Big Marina Grill & Deli

Everything we tried was excellent. Full of flavor, hot, fresh. The salads were fresh and cold. The desserts were amazing! Lunch prices are about $16 for adults, for all you can eat. Well worth the price. The only reason for 4 stars for service and atmosphere is due to it being all self serve and there are a lot of tables and chairs making it a tight fit. We were very comfortable where we sat. Would love to go again to try items we didn't this time! Plenty of parking and wheelchair accessible.

What a pleasant surprise! I loved the variety of Middle Eastern, Somali, and East African dishes - especially the sambusa, which were absolutely heavenly. The buffet is very reasonably priced for the amount and quality of food you get. The atmosphere is relaxed, and the people are warm and welcoming. A great spot for a flavorful, satisfying meal that won’t break the bank! So worth it!

This place has amazing food! They serve home made quality ethnic food. Most importantly, you are not going to have a belly ache after eating their food. Their food is cooked from scratch, it’s delicious, flavorful, and authentic. You will find that this buffet is frequented by Arabic, Somali, Russian, American, Middle Eastern and African customers. People come here with their entire families, food is that good and affordable. Children can eat for $10. That’s an amazing value in today’s economy. Their chicken drumsticks and chicken thighs are so good, if you had them once, you will be craving to comeback to this buffet just for them. They serve hot soups, minimum of 3 different kinds of soups, including vegetarian options. They serve good bold hot tea, I am a tea drinker and can appreciate a good cup of bold hot tea especially with freshly baked baklava. When you come to this buffet, you don’t need to wait to be seated, you find an empty table on your own, claim it for yourself and go plate your food. You pay at the exit.

Big Marina Grill & Deli in MN is one of the best buffets I’ve visited! The food selection is wide, especially the Middle Eastern dishes – everything was delicious and well-prepared. The staff is hardworking and very helpful. Prices are very reasonable considering the generous portions and great quality. The only downside is that the restrooms need more attention and renovation.

They overcharged me !!!you guys be careful out there! But foods are delicious, really appreciate chefs’ hard work!!! . -They have good foods, but they have awful service. (they charged me over $120. including tax and everything for two adults and five kids.My last kid is not even 2 years old.(so they should have charged me for 2 adults and 4 kids, +take away for $6.49but it doesn’t seem like that ) now you guys do the math by your own. I’m gonna add there price chart photo on their wall and my e-receipt , And we went there for dinner and it was not holiday visit , now you guys do your own math again , and you’ll understand the reason why I’m texting this here.! And, to the supervisor or boss, whoever manages and reads my review, please put the right guy on your cashier front desk! I came home and did recalculation and understood that I was overcharged It is okay for me, but it might not be okay for other people. But to be honest, foods are very nice. We loved foods . (….p/s, or if I’m wrong, please fix me) Thanks

It is a good eatery for Mediterranean foods. Lot of dishes for buffet and price reasonable. Foods were delicious. Lot of parking 🅿️ spots. Stuffs are prompt and helpful and always cleaning the area. On Friday lunch time and weekend it is busy , there is a waiting time around 25/30 mins. Lamb Shank is a signature dish here other items are also very delicious.

I had an awful experience at this restaurant. The food was mediocre at best and completely overpriced for the quality. On top of that, the place was absolutely filthy and overcrowded. Little kids were running around touching the cakes with their bare hands, which is beyond unhygienic. To make matters worse, shortly after eating there, I felt dizzy and faint. By the time I got home, I was vomiting so much that I had to be rushed to the hospital. It was confirmed that this was caused by the food I ate at this restaurant. I am now pursuing legal action against them for serving unsafe, unhygienic food that put my health at risk. This place is an absolute disgrace. 0/10. Avoid at all costs!

