterranean chicken tangine and my kids each had a gyro. These dishes were very tasty, too. Lastly, let me not forget to mention the tea! As everyone else has mentioned, the tea was phenomenal. Since it was so hot yesterday, I had the iced version. It is a green tea infused with mint and honey (or sugar). It wasn't as sweet as other Mediterranean teas, but so refreshing. I drank three glasses (and was glad it was green tea and not black, considering the time of day). I'll definitely be back. The service was prompt. There was only one young lady working the floor and I was afraid service would be very slow, but it wasn't at all. It was just right. If I'm as satisfied next time I try this place, I'll up their rating to 5 stars.
(4)Jane Z.
Comfortable setting ,friendly owner and delicious food. The dolmas were very tasty, the mint tea with rose water was marvelous and the bastilla was fit for a king. Will definitely be back
(4)Landa M.
This place is an absolute insult to Middle Eastern/Mediterranean cooking. Let me start by saying, this is my first review I have ever done, for any place I have eaten at in my entire life. I am so dissatisfied with my food at Kasbah, I had to say something. I ordered a plate with gyro's, spanakopita, dolma, cucumber sauce, hummus, rice & pita bread, cost $15. I fully intend on contacting the state human services for a complete inspection of the kitchen if I get sick. Right now, from my ounce of food I have ate, I feel nauseous, and my stomach turned. I have not gotten food poisoning from a restaurant in +10 years, and I believe this one may change that. Here's each item. Gyro Slices- Absolutely gross. I ordered my food at 11am thinking it would be fresh, this was clearly yesterday's trimmings. Every piece had the consistency of something that was sliced many hours ago and left under a heat lamp to dry. Slightly moister than beef jerky. In fact the constancy implied it was yesterday's trimmings that were reheated back up in a stir fry pan because each side was crisp, and seared 1 color shade above black, with heavy oil. I have eaten +100 different versions of gyro, and this one was the worst. You can't serve yesterday's food guys. Dolma- I want to be clear that this is not me being hyper critical. There are right and wrong ways to make things, and the dolma was wrong on every level. In my box, each sat in 1/5 inch oil when I opened to start, first bite I gagged. The rice texture was 100% oil smush, with a white slightly tinted green inside. I don't know what the stuffing was, it had 0 flavor, only oil. I have never, not 1 single time in my entire life, ate dolma that was soaked in oil to this degree. Upsetting because I don't think you can buy dolma of this poor quality in the store, I really don't understand how it could be made so poorly. My guess it is was prepared in mass, and sections are unfroze weekly. No flavor, not fresh, 0 spices, rice was pudding consistency inside. Hummus - As I write this, my stomach sounds like a small animal is inside. The hummus I believe is what actually may get me sick in this whole plate of bad food. It taste like metal. Like most people, I have tried a wide variety of hummus, and commonly will make my own from scratch. The taste of metal was so apparent in this, I fear this restaurant could actually hurt someone. My guess it not homemade, moreover it is purchased in bulk, in a can, then stored in a fridge. While in the fridge for several weeks I believe the inside metal coating on the can is slowly deteriorating into the food to some degree by oxidation. This is dangerous guys. Once again, I'm not trolling, this really is not the way to do business. Spanakopita - This was for my coworker. She took two bites & threw it away. Rather than me review something I did not eat, I will say the next words of her mouth was, "were not eating there again". Pita bread - Flat bread with butter/oil saturated. Just upsetting to even see. This would have been good bread had they not pasted it with butter & oil for absolutely no reason. Taste like a cheap store purchased variety, nothing implied it to be homemade. Cucumber sauce - The appearance was so off I could not eat it. The constancy was water. I truly feared the off color green chucks were moldy and tossed it. Once again the likelihood is that this was made in bulk, and my portion was scooped off the top before it was mixed adequately, as it was mostly water & lacked a resemblance to any cucumber sauce I have made or had before. Rice- The rice was long grain that looked to be cooked in turmeric for an orange color. No flavor at all. Had the chef tasted the rice of the day he would have realized he forgot to add salt. Easy fix guys, rice is cheap. Simple do over. Also over buttered. No reason to have this much butter and oil in preparation. It gives the rice an unnatural squishy feeling. I ordered my food to go, the total amount was $15. Do I want a refund, no, let me tell you why I wrote this review in the first place. My family is Mediterranean/middle eastern. I eat this type of food on a daily bases. It pains me to say this, but the food I ate at your restaurant today is an insult to our culture, and makes me seriously doubt that the cooks who prepared any of this have any understanding of Mediterranean food. The food was made to a standard lower than was is acceptable for consumption. I truly feel that something in the kitchen may be also contaminating the food, as my hummus review stated. Let me wrap this up by saying what I would like. I wrote this review for two reasons. One, I wanted to be clear of my experiences so other patrons would know. The bulk of this review is intended for the owners. Take what I said with a grain of salt, try your food, work on correcting the mistakes. I know everyone has good days and bad days, understood. Maybe Tuesday at 11am was the worst day of the
(1)alexis g.
