Haji-Baba

I love Haji Baba. Always have. You cannot find better chicken Shawarma sandwiches anywhere. You cannot find better hummus anywhere! They are located conveniently off Apache in Tempe. This is a must visit. It’s also a grocery store. Very authentic. Not your average chain like pita jungle Not even close. This is a rare gem in Tempe. I have been coming here for years. The same people are always working! You know what you’re gonna get every time prices are incredible.

I’ve been coming here for 20+ years and absolutely love it! I love that the menu hasn’t changed and the food flavors remain consistent. The servers are always friendly and the food comes out quickly. Don’t forget to get some delicious baklava on your way out!

We decided to visit Haji Baba tonight for Middle Eastern food for our dinner. I have not been to this restaurant since before Covid, but I was happy to find the quality of the food was still excellent. My fair for tonight was lamb. Shish kebab, my wife’s was chicken Kebab and our friend had falafel. Plates are always full and food is always very good. The lamb was extremely tasty and tender as was the chicken kebab. My friend really enjoyed her falafels. The rice was fluffy and tasty. I wish the salad would’ve had some feta cheese on it, but that may be asking for too much. Service is with a smile and when you’re finished, you can always go to the other side and go grocery shopping. I definitely give this restaurant a thumbs up.

This is the second time I have been here and it was sensational once again. I cannot get past how good the chicken shwarma is. There is a place in Tampico, Mexico that had set the chicken bar for me. This chicken shwarma is on another level. I am not a huge salad fan other than a nice ceasar salad but the tabooli is so nice and refreshing. I love the gyro meat. Sanbusek is a little slice of heaven. I don't live that close so I don't find myself in the area often. I will stop in whenever I am though. Top shelf service as well. Food comes quick. My wife loved the guava juice.

Great Middle Eastern restaurant and market! As a Jew whose culture shares most of the same cuisine, this food is the best and most authentic Arab-Mediterranen dining experience I've had in the valley. Kind staff as well! If you haven't tried it before, get their lebni. It's arguably the best yogurt in Arizona!

One of my ‘go to’ places… when I’m in the mood… I know the tastes I will get from their menu. Delicious food… have my favorite waiter… and there is a small deli case & Lebanese market to boot. Love these people!

Delicious Mediterranean food at very good prices. They don't skimp on the portions. Very convenient spot for lunch. Plus, there is a little Middle Eastern grocery store attached to it so you can buy some extra goodies to stock up.

Good restaurant but I had a bad first time experience. Order shish kabab plate, rice was partially cooked, returned and they gave me the same rice so I politely asked to give me a wrap instead which they happily agreed to however the chef probably did not like I complained so made me the wrap without any sauce. A dry wrap which was so hard to swallow. Tasted OK but this not acceptable. 5 star because the front desk guys are cool.

This place has the best chicken shawarma I've ever had. I wish it wasn't 2000 miles away! The plate comes with tasty salad & homemade hummus that is to die for. Add some hot sauce and you are good to GO! The prices are fair and don't forget to take a baklava for later.

This place was boominnnn' when my friend and I stopped by. It was a full house with people shopping at their little mart and all tables were taken eating their delicious Mediterranean food! I was really craving koobideh and this was the only place that was on the way home open on a Sunday. What we ordered: Kabab Koubideh - This was great but not as moist compared to other places I've tried when I lived in the Bay Area. However their yogurt dip and hummus were amazing!! I also wish they offered grilled peppers/chilis of some sort. Plate Combo - This was worth it, in my opinion, if you want to try all the kebabs. The ribeye was our fave but this combo didn't come with any rice and only the kebabs. The chicken was also surprisingly well-seasoned and moist. Cashew Baklava - We were a little disappointed with the taste of the baklava as the cashew tasted a little bit stale. The flavor of the caramelization on the pastry was perfect but wish the cashews didn't give a weird aftertaste. Services - The people here were super nice but a lot of people who ordered after us received their items first while our food sat on the counter for a good while. My friend had to go up and ask if it was ready. You'll find some cool things you won't find anywhere else if you're looking for Mediterranean/European goodies!

