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Ali Baba Mediterranean Grill
Categories: Restaurants Middle Eastern Restaurants Greek Restaurants Buffets Middle Eastern, Greek, Buffets [Edit]
1901 Abrams RdDallas, TX 75214
Neighborhood: Lakewood
(214) 823-8235
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 11 am - 2:30 pm
Mon-Fri 5 pm - 10 pm
Sat 11 am - 10 pm
Sun 11 am - 3 pm
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
- Dogs Allowed:
- No
101 reviews for Ali Baba Mediterranean Grill
Review Highlights
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"The mazza plate is easily enough food for two people." In 13 reviews -
"They also have the best hummus around." In 43 reviews -
"Had the Shish Tawook, Eggplant dip & Gyros Plate." In 10 reviews
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101 reviews in English
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Review from Heather F.
Austin, TX
5/22/2012 1 Check-in Here
Dear Austin, TX:
Please open up a good Mediterranean restaurant like Ali Baba.
Love,
Heather
This is one of my most favorite restaurants in Dallas. I have eaten for years at their Greenville Ave location but I love this one even better. One of the reasons why I love their food is that they pay close attention to flavor. SO YUMMY!!!!! Ali Baba's tabouli is my favorite ever. Their lamb is from New Zealand and for some reason they like to cook it too well done for me so be sure to ask for it rare to really taste the flavor.
They also run a tight ship when it comes to service with water glasses filled up frequently and plates cleared quickly. They have a great wine list so be sure to order wine with your dinner. This Lakewood location has ample seating making it easier to eat on busy weekends. -
Review from Megan M.
Dallas, TX
4/29/2012
Tried this place last night based on the high yelp rating and some reviews. I can only assume that these reviews were based on lunch time service, because my dinner time experience was in no way equivalent to four stars.
I had no idea what to expect and when we walked in on a Saturday night and we were going to be one of four tables at 8:00. This probably already screams volumes and this is not a hot dinner spot apparently.
The atmosphere is awful. I can't event begin to describe how drab and dated the interior is. The bar area was closed (which is weird, because I can only guess that it's not open a lunch - so is it permanently closed?) and they had the lights off in that area. Well it was a large area and made it seem like the restaurant was closing or something.
I'm thinking it might feel more active at lunch when they have the buffet open, but at dinner time it felt like a scene from a movie when crickets should have been chirping upon entering.
Secondly, the wine list was pathetic. I was hoping it would be more authentic regional wines but no. The wine I did choose from their limited selection, I had never heard of and it was awful. They had descriptions of the wine's flavors and I would say they were completely off.
To end on a good note, the food was pretty good. I liked their Hummus and we had the Gyros and Saffron Chicken. There was definitely plenty of food and taking leftovers home is probably inevitable. Service was also pretty good.
Even though the food was good, I will probably not return. The atmosphere is such a downer I just can't get past it. -
Review from Anne L.
1/31/2012 1 Check-in Here
This is one of the better Greek/Mediterranean restaurants I've been to in the DFW area. My review is only for the dinner dine in.
-Hummus - very smooth, flavorful and light. Free pita bread refills - good thing too, because a portion of the hummus is quite large (sharable between two people).
-Chicken Saffron - Yum! I dislike creamy sauces, but I LOVED this dish. It's so light that it's creamy without being overwhelming. The chicken is tender and paired very well with the sauce and the side of rice.
-Gyro Plate - HUGE portion, plenty of gyro for leftovers and beyond. The gyro is seasoned well and tasty, if a bit dry sometimes.
-Rice is soft and not too salty, however, some times it tastes better than others.
Service was great the first time I went and good the second.
I do love that they serve their hummus and the gyro plate with a side of fresh tomatoes, delicious sour pickles (but not too sour!) and olives. -
Review from Leslie L.
Garland, TX
5/19/2012
Couscous. Great place to take your mom for her birthday.
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Review from Bart S.
Dallas, TX
5/18/2012
SO GOOD!!!
Chicken is my major form of protein and OMG Ali Baba does wonders for chicken. I had the chicken kabob with rice and roasted veggies. Everything was wonderful and abundant. I had enough food for lunch the next day. I will be going here again... SOON! -
Review from Tiffany R.
