Chef Alisah's Restaurant

Chef Alisah’s is one of the best restaurants in Tucson. The owner and his wife are so welcoming, and the food is some of the most comforting and delicious I’ve ever eaten. I always bring visitors to Chef Alisah’s and they love it as well. I have tried several different meals and have enjoyed them all. Can’t recommend them enough!

Uniquely wonderful. Places like Alisah's should be prized as a local gem for the care they put into the food and the family style hospitality that makes you feel like you're in sitting in their living room. A welcoming family cooking with love.

I came in for dinner on Saturday night. I simply cannot express how wonderful this place is. GENUINELY family run. You can see it, and you can taste it, too. The Soup, Goulash and Chicken Paprikaš were astonishingly similar to the ones my Hungarian grandmother used to make. I was immediately hit with flavors of my own family and childhood, that I can’t get anywhere else. While I can’t quite relate with the more Mediterranean dishes (though I’m sure it’s just as wonderful,) the stuff that overlaps with Hungarian cuisine was a treat that nearly brought me to tears with the flavors of generations that preceded me. Lastly, the Baklava was an exceptional treat to wrap up a truly wonderful meal. My only disappointment was with how few people were dining here during prime time on a weekend. I sincerely hope more people come out, you certainly won’t be disappointed.

Came all the way from New York just to eat this man's food. I am a huge Guy Fieri fan. We do try to travel where we can go to restaurants that have been featured on the show. This was no disappointment. The owner is friendly and funny and insisted that he tell us what to eat because he knew what was good in his kitchen. I got the meatballs and my husband got the goulash some of the best food I have ever eaten. If you are anywhere near Tucson you absolutely have to try this restaurant.

We got the chef's surprise here for 3 - it was essentially a giant meat platter with chicken breast, pork and beef sausages, gyro, and skewers over 3 different types of rice, broccoli with cheese, and salad. It was a lot of food and we had enough leftovers for several meals afterwards. All the meats were slightly on the saltier side; the chicken was kinda dry, but the gyro and skewer tasted pretty good.

one of the best meals i’ve ever had! the service is warm and friendly, the owners make you feel very at home! everything was soo flavorful and delicious. the stuffed cabbage and rice was one of the best dishes i’ve had! highly recommend for amazing food and a comfortable atmosphere.

Excellent!! Good food. Came for lunch with the family. Chef owned and operated. Sausages, Special beef with mushrooms. Goulash. Bosnian meatballs. Oh and Bosnian coffee- so thick... Chef has great personality. Food was out fast. Great local joint. Wish I'd have come sooner.

Charming Eastern European Bosnian restaurant. There is no alcohol there but you can BYOB it if you would like. Not pretentious joint welcomes you to expect homecooking. The Bosnian style tzatziki and ajvar dip appetizer is so good. That red bell pepper eggplant dip (adjvar) was addictive! Homemade bread was delicious. Dinner date had the Bosnian Style Goulash which hit the spot. Owner waited on us and I let him guide me to what I should order and he did not steer me wrong. He recommended I get the #2 special beef dish with mushroom sauce... I was mildly intimidated to just let him pick my dish but it was worth the blind leap in faith. The cabbage salad that came with was tasty and I want to replicate it at home! We had inquired with the owner about the Chef's Choice dinner for two and since he earned my trust by picking out what I should order.... the next time we go back we will put faith in him to take us on that path and match up what it is he wants to dazzle us with. Definitely recommend. Careful when you try to pull into this place because if you miss it it's kind of a pain to get back into that opening where the restaurant is located. Highly recommend. Thank you Chef Alisah!

Fantastic Halal place. The Goulash is great. Cabbage rolls are wonderful and the people are really nice. You really need to try this out. Diners drive inn and drives was right!!!

Dishes were obviously being prepared by mom and dad in the back. Everything was fresh and made well! Cabbage salad was my favorite. Great homemade bread.