Wow! I may have just had the greatest Gyro Sandwich ever! The meat was savory and sliced extra thin for perfect crispness and not at all dry. The MORROCAN mint tea was also fantastic!
(5)Scott H.
What incredible tagine, the chicken is as tender as Mom's pot roast. Dolmas are excellent, great Turkish coffee.
(5)Mandy O.
This is place is awesome :) Went here with the family tonight for my mom's birthday - she wanted some mediterrean hole-in-the-wall with awesome food... done and done! We had no idea what we were walking into, but it was a great surprise. Our waitress (Marz) was friendly and helpful. Apparently the cook himself (who we got to greet as we were leaving) is from Tunisia. The moroccan mint tea is delicious - if you're a tea-drinker, say yes to this offer :) Our total order included the brinka appetizer, lamb and honey tangine, chicken mruzia tangine, lamb couscous, lemon chicken tangine, side of pita bread, baklava for dessert. The brinka is potato and egg in a thin crispy dough pocket. Light on flavor - good to split between 2 people as an appetizer. The lamb & honey and the chicken mruzia were very similar in presentation - both delicious - kind of on the sweet side - so if you're savory more than a sweet kind of person, maybe stay away from these options, but they were very good. The lamb couscous was delicious as was the lemon chicken. Since it was my mom's bday we got a baklava - Marz brought us a 2nd one - on the house - for her birthday... nice touch :) All-in-all it a was a great experience. The service was very personable and the food was great. Next time I'm in Albuquerque I'm coming back!
(5)nicole g.
Awesome lamb shank and Greek salad. warm up with a cup of Moroccan Mint Tea and end with a slice of Baklava. you can tell everything is homemade at this little gem.
(5)Liz S.
What a nice suprise! The food was fresh and the taste superb! A new favorite restaurant! The mint tea delightful!
(4)Kelly K.
The closest you're going to get to Morocco/Algeria without getting on a plate. The King's bastia is authentic, as is the brikka. The only way the mint tea could be more like what you get in Morocco is if it were even sweeter. They've toned it down for American tastes, but it still is amazing. Highly, highly recommend it.
(4)Cassy S.
Went to Kasbah for the first time yesterday. I have had a lot of falafel in this city but i think this was my favorite. The rice was fantastic, appetizer we got (forgive me, i cant remember what it was called) was tasty and the tea was phenomenal. My husband got the gyro and he said he thought it was the best in town. We will be going back very soon.
(5)Barbara B.
Genuine atmosphere, food was ok, however, could use a bit of cleaning. Salt and pepper shakers a bit grimey. A few glitches, two hairs in the food made for an unfinished lunch. However,the place has great potential if they simply took better care of the above details. One final note, the hummus contained no flavor, simply tasted like whipped chick peas.
(2)Nate L.