I usually have a really good experience here and love the food but I think it’s time for a bigger location or try to limit how many people are inside at once. I went by myself on Saturday and every time I got up for a second plate someone took over my table because they “thought I left”. Eventually, a bunch of women joined my table and I just let it be since it was just one of me but It was really frustrating. Also some ladies would stand over my table hugging and kissing which I didn’t appreciate. It was also very noisy and hectic inside. The other guests ruined the experience for me today. The price of the buffet also went up. It cost $23 for an adult buffet on weekends.

BEST PLACE EVEEEEEER! Food Is Always Fresh Most Family-Friendly Atmosphere Reasonable Prices Drinks Are Very Very Nice They Serve Coffee And Tea And Fresh Mint Leaf Tea They Have Very Juicy And Fresh Fruit I've Seen Them Refill EVERYTHING! Workers There Are Very Nice And Polite They Have Very Delicious Dessert So Much Goodness That I Can't Even Name EVERYTHING IN THERE IS HALAL Excellent and Delicious Food Chicken Nuggets Are Fire! Actually Everything Is Fire Ryan Trahan Must Visit

I went to the dinner buffet for the 1st time. I didn't try everything but what I did eat was good. It's Greek food so they had the basic standard foods: pita bread, tzatziki, gyro meat with peppers and onions, these are what I ate. I tried the falafel but it was overcooked and dry. The tabouli and salad was fresh. On the dessert bar, I saw soft serve ice cream, almond cookies, and baklava!!!! With pistachios. It wasn't as gooey as it could have been, but it was yummy enough for me to want another piece. I'll definitely go back when they aren't slammed with a bunch of graduation parties.

Went for the buffet, which is nice if you have a big appetite.Otherwise, consider getting a to go order instead, which is a good price. While there was a decent variety of items, it wasn't enough to warrant more than 2 trips to the line. Lots of seating, lots of parking in the lots, and you pay for your (buffet) meal after eating. The staff busing tables were on top of things and thorough about cleanliness. My favorite items were the beef short rib, peel and eat shrimp, the rice containing carrots and peas, and the watermelon punch. Everything else was okay. One miss was that the foods weren't labeled, so at times, I had no clue what I was trying. There were a good number of folks dining in and getting takeout. I can tell they're well liked. Afterwards I stopped by confections and nuts store a few doors down.

We have previously visited big marina buffet before Covid many times and today is the first time we revisited here in person. During these years we have ordered from big marina for delivery. Their food was always well packed, well priced and the portion is just unbeatable. On today's visit we learned this place is very family friendly and there are many high chairs available. The restaurant was packed with guests with children and we were still able to secure high chair. The options of food is well, drinks are also included. We like their gyro, hummus, baba and many other items. The restaurant isn't fancy but the value and quality of the food is very well. The servers are quick and nice, we had a great experience.

I called them because I was having a get together and ohh boy when I say it's worth it's worth every penny!!!! I highly recommend using them to cater your next event. You won't be disappointed!!! Halal food. Allah reward them for what they do.

This all you can eat middle eastern food was delicious!! Highly recommend. So many options, from beef, lamb, fish, chicken and more!

easy to find, easy to get in and be seated. It has like 18 tables or so. Three Buffay tables a lot of Middle Eastern food. And for small restaurant I believe they are doing a good job. Very efficient and the food was never missing they always replenished the stock. This place is family friendly and they have an ice cream machine which is my favorite thing at buffet usually. The good thing here you can have your keto diet or your vegan diet. Parking is Rachel easy to park.

Scammers, they almost charged me $355 for a party of 8 with kids. Good thing I didn't pay with card and was looking for my cash, and CHECKED before I paid. I don't think it was a mistake because the cashier was clearly typing on the keyboard while I was finding my money, and why would he try to do someone else's tab while I'm currently paying for my tab.

This restaurant has been our go to Middle Eastern buffet restaurant for over 10 years. They serve a variety of hot and cold items that are freshly made in their kitchen. From dolmas to lamb shanks to falafel to rice, they never disappoint. we have become close with many of the staff who greeted us like family. They also provide a great catering option and buffet to go, which is well priced. If you want a full experience, visit them during the holy month of Ramadan. There are several special items that are on the buffet menu during that time.