Our first time trying this place, based on reviews, we expected so much, but it was a disappointment. It was recognized as the best grill in Tucson in 2018 and featured on Guy Fieri's show. But that was years ago. As we walked in, the restaurant, compared to other places we've been, lacked visual stimulation. The place was dull; the décor, tables, and chairs were very basic. Only one server worked the floor, and he even forgot our order. His excuse was that he wrote it on a different piece of paper. The food was okay, but there was no "wow" factor.

We got the chef's surprise here for 3 - it was essentially a giant meat platter with chicken breast, pork and beef sausages, gyro, and skewers over 3 different types of rice, broccoli with cheese, and salad. It was a lot of food and we had enough leftovers for several meals afterwards. All the meats were slightly on the saltier side; the chicken was kinda dry, but the gyro and skewer tasted pretty good.

Excellent food with amazing service. The warm bread is made fresh every day! I highly recommend the grilled chicken.

Food is amazing. Staff cares and you can see it. Triple D got it right. Thank you for being true to your reputation.

Saw this place on Guy Fieri's DDD and I happened to be in Tucson so I had to try it. Fast service even though it is all cooked to order. Chef Alisah cooks everything. He was very nice. I was disappointed he was out of goulash though. I had the surprise platter. It was enormous, but it should be for $75. Divide that by the 4 people it serves and it's a good value for the quality of food.

We stopped in on a Saturday for lunch and had a wonderful experience! My husband and I both ordered the Goulash with a Cockta (Bosnian Soda similar to Coca-Cola). It was served with a delightful cabbage salad, a basket of delicious bread, and the chef also surprised us with a beef and rice stew he'd "normally only make for family". Everything was fantastic. The bread was light and fluffy. I normally don't care for cabbage, but the dressing made it delightful. The goulash itself was splendid and flavorful. But the homemade dish, in its simplicity, was my personal favorite. Enjoying the meal with the Cockta, really pulled out the herb-y vanilla flavor of the soda! Would definitely come back. I'd love to try more on this menu.

Absolutely lovely people and delicious comfort food. Good vibes. We had grape leaves, chicken in paprika sauce, and beef in mushroom sauce. Even the rice is divine. We'll be back!

Went here for lunch last week. I had the stuffed rolled cabbage rolls, which were outstanding. The chef came by our table to check on us a couple times showing us photos of his son and very proud of his restaurant and family. If you have not gone here, you need to go.

Nasty Staff/Owner Food Ok Only go here if you have a taste for bad attitude. Unpleasant experience.

It took me 15 years of living in Tucson to finally give this place a try. After one meal, I'm kicking myself for waiting so long. First and foremost, the food was delicious. Between the Cevapi, Chicken Schnitzel, and bread, it really felt like I was eating a home prepared meal that was one of a kind. The purple paint on the walls and table setting...not super appealing. But, who am I kidding? If you're going here for a meal, it's for the food, and you will not be disappointed.

Great little place in an unexpected location. Casual and fragrant atmosphere. This restaurant is BYOB, so bring your favorite wine to enjoy and the restaurant will supply the glasses. We ordered the mixed grill for 4 and brought home days worth of leftovers! Service is friendly and the food is savory, hearty and definitely tastes homemade. We will definitely return, to try more menu items.

Location: Off the main road on Oracle Road. Across the street from the Hampton Inn Parking: Private parking lot in small plaza Food: Fantastic food with authentic Bosnian recipes and flavors. You cannot replicate nor duplicate food like this anywhere else in Tucson, or likely outside of the Balkan region. If you are unsure, just ask the wait staff as they are very knowledgeable and impartial. Prices: Reasonable prices with small market inside that sells Bosnian goods and treats. Overall: 5- star, I think this place is a Tucson icon and one of the best places to eat.

