Caspian Bistro and Gourmet Marketplace

Delicious! Pretty affordable, hole in the wall Persian restaurant that was welcoming and homey. The house tea blend was beautiful!

Food - Great portions just lacked flavor in my opinion. Service - Top not service absolutely no complaints. Ambience - for anyone who's looking to have a relaxing meal this place is for you. Plus they have the market next door where you can pick up different desserts spices and ice cream. Would have been 4 stars is the food was more flavorful. Koubideh Combo - Halal One skewer of ground chicken and one skewer of ground beef and lamb, charbroiled and served with basmati rice and a grilled tomato. $19 Bastani Rich, creamy homemade ice cream made with pistachios and saffron. $6

Great Persian restaurant overall adjacent to its own middle eastern little market. All sized appropriately for the foreign based demographic in Minneapolis. But had been there since 1987. Very impressive to have lasted that long and remained true to its roots. I have basically visited persian restaurants all my life and in almost every city I have visited if there was one, worldwide. Always, excited to try them and support them as well. I like my Vaziri dish which had the best all 3 worlds! Koobideh kabob, Barg kabob, and chicken boneless joojeh kabob with basmati rice. Small side salad served with it. Although, as part of my desire and tradition, I ordered the kashkoo-badmjune (eggplant dip) and shirazi salad along with the home made smooth tasty doogh (famous persian yogurt drink). I enjoyed the entire experience. But the two meat kabobs were better than the chicken. As the chicken could use more seasoning and much more better saffron based coloring. The doogh was very good. Service was polite and nice but very slow as the same person is multitasking endlessly. Enjoyed seeing locals, young, old, family or couples with various ethnicity enjoying themselves.

Wonderful Iranian food. Near the U. Parking is limited. Attached is an Iranian grocery and gift store. The service is very good.

Visited Caspian for dinner and was amazed by the great quality of meats they have. We originally intended to order a different cut but it was not available so we went for sultan as it was the closest. The meat was nice and tender, very tasty and rice was on point. The meat, I could tell, was high quality. It's appears like a simple meal to the eye but once you take the first bite you'll realize the amazing quality! I also ordered the rose water lemonade and it was so refreshing. Service was a bit slow, ambience is laid back with a fancy twist. There's a store attached to the restaurant too, worth to check out for middle eastern/Persian goods!

Such a fantastic restaurant. Wonderful staff, food, and atmosphere. My family felt like family eating here, and the staff were very attentive and kind. We've been here a couple of times now, and we really enjoy the rose water lemonade, feloodeh, and joojeh chicken. The rice is perfectly fluffy and can blow right off of your fork, it's so light. Will definitely be coming here again and again.

One of the only Persian restaurants around town. Really enjoyed the koubideh plate and desserts like their Persian ice cream. Wonderful Persian carpet art on the walls and the market has a lot to offer. Would come again!

This review is for the marketplace only. Lots of interesting food items in a small space: canned/jarred peppers and eggplant; grape leaves, cookies, grains, spices, candies, a huge selection of teas, and a bakery case filled with baklava and other pastries. The best part, though, was the proprietor, who was helping the customer in front of me who'd never been there before. He patiently explained what all the pastries were and was completely charming. I didn't mind the wait because he was so positive and kind.

Caspian is a welcoming family run Persian restaurant and grocery. From offering all your Persian grocery supplies and brands, to sweets, teas, cheeses, and spices, the store opens up to its restaurant half. Family welcomes you in and the menu offers warm soups and breads, to full service grilled kebabs grilled on site. Friendly service, clean, and they own what seems to be the largest parking lot on University of Minnesota to easily park on site.

I really enjoyed their cuisine and they gave me some pointers on how to add some of the traditional spices that they brought to the table. One of the owners came by the table and we had a nice discussion about his restaurant experiences. I would definitely go back when I'm in Minneapolis.