I've started to test out several Greek and Mediterranean restaurants in town lately and have been surprised at how good they are. Kasbah is no exception. I wandered it waiting for some work to be done to my SUV at Jim's Muffler Shop nearby. I ordered a huge plate of seasoned lamb, chip cut pita bread, grape leaf wrapped rice and a Greek salad. It was way too much for me, but ended up being a great left over meal too. The server was pleasant and attentive, the food was hot and yummy and the water glass was never empty. I will be back if I'm in this side of town!
(4)Andrea G.
No Kids Menu!
(1)Shannendoah G.
I always get a tagine. Usually the honey lamb. Simply put, my favorite meal in the city.
(5)Alex N.
Good food, we had hummus and some puff pastry with potatoes (cant remember name) Both were very very good (nice fluffy bread) My brother had Lamb Couscous which was killer, well seasoned and a large portion. I had the King Bastilla, i was skeptical at first but after one bite i am hooked! The have some Gluten Free Options so we will visit again with our family!
(4)Jason G.
Driven past this place a thousand times and finally came in. I am a huge fan of middle-eastern and Moroccan food. The pics below are just right. My partner started with the mint tea, which she loved. We thought the King's Bastilla sounded amazing, and so we ordered one of those alongside the Mediterranean Plate. This was a great balance since the King's Bastilla is a sweet dinner/dessert. Shredded chicken with almond and rose water paste and egg surrounded by filo dough and sprinkled with confectioner sugar and cinnamon. This was an excellent dish, though I felt it was a little heavy on the rose water flavor (I don't know enough about it to know if one could make it less floral). Overall, a very nice dish with lovely textures. I love filo dough! The mediterranean plate was also very good. Two dolmas (stuffed grape leaves) were nice, though a little heavy with the oil, but again, I don't know if this is how most dolmas are or not...Maybe I should have squeezed more lemon juice on them which was provided. Love the balance of the Greek salad. Good pita. Great cucumber sauce - heavy on the garlic which is fine with me. :-) Spanikopita was great. We will be back. And we will bring friends.
(4)Alexandra Z.
I was looking for a place to kill some time the other day, and instead of going to the Taco Tote, I went here. The place was pretty empty, but had an intimate, dimly-lit ambience to it. Now, as a young woman, I sometimes feel weird when I go out alone, like I am a loser or something. But the owner (who was also my waiter) made me feel right at home. He brought me endless refills of the wonderful mint tea (which I highly recommend), and did not rush me to leave. I ordered the Mediterranean plate, which consisted of a greek salad, spanakopita, pita bread, and dolmas. My favorite was the spanakopita! Afterwards, we had a nice chat. He is a really down-to-earth dude, and Tunisian. I can't wait to go back again! Overall, a great experience, especially if you are looking for a low-key place to chill.
(4)ZÄ•nÅn O.