Dallas, TX
5/2/2012
I went here on Saturday for the lunch buffet. I think it was like $13 for the buffet. The decor is pretty cool. Good food, nice servers, average prices. Gets the job done.
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Review from Lamont G.
4/17/2012 1 Check-in Here
Great food. One of my favorites was the meat dish where they shave off slices of lamb. It's always better when you can actually see the slab of meat out in the open, loud and proud it's bout to get sliced up. I've been to places where they don't display it.. and it is usually turns out looking like fresh roadkill grizzle. The saffron rice mixed with their chicken curry was a chemical combination of flavas that was pretty memorable. that Sooooo Good. Will have to check it out for a lunch buffet sometime, it sounds amazing.
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Review from Sarah L.
Dallas, TX
Updated - 4/10/2012
Finally had dinner here, was fantastic! I had the Saffron Chicken, it was in a cream sauce but surprisingly not too heavy, but only ate half, took the rest home and it heated up nicely as leftovers.
We were a very large party and the service was pretty decent considering the amount of people they were serving. Not to mention, we were out in about 2 hours, almost unheard of with parties this size.
I will go back. There are several other dishes I want to try. I also want check out there daily buffet for $9.99.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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2/23/2012
Finally had dinner here, was fantastic! I had the Saffron Chicken, it was in a cream sauce but… Read more »
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Review from Renee L.
Dallas, TX
3/13/2012 1 Check-in Here
Go for lunch. Not dinner. I didn't really like anything we ordered and at lunch, it's a buffet for $10 with tons of choices. I don't plan to go back for dinner...ever! The chicken was too vinegary. They add dairy to their hummus...even though it doesn't say that on the menu and it doesn't taste like hummus anymore. The pita was fresh. The steamed veggies had too much liquid all over them...not sure what it was.
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Review from Samantha G.
Rowlett, TX
4/1/2012 1 Check-in Here
$12 for Sunday lunch is an amazing deal for this delicious food!
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Review from Leza M.
Dallas, TX
Great Neighborhood Mediterranean Buffet. Surprisingly delicious Tomato soup and I don't even like tomato soup as a rule...From Beef to Lamb, vegetables, rice, hummus to dolmas. GREAT Variety and inexpensive for all you get.
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Review from Kathryn E.
Dallas, TX
Updated - 12/9/2011
Still liked the original, hole-in-the-wall, Greenville location best, but this site has the same good Lebanese fare. We tried the buffet today for the first time (they no longer allow ordering off the menu at lunch). I was initially worried as buffets to me mean lukewarm, marginal fare, but that was not the case here.
The chef's in the back (can watch them with the open kitchen design) were busy putting out fresh fare the entire time we were there. The buffet had all my faves (I usually like the mezze) along with great kabobs and generous meat servings. They still have the best and most authentic tabouli in town, and I love the baba ganoush!
At $10, I think this is a great lunch steal... thanks, Ali Baba, for never disappointing!2 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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4/20/2009
Hands down the BEST Lebanese in Dallas!
I tend to stick with the mezze as they are just soooooo good,… Read more »
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Review from Shanna C.
3/10/2012 2 Check-ins Here
I have to say it, I just love this place. Every time we go it's the same standard food. We know what to expect and the flavors and service are always the same. For a $10 buffet yummy lunch, you just couldn't ask for anything more in my opinion.
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Review from blake j.
Dallas, TX
10/2/2011
I was disappointed. So much so that perhaps this should be renamed FARTY BABA! It's too bad, but the pita was old, the hummus too garlicky, and the kabobs too dry.
What compounds this failure is that we've dined here before, and while I'd be willing to chalk this up to one bad night but we've experienced a few terrible nights in a row. -
Review from Chris mary E.
Dallas, TX
9/27/2011
Let me preface this by saying I am Middle Eastern and I'm also a New Yorker. What this means is that my culinary palate when it comes to this kind of cuisine is super critical when checking out new places that claim to serve some of the Middle Eastern/Mediterranean staples.
