Dee Ann M.
Yelp
My husband and I discovered this quaint little Mediterranean restaurant on William Cannon about 15 years ago. I'm not sure how long they had been open before that. They had a small but impressive buffet of Mediterranean options. I was pregnant and low and behold, all the salads became my 'cravings' along with this amazing hot tea that had cardamom. We came as often as possible while I was pregnant. I could eat my weight in their cucumber salad. Then I had a baby and all things changed.
Fast forward to lots of life and moving out of Austin, we happened upon this place with the same name on Stassney. Crazy coincidence! There was no way that this was the same place. After I Googled to see pictures, it looked like the same as what I craved so many years ago. We had to try it, especially since that baby was 13 years old now.
My first bite was a flashback to that time! This was the place that helped a pregnant mom satisfy her salad and tea cravings. I was so excited. We all loved it -bite after bite. So many more items were added but all of my favorites were still there. The buffet options were endless.
Every time we come to Austin Dimassi's Mediterranean Buffet is a must. With a large seating area, you walk in and seat yourself. You help yourself to your drinks, silverware, & plates. There are gloves for you to use and suggested but not mandatory. The buffet and tables are very clean. They are very attentive to taking plates from your table when you are done.
Walk the line of the salads first. There are so many to chose from and all delicious. I can't help myself (since this is one of my favorite things) & I get a bit of all of them. That's it for a first plate and I only made it through the first section.
Hummus, baba ganoush, and puddings, halva, tzatziki, garlic sauce, etc make the next section. I love how they take such pride in their dishes. They don't just throw things up on a buffet, they always beautifully decorate the dishes with spices, nuts, etc. Then come options of soup, rices, rice dishes with meats (lamb, chicken, beef), etc. There are plenty of vegetarian options as some of my favorites are the baked cauliflower that has this hint of lemon to it, baked eggplant, and falafel. The falafel isn't always the moistest but when it's good, it's great. There is gyro, fried fish, baked fish, chicken, pasta, cheese & za'atar spice pizzas, along with a freshly made hot pita bread that is delicious. Mine was so hot today, I burned my finger when I opened it. Delicious! There are so many different food options, I can't say them all.
Next is your drink section. There are your sodas but then there is a sweetened saffron water which is delicious! It's also great with half saffron water and half lemonade. As I mentioned my favorite spiced hot tea is here as well. I think they must add cinnamon and cardamom as well now. Still one of my favs and it goes beautifully with the desserts. With only a few options, you don't need more. Honestly I really only eat the baklava which is flaky and syrupy. It's so perfect and I am so pleased they put such a great dessert on the buffet.
I love that you can pack a to go container and if I lived here, I would do this weekly. I mean, Mediterranean food is actually even better when it's had time to become a leftover. Once done eating, you and your party go to the front doors where the cash attendant is and tell her how many in your party and then you pay. So reasonable for all the options and high quality food, drinks, and deserts.
As you can tell, I am beyond pleased with this place. Anyone we bring or tell also loves this place. I wish one was in my home town.....hint hint....Las Vegas -Southwest side. Wink wink.
This is by far one of our families favorite places to eat. It has become our joke that our sons favorite type of food is Mediterranean because he was given so much when he was growing. Always a pleasure and blessed to eat such wonderful dishes. Thank you for sharing your beautiful recipes with us all.