ali baba mediterranean grill

worst dining experience - thislocationhas bad food and service.. i was a regular for many years at the lower greenville location. i loved the food and the warm family atmosphere. i ieft the area, but recently returned. i was delighted to hear about the newlocationand look forward to the old experience. was i wrong! the food, while not as good the old location, was barely acceptable. the shish tawok and vegetables were overcooked. the restaurant was only half full. the service person, a fat woman wearing all black went from not helpful to being downright rude. rarely, do i complain to management, but felt compelled to do so. when i asked her for the manager, she informed me that she was one of the owners. when i asked her about the bad service and she informed stated that because i only bought and entree and an appetizer, that she had other tables to wait on. i wished her well and told her i would let all my friends know. stay away from this location. this is cafeteria mediterranean food at best. need good food at good prices with appreciative service? visit galilee grill at 1520 elm in downtown dallas.

remember old/new?. old place small, busy, cramped...but good food.
hoping newlocation...and meet old standard.
hope so.

lunch is best!. i have been eating at ali baba's ever since it opened on greenville avenue (they have moved to abrams and are no longer on greenville) and have loved it from the start. however, the move to the largerlocationhas caused the owners to make certain changes that are not for the best. they have dropped their really exquisite vegetable plate and have added an oily vegetable melange to the the other dinners which is a tasteless mishmash of squash and onions. the addition of a full bar for those who enjoy spirits is a plus and the newlocationis much larger and has, finally, adequate parking. most of the dishes from their original menu have made the transition in tact, if not with the same "homemade" taste originally created by the owner's mother. somehow the food has taken on a commercial quality and has a slightly less savory palette. the real plus in the move, however, is the lunch buffet. this buffet beats everything else in town. all you can eat from a really exceptional choice of practically everything on the menu and then some. you can pick and choose the combination of flavors and textures you enjoy - the meats, vegetables, salads, soups sauces, etc., and avoid the set items at dinner which you may find less attractive. the owner's would do their fans and themselves a big favor by ditching the set menu at night and simply continue the buffet into the evening. one last quibble, the actual printed menus are really butt-ugly. they are an off color plastic coated design that looks as if they were created for a middle eastern denny's.

abramslocationnot recommended. maybe the greenvillelocationis better, but the abramslocationserves sub-par mediterranean food. ziziki's, kosta's, zorba's, or even a gyro stand at a mall will treat your tastebuds so much better than ali baba. one of the things that i look forward to the most at a mediterranean restaurant is lovely, fluffy pita bread, but ali baba's was disappointing--tasted like the kind you get from kroger's. i had read that you just have to try the mezza plate appetizer, but eh, it was just okay. i had read that the golden chicken was amazing, but eh, it was just standard roasted chicken with, frankly, an unpleasantly grainy "sauce" on the side. the gyro meat was dry and overcooked. service was lackluster, and the decor was reminiscent of a vegas buffet. (not a compliment.)

one of our faves. i can't imagine why people on here seem to dislike this place--the food is fantastic, the service is great, the restaurant has a nice atmosphere...what's not to love? we get take out from ali baba a couple of times a month, and other than a couple of minor incidents when thislocationvery first opened, we've never had a bad experience. here are some of our favorite items: the mazza plate (great hummus and dolmas), foul modamas (fava beans with lemon and garlic), chicken curry, the gyros plate...and my personal #1, the baked kibbi (i ask for a side of lebneh instead of the cucumber sauce that is now included with this item--delicious!). anyway, this is definitely a place that deserves a second chance!