I have been coming here for over 10 years! Love that it's a restaurant and has a small store attached with snacks n little goodies. I will say that back in the day the rice was prepared different and had more flavor. Now it's pretty boring. Service is great, the waiter let us sample a specific meat before making a decision on our entree. Overall, it's a safe bet if you are craving Mediterranean!!

Tucked away in a strip mall on Apache Blvd, this Mediterranean restaurant is the definition of hole in the wall treasure. From the outside, you might not give it a second glance but step inside and you're in for a treat. they have an extensive menu with all the Mediterranean favorites. I recommend by starting with the hummus and hand-tossed pita, and the chicken Shawarma is the best I have ever had. Service is warm and personal like dining at a friend's house. The space is small cozy and nothing fancy, but that's part of the charm. It's the kind of place where the food speaks for itself. If you're looking for authentic Mediterranean experience without frills, this is the spot

This was my inaugural visit to this establishment, and I must say that I was underwhelmed overall. A friend had recommended it and spoken highly of it. Unfortunately, the cuisine was quite bland and lacked flavor. The service was also slow, and our server seemed uncertain about which tables were receiving which dishes when the food arrived. We had to solicit our server's attention for refills and other requests. The restaurant features a lovely mural on the wall and accommodates approximately 10 tables. The lighting was adequate, and the adjacent Greek store adds a touch of authenticity. However, parking can be challenging due to the restaurant's location in a strip mall with other establishments. In retrospect, I would not prioritize this restaurant over other Greek eateries in the east valley.

Wow wow wow. What a hidden gem, one of those "I effed up on not discovering this place sooner, I've been missing out for years" type of situations. The staff is so kind and makes you just feel comfortable somehow, can't explain it. The food was flavored and seasoned to perfection. The lamb kabob came out grilled to the perfect temp, a lil bit of pink in the center, spectacular. The sambusek is packed full of meat and just HIT the spot. The hummus is some of the best I've had. Before even leaving, I was already planning my next visit. I honestly doubt you can go wrong ordering anything off their menu.

A local favorite in the Tempe area. I have been coming here for a long time with family and friends and it's always a hit. There is adequate parking and we were seated very quickly. The building has both a small grocery store and the dining area. The workers there are very friendly and check on the tables very often. The food is very decently priced and the portions are extremely generous. I haven't found any restaurant in either California or Arizona that has even come close to the quality or taste of the food that they have here. Now that I no longer live in the area, I make sure to eat here every time I come to visit and I will always recommend this place to others.

The best middle eastern food in the valley hands down. My family has been coming here for the past 30 years.

My family and I have been going to this restaurant for 30 years now. Ambience - the ambience is very casual. It is a restaurant and a Middle Eastern grocery store combined into one. Service - the service is good and efficient. On a sidenote, you do not pay your server you pay upfront at the register. The food is good. I usually get the vegetarian combo, which consists of baba ghanoush, hummus, grape leaves, and falafel. My Dad and Mom usually got the Kibbeh. Although nothing is as good as what my mom and Sette make, this restaurant is pretty good.

I used to go here a lot when I was at ASU, now it is far from where I live, but I wanted to stop by. Excellent portion sizes, I am stuffed after just the shawarma plate. Although the shawarma itself is quite dry, the rest of the plate does make up for it. The staff are very friendly and attentive. The inside has a grocery store as well, they offer a great selection and all very affordable. Would highly recommend extra pita and garlic sauce. Great food, worth a visit!

Always friendly service. Shopped for a few special spices before sitting in cafe. Gyro plate ordered, meat was not sliced thin and not my favorite. Loved the basmati rice. Pleasant ambiance albeit the place could use a deco update. Restroom leaves much to desire.