I was completely disappointed. From the outside, the place looks questionable enough; sun-faded posters of european supermodels eating gyros plastered over the dusty windows, poorly maintained front appearance with cheap decoration. The inside was also bad. It was evening, about 8 p.m., and I was the only person there. The server was nice enough, but poorly trained. After receiving my appetizer of hummus and pita (the hummus had a terribly dull, flavorless, powdered hummus cheap flavor and the pita was doughy) and eating through most of the pita, the server came by to ask if I wanted any more pita just come ask her. The problem with that was she was all the way on the other side of the room behind a wall and, a corner, and shrouded welcome desk, which would have required me either to shout across the room or walk to her to ask for more. I was had leftover hummus, and besides the previous note, it was unclear whether I would be charged the extra $4 for more pita (there was probably eight little triangles, as though a single pita was quartered twice. The quality of this appetizer was definitely not worth the price). I decided not to ask for more pita. Perhaps two minutes after order my entré, it was delivered and served. I ordered the Honeyed Lamb, which I expected to take 15 minutes to cook, considering I was at the time the only patron and such a dish is expected to be cooked fresh (at least for the price, which was an exorbitant $15.99). So, I was immediately skeptical. On the right side of the dish was three slices of overcooked, tasteless squash, in the middle, long grain (probably Jasmine) rice, yellow with turmeric and sprinkled with parsley. On the left, an opaque monstrosity of prunes and prunes and prunes and prunes. For all the prunes, there was surprisingly little flavor or variety. Indeed, it seemed as though the excessiveness of prunes was attempting to cover something darker...perhaps the old, gamey, bitter, awful lamb beneath? I started trying to eat the food. A couple a few tables away had just walked in and ordered their food. They looked optimistic at first, but their spirits also took a plunge after they were served. For them, it started before they even took a bite. The lady went to grab the pepper shaker (a wise choice, considering the dull blandness of the food). She shook it and the top came off, dousing her entire meal with pepper. An improvement, in my opinion, but the poor woman had no way of knowing. I could not finish my meal. I understand the gamble one takes when trying a new restaurant, especially when intuition speaks in such measures; I could have (and in retrospect, should have) turned away at the door. I considered a to-go box but realized quickly that there was no redeeming this meal. In total I payed about $24 for this meal plus a tip. Considering everything, and considering how awful I feel now, half an hour later, I might compare this whole experience to being mugged while forced to eat excrement. It was an extremely stressful experience. Normally, I'm not at all a picky eater.
(1)John D.
One of the first Middle Eastern spots I hit when u first arrived in Albuquerque. I was checking out the lunch specials out looking for an apartment. Although it seems popular, I was disappointed with both my falafel and hummus. The service and ice tea is good. They seem to have a lunch following. First impressions are important... I have not been back.
(2)Karen E.
I really like this place. Overall, I got a home-made feel from all of their dishes. Where to start? I am from Chicago and was raised on its Greektown, and this place held a lot of positives for me. Their location ain't bad either. There is something magical about their mint tea. Seriously. Try it iced. It's perfect. Their gyros is good. Really good. Their yogurt/cucumber sauce is really really good too. And their hummus? So light and creamy. I'm not a huuuuge fan of cumin, but I didn't really have a problem with it being in their hummus. That's how good their hummus is. The spanakopita was really nice too. And the greek salad. The highlight for me was their couscous dish. I got the chicken but I didn't need the meat. The sauce and the veggies and little bit of garbanzos, was really really good. In fact, I'm going to order it today. I wasn't a huge fan of the falafel sandwich. But it wasn't a bad experience. The only other complaint I might have is that they seem reserved about salt. Nothing was bland. And when I salted it, all of the subtle, home-cooked and delicious flavors were really there.
(4)Linnea I.
I really want to like this place. I really, really do. Middle Eastern/ Mediterranean is my go to comfort food. But a recent meal made me give up. The food simply wasn't seasoned well. I started with falafel, which had a nice texture, but next to no flavor. There were little, occasional, pockets of flavor, but very inconsistent. My chicken with couscous was quite dull (although perked up when I took the remainder of it home and reheated it). The baklava was also just "meh". I feel bad because the staff are really, really and want people to be pleased.
(2)alexis g.
Wow! I may have just had the greatest Gyro Sandwich ever! The meat was savory and sliced extra thin for perfect crispness and not at all dry. The MORROCAN mint tea was also fantastic!
(5)Scott H.
What incredible tagine, the chicken is as tender as Mom's pot roast. Dolmas are excellent, great Turkish coffee.
(5)Cristina M.