Reliably good family friendly buffet. Prices are lower than you'd expect for food of this quality. The establishment is a bit underwhelming on the outside but the food makes up for it. Always has immediate seating and a fresh variety of Mediterranean, Middle Eastern and American food. I appreciate the baklava and other traditional desserts they constantly refill. Have gone here for the past decade and will continue to visit Big Marina when I'm in the area.

I love the food at Big Marina. They have the best Greek salad and gyro meat. The buffet is always a hit, and the food is too cheap, given the quality and service. I will often call them to cater for my work events too. They sell almost everything on their menu by tray, and it's always a hit at events.

Big Marina is my go-to for Mediterranean food. We usually get the Big Marina Platter as it is HUGE and incredibly well-priced. Their gyros are also excellent. The restaurant itself is pretty small and usually crowded, but I'm excited to come for the buffet one day!

Best Gyro in town!! I've loved this spot for years. I'll drive all the way from St. Paul for the gyro and fries basket. And they're not overpriced like other restaurants. I haven't tried the buffet yet, but all the food looks delicious!

I always love their food. Their food is always freshly cooked. Their buffet has lot of different items. Ordered a to go for 4 people and 10 of us could not finish after overeating. Extremely good taste. Love their services. Wish them all the best.

OMG this was THE Best Greek Salad I have ever had! It was alot of food. The Gyro meat was perfectly cooked and tender! The Dressing was a greek tzatziki and italian style dressing came with Pita bread. Delish!! The Gyro Sandwich was just as good and the fries were perfection. I added a fountain drink, our total was $24 and change. The Service was great everyone was friendly and answered all my questions ( not having had a lot of Mediterranean foods I had to ask about some things) The buffet looked like a heavenly abundance of yumminess. I wouldn't have been able to eat enough to get it! I will try that on another trip.....this is my new go to spot though!!! 10 stars if I could!!!! Yummy Yummy Yummy....gotta go again!!!!

Came here upon my friends' wish. I had a hard time finding this place, but boy was this place good! 1. Not in the cities, in a quiet neighborhood. Hidden gem place. 2. Food refer to the pictures. It is really good. It is a buffet style and has everything you can imagine. Food itself is very mediterranean meets greek and good meat. Whatever you crave, you will find it here. Dessert selection is good and hear me out! You can get ice-cream soft serve! Amazing! 3. Service: self serve. That is why it is kept at a very reasonable price. 4. Ambience: very homey, comfy and cafe/deli feel. Nothing fancy, but clean and comfortable to have a low key, but good food. 5. Parking: ample. They have their own lot. No need for reservations. I'd recommend this place.

Good food. Decent prices. Lots of selection. The buffet price includes drinks. Four buffet sections with about a dozen things each and then a case for dessert pastries. As far as "kids options" they have three 'Americanized' pasta dishes and then some safe meat choices. They don't label any of the food which is a negative for me, but us adventurous at heart will have a good time any way.

Arrived at 11:20am, they opened at 11am, and most of the food I tried was still cold. I was craving good Greek food but everything was just bad. Bland, re-heated, not fresh. Dont waste your $$$.

Came in after shopping at Pooja across street. The parking lot was a mess. My friend said go try it. I did. Stereotypical gyros combo. But they were not too salty. Tasty and fresh.

I was in the mood for Mediterranean food tonight and asked my husband to pick up some food from this place . I have been complaining about the hummus from many places because it was awful but the hummus at this location , yum!! The platter had like 5 different meats , falafel and samosa . The flavor was amazing and I was so thrilled about it because finally a place that makes authentic , delicious food . Thank you and hands up to whom ever cooked it ! By the way the price $37 and you could feed like 4 people !

Tasty food. Friendly service. Typically do take out here, fill a couple containers at the buffet with delicious meats, rice, falafel, stuffed grape leaves, and tzaziki for a great price. I have eaten in for the buffet, but end up over stuffed with no leftovers. The buffet has many choices and includes a drink and desserts, but can just fill up from the buffet and take to go as an option. When I ate in I loved seeing all the people here from all walks of life. Many coming together and enjoying catching up, family and friends connecting. Seems like a great gem to the neighborhood.