Caspian Bistro and Gourmet Marketplace is catty-corner from the stadium. Ghormeh Sabzi is an aromatic stew of herbs, greens, beef cubes, and red kidney beans. The fenugreek, parsley, spinach, green onions, dried lime, and coriander are sauteed, braised, and softened. The stew is great with the fluffy, buttery, and saffron yellow rice. Kash e Bademjan is a dip of sauteed eggplants, yogurt, and fried onions. Mast o Moosir is a dip of thick yogurt and minced shallots. The dips taste great with flatbread and the entree.

Had the Barg very nice portion and well seasoned ! The service was great not at all slow like some of the other reviews.

So as a person who is familiar with this food, I wanted to be mind blowing good, but it was mediocre at best. And there was a big group of us so all the staples were tired For apps, we got must o mosir (garlic yogurt) zeyton parvardeh (olives and walnuts in pomegranate syrup) tahdig with khoresht (classic) Most o musir: not big enough, like a small cup, bread was store bought and nothing wild! Like you have a store there maybe use the good bread? Zayton parvardeh actually had no pomegranate in it! Which is essential! Tahdig was not crispy, like it was crispy but it has sat for a bit so it was like too hard at this point. Mains: ok for a Persian restaurant nothing was salted enough! I had soltani which is a like a filet, it was fine, not think enough orrrr. Seasoned/marinated enough My chicken which should have had a nice long nap in a bath of yogurt and saffron and onions! Had maybe been gently rubbed which that marinate vs spending in the night in it! Also again salt!!!! Ghormesabzi: every Persian knows and loves it, should be green, very herby! Theirs was almost black and bitter which tells me it had been cooking for maybe too long and maybe was not made exactly that night. Over all disappointing.

I've been looking for a place which serves Zereshk Polo and came across this warm and welcoming Persian restaurant. Our server had beautiful recommendations including a melts-in-your-mouth, drops-off-the-bone lamb dish (33. Mahicheh) and two popular stews (42. Ghormeh Sabzi and 43. Khoresh-e Gheimeh). The food was seasoned perfectly with generous portions. There was complimentary bread which was warm and freshly made. Entrees came with a crunchy starter salad. And of course, the Zereshk Polo was done extremely well, with the perfect tangy barberry rice. There is a small grocery/deli next to the restaurant with an impressive baklava selection and other Middle Eastern grocery items. Private parking lot available around the block.

the food business has three elements: the food, the customer, and the hand-off (when customer receives the food) the last component is as important as the first two. And it's not complicated. Last weekend I called and placed an order. I asked about their hours and told them when exactly I would come and pickup my order. 1 hour and 15 minutes before their closing time. When I got there exactly when I said, the door was locked and there was no one inside. I called and waited. Maybe they just went to the back, worked in the storage area, who knows. I kept calling, waiting 30 minutes, outside, in 9 degree temperatures. It was a large order for a family dinner for a special occasion, I had to make other arrangements and finally I had to realized I had been stood up. They could have called me back before they closed up to let me know I shouldn't expect my order and bother to come to the place. It would have cost them nothing and would have saved me an hour and all the headache. Beware of their work ethics....

I've passed by Caspian so many times but never gone in, and I regret it! Their market is the first thing you pass. It has a lot of middle eastern and international foods, definitely check it out. Their food was all delicious, the spinach pies were so unique. The kofta was well cocked and the salad paired perfectly with it. On the way out, make sure to stock up on some dessert from the pastry area! They had a wide variety of baklava that I couldn't get enough of.

My Persian family and I were very excited to find this gem in Minneapolis. Authentic Persian food, beautiful decor, warm and welcoming ambiance. Helpful staff in the marketplace with good variety of products. We will be back!

Visiting Minnesota for a wedding and to have this restaurant across from where I was staying was super convenient! The food was flavorful, juicy, and well seasoned! If I'm ever in the area again, I'd like to visit Caspian Bistro! I felt welcomed and at ease with the owners. Thank you again for the delicious food!