Ali Baba. Wow. Where do I start? I ordered what I thought were 5-6 side dishes (for 2 people) but it could have comfortably fed 4. (leftovers? heck ya!)
I ordered:
Roasted Cauliflower. Ok the word roasted is a misnomer. I asked them how they made it. It's deep fried. Which explains why it's friggin DELICIOUS. If my mom made cauliflower like this, I'd be in heaven, and also 400 pounds.
Tabbouleh. This was pretty standard to all tabboulehs and was a nice splash of green on the table.
Zaatar bread (basically thick fluffy pita triangles with olive paste). AMAZING. I could have that alone, and been content.
Baba Ghanouj: A bit too much vinegar for my taste, but still good.
Finally, Kibbeh (fried, not baked). Very consistent also. I love the different textures of the minced meat, bulgar wheat and pine nuts. It tends to run a little dry so feel free to dip it in yogurt sauce.
The bill averaged out to $25 pp including wine and alcohol.
Not bad for such a feast. And now...time for the gym. -
Review from Tony R.
Dallas, TX
10/3/2011 4 Check-ins Here
I have never been to Ali Baba except on this visit. I have to say, it's one of my favorite Mediterranean restaurants I have ever had for lunch.
1. The location is convenient and I love Lakewood and am familiar with the area. There isn't much to the outside decor, looks like a strip mall will a parking lot. The inside was cool and clean and not steamy or greasy like some other lunch buffets. There is plenty of room and made you feel like you could carry on a conversation easily without yelling.
2. The lunch buffet price was affordable at $10.00 per person and includes the buffet and drinks. I tipped because they servers were on top of drink refills and kept empty plates off of the table. They also helped to understand the food I was unfamiliar with, which wasn't much.
3. The food was plentiful and fresh, even close to 2pm. They close around 2:30pm, I think. The food was absolutely fantastic. They had something for everyone. Meats, vegetables, grains, sauces, pitas, soups, falafal and desserts. Everything you would expect from a Mediterranean Food restaurant and more. All very good. I liked the variety of their buffet. It really is quite large but not so large that everything sucked. All the food
If there was only one thing keeping this place from 5 stars it would have to be that some of the food had a little too much oil on some of the food. It was tasty, But sometimes too much is just too much.
I will definitely come back and invite all my friends to this place. -
Review from Phx D.
Dallas, TX
4/8/2012
The best hummus ever! Smooth and creamy, light and tasty. I have never had hummus this good. Food is fresh and not salty. Staff is friendly and welcoming. Gyro was delicious and the chicken was to die for. All around excellent food. I highly recommend this place.
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Review from Dan P.
Dallas, TX
2/25/2012
Humm. Reading reviews don't think their foodies. Hummus - very smooth. It's been pureed. No real flavor. Had the saffron chicken mushroom. Boil a chicken water down some cream of mushroom. there you go. Saffron rice? Think they forgot the saffron. (oh Yeah that stuff cost money) Ok pan Fried cheese. Ok but who can't do that.
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Review from Melissa J.
Dallas, TX
Updated - 8/12/2011 5 Check-ins Here
I hate to do this but I have to temporarily downgrade my review. We ordered to-go last night and were soooooooooo disappointed once we finally ate last night.
We ordered saffron chicken and a gyro. We've had the chicken before and it was so flavorful and good but this time the chicken was so dry we could barely eat it. It was too late at night to take it back so we suffered through it. The gyro was great as always but overall a disappointing experience. They have also raised their prices approx. $2 per entree which sucks. The gyro is now $12 but it comes with rice (a little tiny scoop). I do have to say though that the rice is so good I could eat just that and be happy.
I hope you haven't downgraded your quality with the increase of your prices Ali Baba.Listed in: Some of my favorites
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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9/9/2010
Wow I can't believe I haven't written a review for this place yet. It may not be 5 stars for some… Read more »
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Review from SHELBY L.
Dallas, TX
6/20/2011
Holy Hummus, Im in love!