I finally tried this place. I'm not sure when it opened, but I frequently drive down this part of Central (especially having kids, we go to the Dion's on Monroe and Central every few months) and see this place and always tell my husband that we should try it. Last night was my lucky night. It's a small place with posters and art from Morocco and Tunisia, tastefully displayed. The menu is not large, but certainly enough variety, with some Greek, and mostly Moroccan and Tunisian. Tempting as a Greek salad was, I did not go for Greek-I wanted the more exotic and so I branched out and ordered the tangine of lamb and honey. I'm not a big fan of raisins, especially cooked, and previous Moroccan food I've had has had a lot of raisins. I'm also a little wary of sweet and savory dishes in general but like I said, I was being adventurous. This dish was filled with dried apricots, dried plums, and (I'll call them) dried grapes, big chunks of extraordinarily tender lamb, served with a sweet (honey?) saffron basmati rice and a couple of slices of steamed vegetables (those weren't so great, actually). So many different tastes and textures, and it was very good. I'd never had stewed prunes or apricots before, especially with meat, but they actually went very well together. The platter my food was served on was large and although the dish cost $15.99, it was a lot of food. I couldn't eat all the dried fruit (and imagine the calories!!), but I did a good job of eating almost everything on my plate. I admit that the dried plums (prunes, if you will) had a texture that was a little hard to swallow (literally), but the flavor was quite remarkable. To those who thought the food wasn't flavorful enough, I argue that it's different. Every country has its own unique way of seasoning their food and maybe it's not to our American tastes, but Kasbah's food certainly had its own unique flavor and while it was "lacking" garlic, for instance, it certainly wasn't lacking any flavor. My husband had the Mediterranean chicken tangine and my kids each had a gyro. These dishes were very tasty, too. Lastly, let me not forget to mention the tea! As everyone else has mentioned, the tea was phenomenal. Since it was so hot yesterday, I had the iced version. It is a green tea infused with mint and honey (or sugar). It wasn't as sweet as other Mediterranean teas, but so refreshing. I drank three glasses (and was glad it was green tea and not black, considering the time of day). I'll definitely be back. The service was prompt. There was only one young lady working the floor and I was afraid service would be very slow, but it wasn't at all. It was just right. If I'm as satisfied next time I try this place, I'll up their rating to 5 stars.
(4)Jane Z.
Comfortable setting ,friendly owner and delicious food. The dolmas were very tasty, the mint tea with rose water was marvelous and the bastilla was fit for a king. Will definitely be back
(4)Landa M.
This place is an absolute insult to Middle Eastern/Mediterranean cooking. Let me start by saying, this is my first review I have ever done, for any place I have eaten at in my entire life. I am so dissatisfied with my food at Kasbah, I had to say something. I ordered a plate with gyro's, spanakopita, dolma, cucumber sauce, hummus, rice & pita bread, cost $15. I fully intend on contacting the state human services for a complete inspection of the kitchen if I get sick. Right now, from my ounce of food I have ate, I feel nauseous, and my stomach turned. I have not gotten food poisoning from a restaurant in +10 years, and I believe this one may change that. Here's each item. Gyro Slices- Absolutely gross. I ordered my food at 11am thinking it would be fresh, this was clearly yesterday's trimmings. Every piece had the consistency of something that was sliced many hours ago and left under a heat lamp to dry. Slightly moister than beef jerky. In fact the constancy implied it was yesterday's trimmings that were reheated back up in a stir fry pan because each side was crisp, and seared 1 color shade above black, with heavy oil. I have eaten +100 different versions of gyro, and this one was the worst. You can't serve yesterday's food guys. Dolma- I want to be clear that this is not me being hyper critical. There are right and wrong ways to make things, and the dolma was wrong on every level. In my box, each sat in 1/5 inch oil when I opened to start, first bite I gagged. The rice texture was 100% oil smush, with a white slightly tinted green inside. I don't know what the stuffing was, it had 0 flavor, only oil. I have never, not 1 single time in my entire life, ate dolma that was soaked in oil to this degree. Upsetting because I don't think you can buy dolma of this poor quality in the store, I really don't understand how it could be made so poorly. My guess it is was prepared in mass, and sections are