Really Awesome Buffet Great shrimp lunch and dinner. Lamb during dinner. Really good price. Comes with juice. Watermelon juice and mango juice

Very nice Mediterranean Buffet. Good price, a big variety. Go during lunch. It is less busy.

I haven't been there for a while, but I used to go every once in while, and at the buffet you could always get a huge amount of good food for a decent price. Go for the buffet, and fill up on gyro meat, hummus, and lots of other Middle Eastern foods.

Holy Fullness! This is a great place to go if you are hungry and like to try new ethnic food. You have to be somewhat adventurous. I've only come here for the buffet so I can only comment on that. Come in, you can pretty much sit wherever you like and serve yourself drinks from the soda/juice and coffee/tea bar. We got a window seat, so that was nice. Fairly crowded with a mix of all cultures, did not feel uncomfortable. It's not the prettiest, but you come here for the food and it's not dirty. I think it's authentic:) Middle Eastern/Greek food: several soups, flavored rice, vegetable/potatoes with sauce, samosas (like a fried meat or potato/veggie empanada), falafels, Gyro meat, chicken, and other meat that I'm not sure what it was...(I'm 99% no pork served), salad bar with sauces, salads, stuffed grape leaves, fruit, and rice pudding. Then they have shelves of dessert like baklava and cookies! Plus ice cream...so much!! My favorites were: Meat Samosa, Gyro meat, rice/veggies, stuffed grape leaves and Baklava! Also very good for vegetarians! Lots of options, shouldn't feel deprived...

It's clean, the food is consistent and tasty. Defiantly try the Baklava. Crazy good Baklava!

I love their buffet and the food amazingly delicious. Sometimes I order for to go they make the portion is huge and the price is reasonable. I would be back for sure

I went to the Iftar/Dinner Buffet. Lots of food options, including all kinds of meat and fish (chicken legs, lamb shank, gyros, shrimps, salmon, steak..etc.) lots of middettaren salad and dessert options. They always refill their buffets! Downside: tends to get crowded, especially that the place isn't that big.

Found a coupon in the back of my cub receipt so decided to check this place out. Going into the parking lot it looked busy but was able to find parking easily. The food was amazing, lamb shanks & gyro was amazing. They had nan bread and self service mango juice which hit the spot. This is a hidden gem, driving by would not of noticed but definitely will be coming back to eat here again. Thanks for the experience.

Let's talk about freshness and variety of options. If you are looking for great fresh Greek and Mediterranean food along with American options visit this restaurant they also have a full menu but I can only vouch for the buffet. You know how sometimes buffets have food that look sketchy, none of that here.

I was here one time when the power went out. No one said anything, so we just kept going back to the buffet for more delicious food. The only problem was that the air conditioning went out with the power, so my friend Nick started sweating very badly because he was eating so much.

If you are ordering off the menu, I hope you've come starving because the portions here are YUUUGE! My husband ordered the greek salad ($4.99) with gyro meat for an additional charge ($1.99) and the plate it came on was as large as my (big) head and overflowing. It could easily feed two to three people for only $7! I myself ordered the combo plate ($9.49) which includes chicken, gyro, hummus, salad, steamed veggies, and fries or rice. OMG this was ginormous as well and definitely meant to be shared. The chicken was quite dry, but the gyro and hummus was amazing and the spice used for the veggies and rice was so flavorful. Next time, I would skip the chicken and just get the gyros plate. I haven't ordered from the buffet in a while because I am trying to learn portion control (HA!), but I've stolen a couple bites of the samosas and crema from a friend last week and they were divine. The atmosphere has much to be desired but it as well as the workers have quite the charm. Can't wait to be back!