Ali Baba didnt have there buffet open for a late Saturday lunch, but that was fine by my family and I. We tried a variety of items on the menu and they were all amazing. I got the lamb moussaka, which was plentiful and seasoned perfectly. And it had pine nuts up the wazzoo! I loved it. I have had moussaka with bechamel cheese on top before, but I didnt miss it on this dish. (And Im kind of obsessed with cheese, so this is a big deal yall)
And the hummus was some of the best I've had with the perfect amount of garlic. I didnt try the tabbouleh (not really my thang) but my mom and sister enjoyed it too.
Our waiter was very polite and attentive. We will definitely be back! -
Review from P K.
Dallas, TX
2/10/2012
I've been coming to this place since I was little (back when they were on Lower Greenville and the mama was cookin). Let me just say that their food is still as amazing as it was 20 years ago. Some of what I've had here over the years:
*Hummus...ohh man, I've honestly never had hummus this delicious before. Perhaps the best hummus you'll ever find. I would recommend having them toast their pita bread before they bring it out...it just tastes that much better :)
*Gyro plate..pretty decent as far as gyros go, but its honestly hit or miss when it comes to the portion size. But, it comes with all the trimmings and a fantastic tzatziki sauce.
*Chicken kabobs have that really nice grilled taste and are perfectly complimented with a side of their oh so yummy in your tummy rice with vermicelli
*Tabbouleh is light, refreshing and tastes like everything you would expect with this salad
*Fava beans are lemony and garlicky and come in a bowl with a side of pita.
From what I remember their prices were within $8-15 a plate. The service is great and the owners still remember us from way back when. All in all, I'll still be coming here to fulfill my middle eastern fix :) -
Review from Kyle A.
7/15/2011
Tasty Middle Eastern / Mediterranean food.
At a reasonable price.
Don't miss out on the hummus.
And savor the amazing rice!
We eat here about once a month, and have never had a poor experience. The hummus is some of the best around, with a stronger lemony flavor than most. The moussaka is very good, as is the lightly breaded fried calamari.
The gyro plate is standard but good, while the chicken in a saffron curry cream sauce is delicious. The falafel is dry and tasteless, avoid. No matter what you get, make sure you try the saffron rice. Usually a side is just a side, but this rice is heavenly. The rice is basmati, cooked in vegetable stock with saffron, and mixed with small noodles. It's a great addition to everything.
The wine list is standard, with a few standouts. Try the Lebanese wines, they're pretty tasty and go well with the food. -
Review from Margot B.
Dallas, TX
1/16/2012
Very friendly service, great food. Wonderful atmosphere with brick ovens in the background. Also, rather simple options for picky kids!
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Review from Frances G.
Dallas, TX
2/6/2011
If only I was a Greek princess from the island of Crete that falls in love with a Greek boy named Thermompolos Okanopolis and we dine lavishly on Lamb meat, ziziki sauce, dolmas and hummus. BUT I am not. Dammit. I am not! So what do I do? I experience the closest thing I can to a Mediterranean adventure: I stuff my face until I can't breathe at Ali Baba Mediterranean Grill.
I hate to say this but it is the poor man's Ziziki's. Not 'poor man' in the sense that it isn't as good but 'poor man' in the sense that it's for the poor folk like myself. It's a buffet. The most marvelous spread of Greek cuisine under the sun for a whopping $10. However, they do classy it up for the evening as this bountiful buffet is only offered during lunch hours.
I am starting to scare myself. Do I love this place just for the sheer glutton pleasure of overindulging or because the food is actually yummy!? AHH help! I can't tell the difference anymore. The line is blurred. That is what this place does to me. It's like a kid at Disney World, I can't control my emotions when I think of this place. I disgust myself.
Hi my name is Frances and I am a Greek Foodoholic.Listed in: Lakewood Lounging, Opa!
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Review from Alex L.
Dallas, TX
6/27/2011
Ali Baba has become an addiction of mine as of late. Their ten dollar lunch buffet is wonderful.
I love everything on it, the only exceptions being their falafel, which is just the more dense and grainy variety, while I prefer the light and fluffy kind.