We got kebab soltani and chicken kebab. They were awful. We have never had a situation where the koobideh could not be cat by knife!!!! It was so dense and so chewy that we had to throw it out. The barg was so hard and chewy that we could not chew it. The chicken was just like putting a piece of chicken on a grill. It had no jooneh kabab taste at allllll. Very disappointing. Unless they change the cook, the food is not worth buying. They seriously need to redo their food menu. Our family will never go back again.

The Food was amazing! I loved the blend of Turkish, Egyptian and Persian cuisine. Cute market in the front that offers fairs from all over! The man who I think was the owner was warm and welcoming. I felt like I was eating at his house. The specialty hot tea with cherry syrup was a unique and delicious way to start my meal. A wonderful place to take your time and enjoy a great meal with great people!

We were really excited to try the food but were really disappointed by the food, the service and the ambiance..... Our appetizer, eggplant .... Was forgotten and we got our entrees first : lamb stew and a chicken stew with eggplant and beans, which sounded great. All of the items were underwhelming to bad tasting : eggplant appetizer was unidentifiable in texture and flavor, but it was inedible...... lamb stew was flavorless greasy goo and the eggplant dish needed salt and flavor ( the condiments on the table were not enough to fix it)..... the atmosphere of the place was sad, abandoned and not cozy...... it felt dusty and dirty though it was not really ...... reminded me a waiting room at some train station. The waiters were friendly .... Though they forgot the appetizer..... We were offered onions to enhance the flavor of the dishes and got huge chunks that were unmanageable to cut with utensils we had.... Somehow munching on chunks of onion was not our idea of a great condiment. There is a store connected to the restaurant- a cool idea that works well at Holy Land Deli but not here. This store is a sad and disorganized collection of items for sale and decorations; China and tea and oils are messily scattered throughout the space. Our advice: go to Holy Land Deli if you crave flavorful middle eastern authentic food.

The service takes way too long, from taking orders to asking for the bill. I recommend the food as it was very good, I would definitely eat there again, but the time wasted to wait for a bill or to order might have me think twice before going to eat there.

We were inspired to get Persian food after watching an episode of Taste the Nation with Padma Lakshmi, where she highlighted famous Persian dishes and went to a Persian grocery store. We ordered carryout, which was prepared in a reasonable amount of time and was ready at the stated time. I loved that I got to go into the Marketplace to see all the amazing food and also the beautiful tea sets. I got the Khoresh-e Ghelmeh, a lovely stew with tenderloin and other vegetables. This was my first time having Iranian food, so I have nothing to compare it to, but it was delicious! I was hoping for slightly more spices + herbs in it. My SO got the Zereshk Polo. I thought the flavor of the chicken was good, but more on the dry side. I'm told the kebabs are great, so I'll definitely have to get that next time!

I got greeted by the owner of the restaurant!! I think that's only happened like three times in my life. I got the history of the place: started over 45 years ago, the building lovingly restored with the dream of expanding to an epic ballroom on the other side with dancing, the exquisite woven tapestries (they will fool you from a distance - they look like oil paintings), the tiny front-of-house deli with desserts piled high and some of the comfort treats from Iran. And I haven't gotten to the food yet!! And what's worse is that I'm not going to be able to give you the name of what I ate, but all I can say as a country bumpkin from Virginia - those chefs can BBQ!! I had seasoned ground lamb that would just melt under your fork, grilled steak seared and charred, basmati rice to with a slightly buttery, nutty taste and a grilled tomato to mash and mix all the flavors home. And I wish I took a picture of it - but I just devoured it instead. Really worth the trip if you are in the area. Just AMAZING!!!

I love the market place only place where we can get our Persian stuff I live in St. Cloud so we have to drive an hour but yummy stuff and fresh dessert only place we go to . And staff is very nice they let us go thru the back cause it's shorter and they helped with the groceries :) I really like this place

As a Persian who loves kabobs and eaten them all the way from Iran to Miami to Chicago to LA and now Minneapolis lol I can tell you this place is legit!! The bread is AWESOME!! The kabobs were well seasoned but more on the milder side from a flavor profile perspective. Everything was enjoyable including the variety of apps we ordered with the exception of the cherry syrup wings... although it was interesting, probably wouldn't do them again. A big bonus also was the friendly staff... made us feel right at home :) Next time I'm homesick and in the twin cities... I'll be back!!