OMG, Big Marina Grill & Deli was certainly brilliant. Lovely staff and great ambience all year round. Really yummy and wholesome. They are very clean and the staff were really pleasant. We will be returning soon, with friends, and trying the other dishes.

Lots of messed up things at this restaurant! First, no lamb shanks (THIS IS WHY DINNER PRICE IS HIGHER). We arrived at 730pm and were told, "our last batch came out at 7pm and no more lamb". WTF? SERIOUSLY? They close at 10pm. Second, a lot of patrons were not masked and handled serving spoons with no disposable gloves (THERE WERE SIGNS ALL OVER TO MASK UP AND WEAR GLOVES WHEN HANDLING FOOD). Obviously, the employers were not following these rules and didnt enforce it either. Three, I paid by credit card but they swiped it as CASH. See my receipt. THEY NEED TO BE AUDITED FOR FRAUD!!! If you want to get COVID, eat here. If not, PATRON BEWARE OF UNSANITARY AND DANGEROUS CONDITIONS. If you're reading this Big Marina employees, YES IM REPORTING YOU TO D.O.H. AND MN STATE AUDITOR!!

This was my 2nd time going here. First time was lunch and this was for dinner. It was good but the lunch was better. Not to mention that the dinner was almost 4.00 more than lunch. I didn't see much more of offerings for the money difference. The food was still very good.Everything was going well until a saw a man eating with his fingers. Spaghetti none the less. He finished and proceeded to walk up to the buffet and grab several items touching every tong and spoon. My dinner was immediately ruined. I would've told the owner but this is a Mediterranean restaurant and the owner and the man, not to mention the whole restaurant was mostly filled with Muslim people. I felt it may have disrespected their culture if had. I wasn't sure.This place even has a prayer room for customers to use so faith and customs are important to this place.

I love this place. A couple of insider tips: The combos are almost always a winning idea. They are a great value. Also, you can substitute hummus for fries. Lunch buffet is cheaper than the dinner buffet but offers pretty much the same selection. The lamb shanks are my favorite. Finally, when you finish your meal, be sure to ask for some tea. They offer mint tea, and it's a great way to end your meal.

good food, good meat, good everything there, nothing fence but very good food !! one of the best Middle Easter food here..5 stars all day long here...

I've been eating here since I was a kid. It's a go to restaurant. We always get the chicken club sandwich and it's absolutely great. I'm very quite with Middle eastern food so I can't say they have the absolute best food but it's good. They're friendly and respectful and overall it's a wonderful place to go on family night.

This place offers some of the best value with regards to middle eastern / American foods. Gyros, kebabs, burgers, they have it all. Best of all their prices are very reasonable and affordable. I could not ask for more from a resturant. I love getting their buffet to go - which lets me choose from their many menu options. One thing I dislike is this place can get quite crowded at times, so if it's your first time going, I wouldn't recommend going on a weekend or Friday for the best experience! Otherwise no complains. Oh and make sure to try their desserts - very good as well.

What what? I haven't rated this place yet? I totally owe them a good rating and an extra hole in my belt after all this time. I haven't sat down and ordered off the menu like a real person here, but that's actually the norm when they boast such a beautiful buffet. It looks even more beautiful when I'm standing next to it, looking like a homeless person still in my PJs. I come here for lunch often, both getting it to-go or dining in. Currently, the price for food to go is $6/lb, which is so agreeable!! So I go HAM and stock up. Oh and if you live in the area, double-check your mail because you definitely have coupons in there, fool. They have everything from soups to all the meats to vegetarian options to salads to dessert. Some of my faves: pea soup, fried fish, lamb on the bone, gyro meat, kabob, falafel, all of their stewed veggies, and that dessert that basically looks like a bale of hay but is so delicious. The service is welcoming and the food is always stocked. However, it drives me nuts that their to-go containers aren't segmented. I know, such a first world problem, but a lot of the dishes are saucy and will ultimately bleed all together. And sometimes a lot of dishes at the buffet aren't labeled.