My favorite items are the gyro meat, the roasted cauliflower, the tabbouleh (which has the right proportion of parsley to bulgur,) the hummus & baba ghanoush, and zaatar pie.
The buffet now comes with a drink, and you can come in and get to go from the buffet, it costs 5.95 per pound, and is a good deal if you are careful not to get a lot of the dips, which weight a lot. -
Review from Mike L.
2/17/2011 1 Check-in Here
I am a lover of Mediterranean food and while I'm no expert, I know the dishes I like and try them in different places.
Food: Unfortunately, Ali Baba doesn't quite measure up when compared to other Mediterranean places in the area. While my chicken kabab was well cooked, the spices used gave it a gamey flavor which didn't sit too well with me. Maybe it was an off night for the kitchen...
Hummus was flavorful but lacked any oil or paprika.
Service: The wait staff here is very impressive. We ordered a "take out" dish and they made us comfortable while we waiting, offering drinks, letting us know our meal would be right up.
A tip: Definitely get a take out menu and phone ahead. We waited approx 15-20 min from the time we ordered to the time we walked out with it.
Price: slightly pricey when compared to other places, but nothing to
complain about.
I may give this place one more try and update this review... -
Review from Bob L.
Dallas, TX
3/14/2011
I first ate at Ali Baba years ago when it was on lower Greenville across from Poor David's. The food was always good but difficulty in finding parking and then a place to sit made my visits hit or miss. But, mostly "hit" because it was worth the effort. The new location in Lakewood just off Gaston solved both problems. Plenty of free parking and a much larger restaurant. My wife swears by the kibbe and I prefer the gyro plate. But best of all is the weekday lunch buffet -- a chance to try just about everything on the menu at a great price. What a deal. If you like Middle Eastern food, give it a try -- especially the buffet. Mmm -- chicken curry, hummus, pita ---
Update: they now offer the lunch buffet 7 days a week. Yahoo! -
Review from M W.
Dallas, TX
11/28/2011
This is one of my favorites places to get hummus. The best thing is really not the hummus but the fresh, hot pita bread that delivers the hummus to your mouth. Their greek salad and grape leaves are also delicious. Skip the soup and the wine - not their best features. But overall, it is a great place for lunch or dinner and is affordable too.
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Review from Lynnelle W.
Dallas, TX
1/24/2011
We weren't sure if the restaurant was open on Monday - I looked here on Yelp, checked the restaurant website - nada. No hours of operation anywhere. Still, we decided to give it a try.
Fortunately it was open.
The decor isn't why you come to Ali Baba. The Lakewood restaurant isn't going to win any design awards although it is new and clean and pleasant enough.
The food is good & the portions are huge. A friend and I split an appetizer and an entree and we still couldn't eat it all. The Mazza Plate, a combo-platter of various middle-Eastern appetizers (Hummus, Babaganoush, Tabouli, etc) was great. Even the pickle spears were good. Really.
Our entree was Shish Tawook - marinated grilled chicken with vegetables and rice. Sounds bland, but all of it was delicious and anything but bland.
So other than not being able find the hours of operation anywhere online, it was a great experience. I'll definitely be back. -
Review from Brad N.
2/16/2011 1 Check-in Here
Although I really want to go 3.5 stars, I'm rounding up because 3 is just too low. The Richardson location of Ali Baba has seen me darken it's door literally dozens of times, but this was my first visit here. For whatever reasons, this location is just a full star below almost across the board. The layout and access to the buffet isn't as nice and open as Richardson. Beef dishes (particularly the kabob) were tough, dry and lacked a little in flavor, Gyro meat fared better, with good moisture and flavor, but the pita bread was a little tough and difficult to split.
Still, Ali Baba on a bad day is better than many restaurants on a good day. Despite the issues, it's still pretty good food, and the price is right for the lunch buffet. -
Review from Leigh P.
3/19/2009 ROTD 3/25/2009
You know those days when you wake up and kinda walk around the house like Frankenstein, walking into rooms and talking to yourself, wondering what you just said to yourself?
Well, the day after St. P's day was that for me. I might have still been drunk... the verdict is still out.