I hadn't been here in several years and ordered something new this time. We shared 2 entrees, the cabbage rolls and the Goulash. The food was home cooked deliciousness! The meat in the goulash was super tender and I loved the simple cabbage salad that came with it. Our server said the dressing is just oil, vinegar and s&p. The cabbage rolls were the best I've ever had. The sauerkraut that comes inside of them added another depth of flavor. The portion size is just right on those entrees. Our server was great.

I'm not familiar with Bosnian food, but it was a good experience. The restaurant is small and pretty modest. It's tucked away in a low key multiple story building that feels more like an office complex. My friend and I got the mixed grill for two and it allowed us to try a few different items. The portions were generous. The service was nice and polite. Definitely check this place out.

Authentic Eastern European foods prepared and served with love. Baclava was outstanding and the Turkish coffee was strong but tasted like coffee

We arrived without a reservation and were initially told they were sold out, however we were accompanied and given a table. The decoration is sparse and reminded me of a VFW party room. We ordered food after a few minutes, shortly after the salad arrived. it was a cabbage salad and was fresh and delicious. I had the Special Beef dish with Mushroom, my husband had the stuffed cabbage and our friends had the Chicken in paprika sauce and the surprise plate. the food arrived hot and delicious. The portions were large and we all brought home leftover. I would definitely return again, but would totally make a reservation just so we didn't stress out the owner. Prices were so reasonable

First time trying Bosnian food. We ordered two different plates to try different flavors. We thought we would have a favorite dish, but we couldn't choose. Both plates were amazing. The staff were friendly and courteous. Had a home cooked feeling. I definitely recommend.

The best sausages (Ćevapi) I have had since my friend used to make them homemade. The always have great service. On this visit we had the beef with mushroom sauce, the goulash and the lamb. all had a deep intense delicious flavor. don't miss the stuffed baked apple for dessert (not too sweet! Yay!). Did I mention, you can take the sausages to grill at home, too!

Whatever vegetable dish I ate, it was darn near perfection. Could have eaten three more plates of it. Also the portions were very generous and the family-staff was great.

The food is good and they have the authentic Bosnian sausages called Cevapi which are good. You can get 10 or 15 pieces for dinner. When I went there for dinner, the sausages seemed like they were made with lamb and not a mixture of beef and lamb which I think it's better. The lamb has a very strong taste and smell. I also had the Goulash and a cabbage salad that is very tasty. The entire dinner was about $45 with tip. Not bad since the leftovers were enough for a second night. The time I went, the place was empty since it was right at 5 pm, so the service was quick and the owner and the server were very nice. Overall, a good experience. Will definitely go back.

I love this place. It serves Bosnian food. It is so good. I've been here several times prior to the pandemic. I happened to be driving by a few weeks ago and wondered if it had survived the dark times. I was so pleasantly surprised. It survived and Chef is still serving up great food. I decided to get a to go order for dinner later that day. I ordered Gulas (Bosnian goulash), Sarma u Japraku (stuffed grape leaves), sarma (stuffed cabbage) baklava. I reheated when dinner rolled around and it was all good as I remembered. Very nicely seasoned. Great flavor. It was a great dinner. The only sadness was that they were out of the cevapi (Bosnian sausages) and the lamb shank. These are actually two of my favorite. I haven't had the entire menu since it is a full menu. I have no doubt any of the dishes wouldn't disappoint. There is a kids menu. Next time I'm up near there I'll swing by. It'll be good.

My dad saw this place on Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives and incorporated coming on our latest road trip. The service was excellent. The ambiance is very cold, though. I ordered the beef with mushroom sauce. It was delicious, but very heavy. I felt so full after only a few bites. My dad ordered the sausages, but I didn't try any. He seemed to like them. The cabbage salad was also good.

We had the cabbage rolls and goulash, both were delicious and looked authentic! The owners are the sweetest people, we'll definitely be back. Oh and you can bring your own beer/wine - no fee.

The food and atmosphere is amazing! You definitely feel and see this a family owned and ran business. They're incredibly welcoming and there were return customers who they greeted by name and you can tell they'd been there many times. We'll be return customers as well!