unfroze weekly. No flavor, not fresh, 0 spices, rice was pudding consistency inside. Hummus - As I write this, my stomach sounds like a small animal is inside. The hummus I believe is what actually may get me sick in this whole plate of bad food. It taste like metal. Like most people, I have tried a wide variety of hummus, and commonly will make my own from scratch. The taste of metal was so apparent in this, I fear this restaurant could actually hurt someone. My guess it not homemade, moreover it is purchased in bulk, in a can, then stored in a fridge. While in the fridge for several weeks I believe the inside metal coating on the can is slowly deteriorating into the food to some degree by oxidation. This is dangerous guys. Once again, I'm not trolling, this really is not the way to do business. Spanakopita - This was for my coworker. She took two bites & threw it away. Rather than me review something I did not eat, I will say the next words of her mouth was, "were not eating there again". Pita bread - Flat bread with butter/oil saturated. Just upsetting to even see. This would have been good bread had they not pasted it with butter & oil for absolutely no reason. Taste like a cheap store purchased variety, nothing implied it to be homemade. Cucumber sauce - The appearance was so off I could not eat it. The constancy was water. I truly feared the off color green chucks were moldy and tossed it. Once again the likelihood is that this was made in bulk, and my portion was scooped off the top before it was mixed adequately, as it was mostly water & lacked a resemblance to any cucumber sauce I have made or had before. Rice- The rice was long grain that looked to be cooked in turmeric for an orange color. No flavor at all. Had the chef tasted the rice of the day he would have realized he forgot to add salt. Easy fix guys, rice is cheap. Simple do over. Also over buttered. No reason to have this much butter and oil in preparation. It gives the rice an unnatural squishy feeling. I ordered my food to go, the total amount was $15. Do I want a refund, no, let me tell you why I wrote this review in the first place. My family is Mediterranean/middle eastern. I eat this type of food on a daily bases. It pains me to say this, but the food I ate at your restaurant today is an insult to our culture, and makes me seriously doubt that the cooks who prepared any of this have any understanding of Mediterranean food. The food was made to a standard lower than was is acceptable for consumption. I truly feel that something in the kitchen may be also contaminating the food, as my hummus review stated. Let me wrap this up by saying what I would like. I wrote this review for two reasons. One, I wanted to be clear of my experiences so other patrons would know. The bulk of this review is intended for the owners. Take what I said with a grain of salt, try your food, work on correcting the mistakes. I know everyone has good days and bad days, understood. Maybe Tuesday at 11am was the worst day of the
(1)Jenn D.
I was excited to try this little restaurant, but left a bit disappointed. I think there is potential, but until the food has more flavor (I had the chicken tagine) and the falafel isn't doughy I won't be returning. And definitely not to pay what seems like a high price for food that wasn't completely satisfying. However, the Moroccan mint tea is awesome! Some of the best tea I've tasted. I sampled a bite of my companion's gyro and wish I had ordered one instead of my dish. But I do have to say the chicken in my dish was cooked to perfection. Just add more flavor, please! The service was good, so that is a plus. But the restroom... grimy, so that's not pleasant. Maybe this restaurant started out well or I just went on a bad day???
(2)RealWater W.
Although this spot is located right next to the ever so popular Dion's, you must cross over and dine here. I get my orders to go so while I wait I am always offered Moroccan Hot Mint Tea. Friendly, prompt service every time. I get the Falafel sandwich. I like it because it's clearly not a powdered mix. You can see the smashed garbanzos and it's not deep fried, for me that is a plus. Served with fresh veggies and sauce. I hope to dine in one of these days but for now I have to say this is my favorite place for Falafel.
(3)Mike L.
I really enjoyed eating here. We started with a Greek salad and baba ganoush. Both were excellent. The dressing on the salad had a house made dressing that was great. I followed this up with the Lamb tagine with Honey. What a wonderful dish. As soon as I got home I was googling it to find a recipe so I can make it for myself:-) I wish I could remember what we had for dessert, it wasn't on the menu. It was prepared at the Kasbah with rosewater and almonds, light, not too sweet and tasty. I would definitely come back here again!
(4)Christopher S.