I vaguely remembered hearing Katie C say she was going to Ali Baba for lunch the day before and I definitely remember saying that Megan M and I were gonna crash her lunch date. The idea of eating hummus and falafel's for lunch is probably what saved me from wandering down Abrams Rd. in my robe and slippers, confused and drooling.
At dinner time it's a regular restaurant, but at lunch it's a buffet. We walked in and you pay right away. It's about $12.50 per person for the lunch buffet. Not cheap, but considering the sheer volume of food you end up eating, it's worth it. There were lots of options to choose from. I got some gyro meat, rice, some curry chicken, falafel, hummus, greek salad, something Megan called "ground beef and potato eat it and shut up", and some pita bread. All was excellente and went most perfectly with my hang over. They bring you drinks to your table and did good job of keeping my diet coke full, especially considering I was that hung over and kept sucking down my drink. I have had better pita bread but the hummus here cannot (cannnnnnot) be beat.
We went back to the buffet a couple of times and I noticed some part of the buffet being replenished or replaced every time I looked up. We all left full, happy, and went home to take a nap. I'll definitely be back!Listed in: My ROTD's
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Review from Chris E.
Dallas, TX
12/30/2008 ROTD 9/25/2009
Have been meaning to make it here since they moved to this new location several months back. I finally had an opportunity today w/ my Dad coming into town.
I think I would have given them 4 stars, but unfortunately we arrived for a late lunch at around 2:15 on a Tuesday. Walked in and the place was pretty empty--maybe a couple of tables with eaters.
Anyhow, one of the things I really hate is when you walk in and there is no obvious instruction as to whether you wait to be seated or seat yourself. You look like morons just standing up there while employees ignore you (a la Cafe Brazil), which is what happened here today. So I've got a bad impression already.
Finally some dude looks at us and mumbles something. Huh? We don't know if you said "seat yourself" or "no matter what, DON'T seat yourself". So we continue to stand like idiots. A second dude comes up and seems sort of lost. He looks past us and mumbled "thepa-tut thepa-thepa-tut thepa-tut thepa thepa ..." and trails off. No clue, man. What the hell did you say?
Then some dude that seems slightly less lost mumbles something about sort of being closed and sort of not, mentioned a possible discount for a "late lunch" and punched some things in to the cash register. Okay, so you apparently pay before you are seated. He said we could only do the buffet, and that cost about $12/person. I guess no discount? Whatever. How many drinks?! he wants to know. Huh? Uh, 2 I guess. I always get water, but he wasn't asking for our drink order--just how many drinks. So I got charged for a soda. Pissed off, I was.
"Thepa-tut thepa-tut thepa-da-thepa-da-thepa-da" some other dude mumbles and we guess that we should follow him. He leads us to a table and disappears. So do we just go to the buffet? Hell--why not? So we go.
Because of the late hour, the buffet had been picked over and many dishes were dry or had skin on the top. This I will not dock the restaurant on stars because we were admittedly there after they supposedly closed.
So the food--it was surprisingly good! Good gyro meat, nice eggplant dish, really good baba ganoush and hummus, great cucumber/gyro sauce. They didn't bring us any pita, though. I looked and looked for it. Finally I saw some dude bring out a plate of it for another table that was just being seated. I think they're supposed to automatically bring it when they seat you since it wasn't available for self-serve, so that's another point deducted, a-holes.
We requested said pita and it was brought hot and fresh and finally I had something with which to eat most of the food on my plate. You can't just put a big spoonful of baba ganoush in your mouth. *hurl*
All in all, the food was really pretty good. Maybe if I went there during better hours, the service would be better. On this visit, however, it S-U-C-K-E-D. -
Review from Melody L.
Dallas, TX
3/22/2009
I promise I am in a good mood! And nobody died, I just didn't like the place. The interior reminded me of a Chili's, and Man Friend even said it looked like a nice Luby's. Ick.
This was MF's first taste of Lebanese/Medi food. I can't wait to take him to my favorite place (hint: On Greenville, next to Desperados) I knew I shouldn't have cheated, and karma got me in the end. I wanted a glass of white wine so I asked the waiter if they had a Lebanese house white or something close. He suggested a red, which um... it was bad. Ha, it just wasn't my taste. I think it was called Saja. The waiter was nice and very good though.