I was a little disappointed given the reviews. We order the plate and it said it came with rice but we didn't get rice. Then we ordered a side of it and it was just plain white rice. The hummus was lacking flavor and the pita was ok. The staff was all friendly and I wanted to really like this place but unfortunately our food was not that great: I'm not sure if I would come back. They are a store too which I think was very convenient. I just wish that our food tasted better.

We decided to visit Haji Baba tonight for Middle Eastern food for our dinner. I have not been to this restaurant since before Covid, but I was happy to find the quality of the food was still excellent. My fair for tonight was lamb. Shish kebab, my wife's was chicken Kebab and our friend had falafel. Plates are always full and food is always very good. The lamb was extremely tasty and tender as was the chicken kebab. My friend really enjoyed her falafels. The rice was fluffy and tasty. I wish the salad would've had some feta cheese on it, but that may be asking for too much. Service is with a smile and when you're finished, you can always go to the other side and go grocery shopping. I definitely give this restaurant a thumbs up.

The food is so mid there are many other better places. I got a to go order and when I opened it the back had like a full cup of oil in the bag the meat is also super chewy it's just a no and for expensive

The last time I dined at this place was a whopping 15 years ago. Not much has changed, except for my reviews - they've evolved from simple one-liners to more extensive musings. LOL But let's talk about the prices! They're as budget-friendly as ever. I ordered a salad, hummus, and feta - all delightful - but the true star of the meal? The rose lemonade. So flavorful that you can practically taste the essence of the flower. The ambiance? Still, the same cozy hole in the wall that I remember. And the service? Still top-notch.

Wow, wish I visited sooner. Half market, half restaurant establishment. Food was incredible & you can get a lot of imported stuff from snacks to spices. Staff is kind and has a sense of humor. Prices here are super reasonable also. Honestly nothing bad to say. Kibbi - comes in a square, not too crumbly but soft. I liked the pine nuts in there, thought it might've been too crunchy but pretty soft and mixed well with the kibbi Kabab Koubideh - phenomenal. Wish it came with more pita, but I'd eat this straight up as a plate too. Rice is lightly seasoned, kabab is grilled well and still juicy. I've had my fair share of dry kebabs so this was a welcome surprise. Yogurt salad was refreshing also. I wish this came with a veggie salad but not much bad I can say about this. Chicken shawarma - chicken is done so well. For $6 it's so well priced and one of the better chicken shawarmas I've ever had. Pomegranate juice - we used to grow pomegranates in the backyard, and I'd frequently squeeze my own. This tasted pretty similar, though maybe a bit diluted since pomegranate juice is quite strong Rose water lemonade - fun novelty. First sip, you get a lot of the rose water. It's pleasant, but not a big fan of the aftertaste. If you haven't had it I'd recommend.

Absolutely delicious!! And amazing service by the staff. The place was a lil dirty but the food was amazing

As an Arab I can vouch that this eastern is legit Middle Eastern food. It's so delicious! Made me feel right at home. The cafe is also attached to a little market for all of your Middle Eastern cooking essentials. The staff is fun and kind. Their falafel, lamb, grape leaves, and babaghanoush are musts!

This food is fantastic. It's going to be busy so you might need to wait. Also don't be surprised if the dish you want to order is not available because everyone else ordered it before you, it's a popular place. Prices are very reasonable, parking is pretty easy too. The staff is quick, just be ready with your order as soon as you can once you sit down. This is definitely a hole in the wall kind of spot, so just be aware you will be nestled in with several other tables. I wouldn't recommend this spot for big groups, but this place is great for 2-4 people. I definitely will be back for another lamb shawarma!

This place is hands down amazing! It smells amazing when you walk in. The owner and staff are super friendly! The gyro meat is super tender, the tzatziki is perfect! The chicken is amazing, I'm jealous I didn't get it, I'm in love with the garlic sauce that comes on it. The hummus is amazing and I'm picky with hummus! Bonus: this place has a little mini mart full of cool items!