We just had another wonderful meal here! I loved the Vegetarian Sampler Platter, delicious, a fresh just made combination platter of hummus, spinach pie, caspian falafel, and dolmeh, with plenty of fresh warm peta bread. We are just getting started. The Koubideh Kabab (kafta) Wrap was fantastic! With nice skewer of ground beef and lamb combo specially seasoned with their secret seasoning, and then charbroiled, with tomato, 2 types of onion and great pickles, with a nice salad. We had a lovely dinner, owner was great to talk with, we picked up some wonderful Mediterranean gourmet ground coffee and really nice strawberry jam. Wow their selection of jams is off the chain. Actually their little shop is pretty cool, fantastic bakery selections and nuts. Plus plenty of imports from all over. This little market ROCKS. We tasted some fresh raw almonds they bring in from their friends almond farm in California. What a treat, delish. There was a group of guys that drove an hour and a half to have a big traditional dinner. They were really enjoying the food, as we did. Great little restaurant, staff and owner is real nice, excellent cuisine, family friendly. Service is fine. Enjoy.

I would suggest that you be very careful with pricing at this place as they tend to cheat you any chance they get. I was there for lunch with my son and we ordered a main dish and a sandwich from their menu at already healthy prices. The waitstaff brought the bill which was accurate and when they took my credit card, it came back with some $10 over the published price. When I asked why that was, I got the lame excuse that prices are rising and the menu is not updated and they are losing money, etc. etc. I did not want to make a scene, but they simply cheat you and expect you to take it. The same goes for their market. They have no prices in many of their items and they seem to charge whatever they like. I simply do not recommend this place and wished there was another Persian restaurant/market around as I love this kind of food.

Food is average and when it was served it was luke warm. Service was not good, we had to wait for 8 minutes and we decided to seat ourselves. I would try a different Persian food place next time.

This has been a reliable food option in Stadium Village for years. I've been to Caspian Bistro many times, and am tempted almost every time to get the Kashk e-Badamjan -- a vegetarian entree of blended eggplant over rice. That sounds like a simple dish, no? It tastes dreamy at this place. Their appetizer platters are also great, and they are *generous* with their meals -- in fact, every meal I've had there has come with a free starter salad and warm bread. Caspian Bistro doesn't serve alcohol, but the food is so good, you won't miss it. Instead, spend a little time after your dinner shopping at their little deli attached to the restaurant.

I came here for lunch with a friend. There is a general store next to the restaurant, with food and gifts. I had the greek chicken wrap and she had the gyros meal. Hers came with a side salad and pita bread. Mine had a side salad as well. It was good, I think it was quick but I was so busy chatting with my friend so I lost track of time. Service was friendly and intentive as well. My friend's meal looked delicious but I was glad for my selection too. It was good and I felt like I was healthier but also satisfied! It was a little pricier but not too bad. My meal was $9 and hers was $15. It was a nice atmosphere, a fun, different place.

Maybe I came in here with higher expectations because the reviews are pretty good for this place but I leave this place being somewhat disappointed. The food and service are pretty good but honestly if you want to get the best deal and quality, do not get just a Falafal or Gyro sandwich. Make sure and get a platter of some sort. I ordered a Gyro and was pretty disappointed by the size and quality. The pita wasn't really even a pita, it was more like a wrap...what? It honestly wasn't that good and I left hungry. The other people at my table ordered platters and their food looked sooooo good. I definitely had plate envy. So if you come here, skip getting a gyro and get a platter of some sort. You won't be disappointed.

We have been coming to the Caspian for nearly 25 years and we love the warmth and charm of the place. The food is always outstanding and the quality and portions are wonderful! A true Persian meal that brings all types of people in to try! Once you try it you will be hooked! To see more of my pictures and reviews go to Kam Finds Food page on Facebook!