We then ordered a dolma, spinach pie and the dinner plate if falafel that comes with hummus, hot pickles for garnish, tahini sauce, pita bread and falafel (fried balls of goodness.) Except... there was no goodness here. The best part of the plate was the hot pickle (like really?) and the tahini sauce. The hummus didn't have ANY taste at all and the falafel were sooo deep fried that I thought I was going to crack a tooth.
The spinach pie was okay, but it came out looking like two pizza pieces or calzones. I am used to a flaky pie with layers of spinach. Not so here. It didn't taste bad though, it was just a lot of bread. The dolma was good although I have to say the one at Whole Foods blows it out of the water... and the ones at Kostas blow everyone's dolmas out of the water. Hands down.
So I'm sorry, this place just isn't somewhere that I would go back.
Not so hot:
The hot pickles were the best part of the meal.
Most of the food was bland, almost tasted like it was frozen then heated up.
A "fancy Luby's" (oh lawd, I would lurve a Luann Platter right now! Fried fish, mashed potatoes, okra, and cherry pie... embarrassing, but true.)
Good things though:
Good for groups
Cute little bar area
Good service
Open-ish kitchen in the back (I was excited when I saw fire. Ooh shiny!)
Tahini sauce (even though it was white? Is that normal? Who cares, it was good?)
CHEAP! All that for 24 bones! -
Review from Nickie G.
1/4/2009
The first thing I thought when I walked in Ali Baba was that it smelled like dirty mop water...like they just mopped. Plus the space is kind of just dark and dingy. Not to mention there were maybe a handful of people in there. But whatever, I'll still eat!
We started with the mazza platter because the guy with me has never tried tabouli or baba ghanoush. It was a huge platter filled with those items plus hummus. I thought all of it was pretty great and we pretty much could have just ordered it because I stuffed myself something silly. But noooo I had to go ahead and order the lamb kabobs. I thought the lamb was about average but I really liked the grilled veggies and the rice was really great. It reminded me of Rice-a-roni which is NOT a bad thing! Yum! I tried the curry chicken also and it was pretty tasty also. The waiter was ok, he filled the diet coke up with regularity, but as for any sort of personality there was absolutely none. After a small panic I did find the bar...all the way across the room on the right hand side....so booze treats are available if you are so inclined.
Overall the food was a-ok and service was serviceable but with no personality....I'll definitely be back for the mazza platter and roll myself right out of there again! -
Review from deno f.
Updated - 7/18/2008 1 photo
Made it to the all you can shove in your mouth buffet yesterday...we knew it was only a matter of time. One might wonder what took me so long, it's been over a week.
Nice selection. There were about three tasty chicken dishes, gyro meat, some other beef selections including the kafta--but not in the kabob format like on the menu. Lots of appetizer-y things like the dolmas and hummus. Couple of salads, couple of soups. The tomato soup was good, I like to dump rice in it. There were lots of yummy things. I made my standard two embarassing heaping plates of food with double rice pudding dessert.
Price is only about $10 and some change. That's a good deal for the amount of food you (and by "you" I mean "I") can put away. It is for sure a better deal than the dinner, but they do give you a big bang for the buck with the entrees at dinner time too.
I will be back and I will wear my "eatin' pants" so I can take full advantage of said buffet!Listed in: Best of Lakewood & the…, ALL I CAN EAT BUFFETS, It's all Greek to…
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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7/5/2008
I was borderline between 3 and 4 stars. I rounded up based on the excellent service. I didn't have… Read more »
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Review from Shanna L.
3/29/2010 1 photo
Pros -
They give you a TON of food, I mean a TON.
The food is REALLY good.
The prices are pretty cheap.
Cons -
Not really an eat in place, better to get it to go. (Kinda reminds me of a small Chili's)
Service is not awesome, but if you get it to go that takes care of that.
Very family type place, lot of kids.
Other notes:
The rice is the best thing I have put in my mouth, I could eat it for dessert!!