No surprise, another delicious find in Tucson. The meat platter for two was huge and could easily feed more. We had a ton of leftovers and we are big eaters! The cabbage salad was light and refreshing. The house bread was thick and flavorful. All the meats were tender and cooked perfectly. We will definitely be back to try other items on the menu. Everything that people ordered looked amazing!

The last time we were in here was a little ways back. It was the middle of Ramadan, and Chef Alisah's seemed to be doing a brisk takeout business. The seats were also pretty full inside. In other words, people who had been hungry all day were coming to Chef Alisah's because they were craving something delicious and they knew that the portions they'd get would leave them full. Chef Alisah's is 100% my favorite halal restaurant in Tucson. I love Istanbul and the sandwich shops in Nur Market and Al-Basha's, but I daydream about the cevapi at Alisah's. Go. Now. You'll be glad you did.

This is a hidden gem in Tucson!! Came in at 6pm and it was pretty empty. Very good service. Ambience is a little plain but not bad at all. Got served pretty quick. Food was phenomenal 10/10!! Homemade bread with the sausages was genuinely the best bread I've ever had in my life! So fresh and soft. Sausages were very good and the gulash was very good too. Great taste. Every piece of food was very very good. Definitely will be returning!

The food was authentic and delicious and we'll be back! Tzatziki sauce was the best and sausages and homemade bread were unbelievable! Highly recommended!

Located in a non-descript center on a non-descript part of N Oracle, houses one of the best restaurants in Tucson. I'm familiar with the cuisine since my immigrant grandparents were located not far off in Eastern Europe. I felt comfortable with the very extensive menu. Our dinner included the Tzatziki and Adjvar app, Ghoulash, Stuffed cabbage rolls, and Lamb shank. Each dish was perfectly prepared, a side of rice or noodle complement, and well seasoned. The array of flavors was was an explosion. Cabbage salad was a nice opener for our dishes. We capped off the dinner with an excellent baklava. Service was Attentive but not intrusive. That was a welcome change. Its all about the food. No bar but you can BYO wine and they will give you a setup. So Guy Fieri has picked another winner and I'm thinking I need to start following Guy around the US. I cant wait to come back.

The sign was blinking "OPEN". I went for a coffee and sweets. He said that his kitchen was closed, that he was too busy with Thanksgiving preparations, gave me the whole story about 300 lbs. meat he must fetch and .. rejected his service at his doorstep. :o I quietly turned around and left .. The sign was still blinking "OPEN"

We tried this restaurant back in 2015 and decided to try it again in 2023. Unfortunately, our dining experience was not any better. We ordered the big platter because we wanted to try all their best meats. However, all their meats were very salty. We barely ate a quarter of the platter and left early because we were too full from drinking water. There wasn't enough rice/side vegetables to mask over the hypertensive crisis we were experiencing. We shared the feedback to the owners as we walked out the door, and they were receptive.

We went to Chef Aliyah's restaurant for lunch on Nov 13,2024, and the food was outstanding. We has the stuffed cabbage( Sarma), and the goulash, along with their salad. I am Slovak and I can tell you that the food was as good as I have ever had,with a Bosnian twist. Service was great, and the owners were very nice. Prices were very reasonable. I highly recommend this place, and will definitely be going back. I real treasure in the desert.

Amazing food fast service well placed tables nice lighting good vibe good music nice people

This restaurant kept popping up in searches for Greek food and then we saw the episode of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives and decided we had to give it a try. The reviews are absolutely spot on...this place is delicious! It's a small little cafe back from the main road so it's easy to miss if you're not looking for it. It's a shame it's hidden since they have delicious food! We ordered the Grilled Meat Platter for 2. It's just $28 (not per person) and came with grilled chicken, lamb sausages, steak, and seasoned hamburger patties. It also comes with two different rices and two different sauces. It was all wonderful, and honestly enough for 4 people, not just 2! We also got the baklava gor dessert and that was the shining star of the evening! Absolutely fantastic. My boyfriend even said it's the best baklava he has ever had. We will absolutely be back again to try other menu items...I can't wait!