My dad and I walked in with no reservation and they went out of their way to seat us! The service is amazing-you feel right at home. And there's so many vegetarian/vegan options on the menu! Something for everyone and it's all so delicious

I hadn't been to Caspian Bistro in over 20 years. My wife, son and I ate there pretty often in the '90s. We went tonight along with my son's girlfriend for our early Christmas, since we're gonna be spread out all over the country on Christmas. Happy to report it's still great Mediterranean food. Service sucked, but a little prodding finally got a waitress to our table after we sat there for about 20 minutes. We have Basmati rice at home very often, but theirs is just so perfect. A big bunch of butter melting in the middle and a sprinkling of saffron on top. Good meat. Good zaziki. Often you find that a restaurant you used to like has gone downhill, or changed owners, or changed up their menu. Caspian is as good as I remember it. Now they should hire some more wait-staff. =)

The Caspian deserves 10 yums! 100% authentic with everything prepared daily. The dishes are equal to what you can find in California, London, and even Tehran- - no joke....... My favorite is the boneless chicken-breast kebab--perfectly prepared with basmati rice and saffron. ..... Another favorite is the PERSIAN SPLIT CHICKPEA STEW (KHORESHTE GHEIMEH -- sounds like: kor-resh-tay gaaay-may). I squeeze a few drops of lemon on each dish and I am in heaven!!! BACKGROUND: Over 20 years ago for brothers four Persian brothers started a small person grocery/cafe in semi-rundown building near the university. Working 70-hour weeks, the brothers reinvested all the profits into their restaurant; slowly remodeling and expanding and remodeling and expanding several times. The brothers are humble, grateful, authentic, and welcoming. BUSY-BUSY: If you dine at peak time, please be patient with the service. These brothers are doing their best To provide the absolutely best food and the best service. Remember that everything is being hand prepared and grill in the kitchen and the bistro is frequently at capacity. In summary, I hope you try my suggestions. You won't go wrong!!

The resaurant food quality is not bad, the food price is a bit high though. But my main purpose of writing this review is informing people to not buy anything from the grocery section of there. The items are very expensive compared to other grocery stores, and the guy who is running there pushes you to buy something everytime you go there. At the end of every purchase, when you get the receipt they expect you to pay at least %17 tip, which I have not seen such a thing in any grocery store in the U.S.

Have eaten here literally 100x since 1991 or so, mostly before we emigrated south 10 years ago but we still make return visits. Honestly my favorite Persian place in the US with just a few runners up in CA. Still remember when it got 'nice' when renovated in the 2000s. Super nice people. And the FOOD! Everything is 5-star but the chelou Kabab and soltani are really the best anywhere. Be sure to get the ground chicken one and ALWAYS get a second grilled tomato. You're welcome. The only downer is the kababs many many moons ago were $9. These are really no longer university prices. Lunch for 5 - ordering big, but still- was $125 with tip.

Worst Persian food I've ever tried so far. The service was terrible, and the food was not fresh at all. We tried several main dishes and appetizers, but none of us were happy with the food. Avoid rice in this restaurant if you don't want to get bloated.

Such a pleasant experience. On their menu they say that dining here is like dining with a friend. Sounds corny, but it was true! I'm a frequent lone diner, and have never felt so welcomed. Most other places tend to neglect single person parties (for monetary reasons I would guess), but everyone here was attentive, friendly, and patient. The house tea perfectly hits the spot on a brisk Fall day. The kebabs are all great too.

Our family has been going to Caspian for years, almost since it opened. Now our kids are continuing the tradition. The food is fantastic, always fresh and cooked to perfection. My son loves the gyros entree, I love everything! The last time we visited (a couple of weeks ago) I had the kabob and it was excellent. My daughter and mom had the gyro wraps, also delicious. We usually get extra feta on the side to add to the rice and salad. Never disappointed going here. P.S. Check out the store before you leave there are lots of yummy things to take home.