The hummus is pretty tasty, I'm not really a big hummus eater but always get it here.
The veggies are great, our standby dish is the chicken shishtawook (I know, so adventurous!) and my fav part is the sauteed peppers and onions that accompany the fist-sized chunks of juicy, delicious chicken
I have only eaten in once because it's not a great atmosphere (see Cons), but we have gotten takeout several times and continue to be pleased with the quality and quantity of food. ALWAYS enough left over for lunch the next day!
Ideally for Greek/Med dinner I would prefer to go to Cafe Izmir and have a bottle of wine and tapas in a cozy romantic atmosphere, but if we're just looking for a place to order in, Ali Baba is where it's at!
thanks to Chris L for making me go to the lunch UYE and discover this place!! (although the lunch was at another location, this one is right by my house so pretty convenient for a weeknight takeout!) -
Review from Tara M.
1/6/2008
This little family run cafe has been serving traditionally prepared affordably priced Middle Eastern food since the early 90's. There is one reason they have been around for so long - the food. Because it is often standing room only with long waits on Fri and Sat nights and they close at 9PM.
Start out with Mazza - the baba ghanouj and hummus served with pita are perfectly prepared
And the Falafel could turn any carnivore into a Vegetarian. It is served with delicious hummus, tahini sauce, vegetables and pita.
They also offer a great to go service. -
Review from Tricia S.
11/23/2009 1 Check-in Here
After trying Ali Baba's lunch buffet recently at the Richardson location, I was eager to try out the dinner menu fare as well. Stephanie W. and I ate here the other day before she left for her vacation and it was delicious! I didn't even get to look at the menu because I was running late and didn't want to hold her up, so I just had her order the lamb kebabs for me. YUM.
Their pita isn't my favorite, and I wish they'd serve it in half size pieces instead of quarters but it does the job. The hummus is creamy and tangy and I really like it. Their rice pilaf is good, as well as the mixed grilled veggies that came with my kebabs. The lamb itself could have been seasoned a little better and was a little overcooked on some pieces but it was still pretty good quality stuff. I didn't care for the cold dolmas but I did try falafel for the first time and was pretty surprised at how tasty it was.
Also, in my rush I accidentally parked on the side and tried to come in through the kitchen door--the servers graciously ushered me in without making me feel like an idiot, so that's always a plus!
Definitely will be back to one of these locations soon! -
Review from stephanie w.
Dallas, TX
12/1/2009
Ate here with Tricia S. and my mom and step dad before leaving for the Thanksgiving holiday. When we first entered there was only one other table of patrons which had me a little worried. I must admit though, it was 5:30 as I wanted enough time to eat and then head off to the airport. As we waited, the place quickly filled up to the point where nearly all of the tables were occupied.
We started with the dolmas, and I must say I have had better. The flavors were all good, but they were pretty teeny and didn't have much filling inside of them. They did come served with tasty chunks of cheese though which I gladly consumed. I ordered the falafel plate which came with 6-8 falafel balls, a generous portion of hummus, fresh veggies, and pita bread. The falafel was delicious and I couldn't stop eating them even when I was so full I thought I may have to unbutton my pants!!! The hummus and veggies were equally scrumptious. The only disappointment was the pita...I do not think that it was homemade and didn't really do anything special for me.
Everyone at the table seemed to thoroughly enjoy their dishes, and the portions were so massive that we had enough leftovers to send Tricia S. home with a complete meal for her hubby. The prices are a little high, but for the quality, taste, portion size, and attentive service it is well worth it. I will definitely try out their lunch buffet next!Listed in: My Lakewood Hood
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Review from Lauren M.
Dallas, TX
7/14/2008
Just moved to the neighborhood, but owned by the same folks as the one on lower Greenville. Near Kitchen 1924 and Dixie House, it is where Carraba's used to be. Before that it was a liquor store and before that it was a video store. And it may have been something else in between... you get the picture, the location has been troubled.
I've been twice since it opened and have sampled a little bit of everything - except the raw kibbi which I will get to on my next visit. Excellent addition to the Lakewood 'hood!