YES YES YES!! Everything was a yes in my book. Staff was friendly and food was delicious. Cant wait to be back

We've dined here twice now & we plan to be regulars! The food is outstanding, from salad to dessert everything on the menu is delicious. Personally I've had the goulash & the chicken cooked like Katsu but named something else. The goulash is heavenly & will probably be my go to entree on subsequent visits. Our friends had the special vegetarian entree & the other cooked chicken. They were both very pleased with their entrees. Everyone loved the buttery moist rice that accompanies most of the dishes. Apparently the gentleman that greets you & takes the orders is the original Chef Alisah and he is warm & welcoming & seemingly proud & happy when diners enjoy their experience. He smartly steered our vegetarian diner away from the eggplant dish saying that the eggplant was not good this year. The walls are adorned with several life sized pictures of Guy Fieri & restaurant employees. I can see why he featured the place on Triple D! It's a local jewel to be sure. We highly recommend!

One of the best meals we have had in Tucson! It's a must try! Everything we had was amazing and the service was super friendly. As soon as you walk in it is a family feel.

We like Eastern European food, and this place is top notch. It's owned and operated by Bosnians, which makes for a slightly different take on some of the usual dishes you might expect. We had chicken paprikash, stuffed cabbage leaves and the meat balls. All three of us thought the food was delicious, much better than at a more popular Polish restaurant where we ate recently. The chef brought us each a stew like dish before our meal. We asked what it was called. He said: "No name, just something I made my family tonight for dinner." Great stuff. As you would expect, very filling and a nice break from the many good Mexican restaurants in Tucson.

This restaurant is across the street from the hotel I was staying at. A little bit tucked away but worth the visit. I ordered the Grah (bean soup with beef) and the Sataras (vegetarian dish) and it was the perfect pairing. It was flavorful and hearty but not too much to be uncomfortably full. First time eating Bosnian-style Mediterranean food. Will definitely be back next time I'm in town.

We (a group of friends) ate here last night. The food is delicious, the prices are very reasonable, it is BYO, the conversational noise level is a refreshing pleasure, it is family owned and the hospitality is warm and friendly. Not fancy, just really good.

First time trying Bosnian and though I'm vegetarian, the salad and dips were delicious. My boyfriend was a huge fan of the sausages and the homemade bread served with it were outstanding. We would absolutely come back on our next visit to Tucson! Service was quick and pleasant and the restaurant as a whole was clean and comfortable.

Excellent food! Legitimately the best! The owner is marvelous! Goulash is the best!

Oh my, Tucsonans, how lucky you are to have this gem tucked away on North Oracle. My meal began with a small cabbage salad, and you're probably thinking how boring that is, but it's a zippy, fresh, delightful little palette cleanser that sets the stage for the entrée. For my main dish, I ordered the Bosnian-style goulash, which features cubes of beef in a delicious gravy served alongside homemade white butter rice with a couple of slices of fresh bread. While eating the goulash, I was struck by the fact that had the beef been just a wee bit more tender, the dish would be really similar to carne guisada. The entire meal was a delight. Chef Alisah's is one of the stars of Tucson's international cuisine scene and is well worth your attention.

Very delicious food and cozy atmosphere and greta service. Will definitely go again. We had cevapi and salad . I only wish I had desert too

i can't wait to try this restaurant. i saw a pic of the sarma and immediately thought of my gma! I can't believe Tucson has such an authentic Croatian restaurant! TY! and see u soon!

Family owned restaurant with some of the most authentic food in town. The combination plate is so good and the portion is huge! The service is always amazing and the staff are so friendly! They sell some amazing chocolate and the vibe of the space is so cozy! Love this place! Must try!

Went with my wife and my niece. Was delicious. Recommend the stuffed grape leaves and trying the imported sodas.