This place was a fun find! The food was fabulous and we had super service, despite the fact that we were an indecisive group of 7! We had a variety of items, all of which were fabulous. The chicken and beef kabobs (Koubideh Combo) were typical of Persian food and quite large, a plate of hummus and pita for the table to share was plenty for the group, gyro--chicken kabob--and falafal sandwiches were all pleasing, the Greek Salad with optional gyro meat was typical of a Greek salad and delicious. More traditional items we tried included Ghormeh Sabzi, a stew made with greens that is served with rice. It tasted very strong of the greens, but was good. My favorite was the Khoresh E Gheimeh, another type of stew without the greens. Has tenderloin and a little cinnamon and other seasonings. Delicious! They are known for their house tea, and sell it in the market. Before or after you eat, save time for a walk through the connected market. It's the type of small market you could wander for an hour, and still not see every item! I want to go back just to spend more time in the market and grab a few fresh dates and some feta!

I love this place. Great restaurant and market selection!! Every time I come into town this is a must stop. I love the freshness of their food and the flavors are soooo good! Chicken koobideh is one of my favs and the rose water ice cream!

Caspian's is a fanstastic restaurant if you're looking for Persian or Mediterranean food. It's in a great location even if its parking lot is a little small and a walk away from the entrance. The atmosphere is just what you would want when dining on this cuisine. With decorations and paintings with Persian influence. Can't go wrong with any of the food or drink choices. I personally recommend the rose water lemonade. My favorite dish was the Koobideh combo which comes with ground chicken and ground beef. It comes with a side salad as well. The table gets some naan bread but I was not a fan at all. I love naan from other Persian restaurants but this one just tasted awful to me. The restaurant is also connected to a small market which lots of items you won't find anywhere else. I would definitely come here if you haven't had this type of food before or want a great helping of kabab.

I have been dining at the Caspian for years and it is time for a review. I rate the Caspian as the best middle eastern restaurant in the metro area. I have been to the Middle East several times on business and while not I am an expert, the food at the Caspian seems very authentic. In addition to the standard gyros and kabobs, they have traditional stews and other dishes which you don't typically find at fast food middle eastern restaurants. I find that I don't care for the wraps and I always ask for the Greek pita. The rice is fabulous. The chicken is pretty dry and I avoid it. Desserts are great but very sweet so a little goes a long way for me. There is a small market/deli which has the best dates in the Cities. These go great with an espresso for a healthy treat at home. These dates are infinitely better than any that can be found at super markets here and remind me of dates in Saudi Arabia where they are a staple of life (if only I could get a Saudi cardamom coffee). Caspian does takeout and the food travels well. Parking can sometimes be a challenge.

Very friendly staff and great food. Went there for the first time last week and it was well worth money.

I have been eating at this restaurant for 20 plus years and love it! It's a family owned business which has changed their decor from their early deli smaller tables to a sophisticated sit down restaurant. I love their Koubideh and basmati rice! I pretty much eat the same thing every time I eat in or order out. The Persian food is very very good! I will always recommend the Caspian to friends and family.

I got two appetizers dolmeh and Kashk E Bademjan. I love stuffed grape leaves(dolmeh) and these were served warm along with salad. It was sour and savory, even better than the ones I normally get from Trader Joe's! Th second appetizer was a sauteed eggplant and onion, which I found kind of bland. For my entree, I ordered the Chelou Kabab Soltani which was two skewers of beef and seasoned ground beef/lamb with basmati rice and a grilled tomato. I absolutely loved this dish, it's a very big portion so I shared it with a friend and was still full! I really love baklava so I tried their Greek Baklava which is served with honey, and it was amazing!! The baklava was served warm and filo dough with the honey and nuts tasted so good altogether. I am definitely coming back to get more dessert! The servers checked up on us frequently which was nice, but they kept trying to take my plate away when I was still eating on multiple occasions. Caspian Bistro is attached to a neat marketplace with various Asian and Middle Eastern cooking products.

We ordered from here for the first time yesterday and it was awesome. Great portions and really delicious. I personally really recommend the tahdig!

Best Persian bistro in the Twin Cities. We've been going there for many years and will do for many to come. The staff is fantastic and only outdone by the food.