Meh. When my wife and I drove by Kasbah, we knew we had to try it. Unfortunately, the restaurant was less than mediocre. The food was bland, and my wife's food wasn't cooked thoroughly. The Moroccan mint tea was about the only good thing we tried. Maybe we'll give it another try in a few months, but doubtful.
(2)Elizabeth H.
Super fresh, homemade, authentic food from Mediterranean regions of Greece, Morocco and Tunisia. Best baba ganoush ever! The restaurant itself could use a bit of a spiff up but the food is fresh, fantastic and reasonably priced.
(5)Gizele S.
Awesome food. Ridha is owner gives great customer service. We are military family. Will miss place when we are transferred out.
(5)Kara S.
The interior is small but inviting, decorated in dark burgundy and white with posters and items from Tunisia, Morocco, and Greece. We started our meal with mint tea, which is served piping hot or on the rocks. I encourage you to try this refreshing beverage not only due to the marvelous taste but also because it is meant as a show of hospitality from your host/-ess. The menu has various appetizers on offer but on that day, we were craving spanakopita. Even though I felt it was light on the dill, we thoroughly enjoyed the spinach and feta pastry. Our party took advantage of the lunch specials, served from 11am to 2pm Mon thru Sat. We most certainly wish to return for dinner although we are a bit put off by the fact that this restaurant does not serve alcohol. For lunch, we tried the Tunisian Plate and the Greek Combo. The Greek Combo is pretty straightforward: dolmas, Greek salad (or rice, if you prefer), pita, lamb and beef gyro slices. The meat was deliciously flavored and not dry at all. Kasbah is pretty generous with its portions as well so you get a large salad with quality ingredients. The Tunisian Plate was a wonderful surprise. Along with the salad and pita points, you are also served a brika, which consists of potato mousse, parsley, and egg wrapped in pastry and fried. I'd never eaten anything like it!
(4)Cassy S.
Went to Kasbah for the first time yesterday. I have had a lot of falafel in this city but i think this was my favorite. The rice was fantastic, appetizer we got (forgive me, i cant remember what it was called) was tasty and the tea was phenomenal. My husband got the gyro and he said he thought it was the best in town. We will be going back very soon.
(5)Mandy O.
This is place is awesome :) Went here with the family tonight for my mom's birthday - she wanted some mediterrean hole-in-the-wall with awesome food... done and done! We had no idea what we were walking into, but it was a great surprise. Our waitress (Marz) was friendly and helpful. Apparently the cook himself (who we got to greet as we were leaving) is from Tunisia. The moroccan mint tea is delicious - if you're a tea-drinker, say yes to this offer :) Our total order included the brinka appetizer, lamb and honey tangine, chicken mruzia tangine, lamb couscous, lemon chicken tangine, side of pita bread, baklava for dessert. The brinka is potato and egg in a thin crispy dough pocket. Light on flavor - good to split between 2 people as an appetizer. The lamb & honey and the chicken mruzia were very similar in presentation - both delicious - kind of on the sweet side - so if you're savory more than a sweet kind of person, maybe stay away from these options, but they were very good. The lamb couscous was delicious as was the lemon chicken. Since it was my mom's bday we got a baklava - Marz brought us a 2nd one - on the house - for her birthday... nice touch :) All-in-all it a was a great experience. The service was very personable and the food was great. Next time I'm in Albuquerque I'm coming back!
(5)nicole g.
Awesome lamb shank and Greek salad. warm up with a cup of Moroccan Mint Tea and end with a slice of Baklava. you can tell everything is homemade at this little gem.
(5)Liz S.
What a nice suprise! The food was fresh and the taste superb! A new favorite restaurant! The mint tea delightful!
(4)Kelly K.
The closest you're going to get to Morocco/Algeria without getting on a plate. The King's bastia is authentic, as is the brikka. The only way the mint tea could be more like what you get in Morocco is if it were even sweeter. They've toned it down for American tastes, but it still is amazing. Highly, highly recommend it.
(4)