Always busy during the weekday lunch hours. Standard Mediterranean buffet. My favorite part of this buffet line is the unlimited falafel and the jumbo shrimp. Skip the regular soda pop for the white juice machine next to it. For those with a sweet tooth, they also serve the calorific baklava in the dessert section. They usually have $1 off coupons on local circulations like City Pages.

I come here every week and lemme tell you, this place is a blast, all the foods are authentic and original. I recommend the gyro over rice, be sure to add some rita. But I wish they can improve on somethings like not burning the gyros or the steaks, and also cutting the potatoes a little smaller. But the staff is very friendly and respectful. Always had a great experience at this buffet. I definitely recommend this place.

Two words to describe their buffet .. Meat Overloaded! You like chicken? They got it. You like beef? They got it. You like pork? They got it. You like fish? They got it. You like lamb? They got the legs for you!! Want some soup? Veggies? Sweets? Spinach pie? Bread? .. they got them all! Pretty good buffet for the price (about 12 bucks for dinner) though some items on the buffet could be a bit on a dry side, but it was well worth every penny.

I really like the Big Marina, even better than Holy Land! The reason I'm comparing Big Marina to Holy Land is because they have VERY similar food, they both have big buffets, and they're on the same road...but about 25 blocks apart. I've been to Holy Land many, many times. I went to Big Marina for the 3rd time on Saturday, and I came to the realization that I like them much more than Holy Land. They don't have a grocery store...but...they have a super buffet that has nearly the double the variety of Holy Land. In addition, it's more intimate and quiet, with great customer service. It isn't a crazy zoo like Holy Land tends to be. These guys are a shining light in the culinary darkness of Columbia Heights. Thumbs up! -Daddy Maxx Retro

I love their gyro meat, and when you order to go they give you big portions and the price is inexpensive. Such a good deal here!! The buffet is expensive but the variety of home cook food is worth it. The to go burger is like a whopper, super big. I would recommend this place for ppl who want to try Mediterranean food. Super nice service and the place is clean.

I can see why it's called Big Marina versus the other location. This one has a lot more to choose from and one big interesting fountain smack in the middle of the dining area. For a lunch time buffett, there sure was a lot of choice! This one has a ton of stuff and its all really fresh and replenished all the time. - Falafels, Pita, Samosas, Breads - Fried shrimp, onion rings, fries, chicken wings, ribs -salads -gyro meat - tons of baklava and really good sugar cookies. It's a little bit of everything for a reasonable price. Staff was friendly and appreciative.

I've been going there for a while. Very good food. Only thing I dont like is that unlike other restaurants the servers never write down your order. After you tell them what you want you have to also tell the cashier what you had. I once went there with a bunch of my relatives (about 15 of us). My uncle told the server he wants to put it all on his bill, the server then asked him what we all had. My uncle then had to ask each of us what we had. My cousin asked me "dont they write this stuff down?" I said no and he said "they just put the burden all on us?" I said yup. If you are going with a big group, it's probably not the best idea, unless you all are ordering the same thing or getting a buffet. Again, great food but just write down the customers order especially when it's a big group. Makes things easier for us.

Decent buffet. Great lunch break option. The service was quick and polite, quickly refilling pans that were empty on the buffet and to clear plates away. Food was pretty good. The falafel was dry and the salad was lacking- I wished it was nice fresh romaine lettuce, instead of that iceberg mix. I liked that they had mussels and shrimp. Quite a bit of the food was overly greasy, like the gyro meat, but it was tasty, so I guess. They had a lot of fresh fruit options and dessert was included. There were a lot of unique items that you don't see often on a buffet, like okra, stuffed grape leaves, and mussels. Lots of vegetarian options. I'd go back for a fast lunch if I was in the area.

Ordered the Greek salad The salad was the same as if I bought a bag of American blend salad at the store. The olives were green olives with pimento. No Greek olives. No feta cheese. Hubby ordered chicken wings. They were dry and tasted as if they had been soaked in old cooking oil. Two trips in one. First and last. Don't bother.