This was my first time at Haji Baba and definitely not my last. The food was fresh, flavorful and came out so quick. The portions were generous and the service was great. If dining in, you pay at the front when done eating. They also have a large market and assortment of grocery items. Love it!

If I could give this place 10 stars I would! I've been coming here with my family since I was little. We're middle eastern so coming here is always a treat because the food is done right! The service is always good and the ambiance is nothing fancy, hole in the wall and that's what makes it so special. The chicken shawarma is phenomenal with great serving sizes and good value. The baklava is amazing and the Arabic coffee is also hands down. You can't go wrong when ordering here. I do miss a pineapple non alcoholic beer they used to carry. They haven't had it for years but I still crave it. Hot tip! Always order the homemade pita instead of the one it comes with. I love it here and will forever be loyal to this gem

Hands down the best Middle Eastern food in Phoenix and probably some of the best I've had overall. They have house-made feta and a garlic sauce that goes great with any of their dishes. Highly recommend coming if in Phoenix

I can see why this place is so appealing. I thoroughly enjoyed my meal. I would recommended both the chicken and beef schawarma sandwiches. They are a bang for your buck compared to anything else on the menu. Perfect for a student on a budget. The service was great and the small market was definitely cool to browse. I'd come back if in the area

WOW! Just absolutely WOW! Great Mediterranean dishes at an affordable price and friendly staff! Why wouldn't you want to go here? The casual setting of the restaurant is part of a grocery market, so already I knew this was going to be good. They were accommodating for our large party of ten. The Rosewater-Lemonade was so refreshing especially on a hot Phoenix summer day! To start, we ordered the Hummus along with Falafel - now we had some picky eaters in our party and they LOVED IT! I ordered the Chicken Shawarma Plate along with a Pistachio baklava for dessert. The plate was so generous I definitely had to take over half home (made a great lunch dish the next day!) After dining, we shopped a bit for some more treats in the grocery store. Engaging with the staff had all of us laughing. They were great! I cannot wait to return here during my next visit to Phoenix!

Excellent little spot with spot on middle eastern food. Really reminds me of the Detroit Metro area. Will be back when I am close

I dig this place! I use to live in Tempe and go here all the time just for their awesome baba ganoush. Best I've found so far after looking all over the place. (I'm always open to suggestions from any of you Yelpers that may see this post as well). Now I'm in Mesa and don't get over that way much but right now I'm missing it bad!

When I first walked in I was like ohhhhh it's a grocery store and a restaurant. For me this was a good sign as most places I've been with this set up have been fabulous. The vibe was chill. The staff was friendly. Me and my friend shared 2 kabobs. The meat was fine. The rice was yummmm. Portion size was good. The pita was very disappointing. It was thins and almost hard. It wasn't good. That totally threw me off and made the meal not as good as k love a good pita with my food. All in all it was a fine experience and the food was good but not as good as I expected.

Again. Legendary status. Been here since the dawn of time. You just can't beat this place on any level. From price, to consistency, to portion size. This is the perfect example of, if it ain't broke don't fix it,

This place is just okay, its always very busy though and that could be part of the problem. I wanted to be able to try more but they were completely out of Shawarma or beef skewers the day I went which was right after their lunch rush. I had the gyros meal and also got a side of Kibbeh. The kibbeh was not what I was used to and really kind of overall lacked flavor. Normally the kibbeh I have had would be fried and football shaped but this was a baked version that honestly was kind of undercooked and doughy.

The food is absolutely delicious, very authentic, generously portioned, and very reasonably priced. The customer service is fantastic, but they are usually fairly busy. Hence, this spot has been around well over 30+ years, and has earned its reputation as your go-to spot for Middle Eastern specialty grocery items and fantastic food. This casual eatery is located within in a specialty grocery store- (reminiscent of vintage delicatessens where you could order your cold cuts and have lunch), the store set up and vibe might be a deal breaker for some but I personally enjoy the no frills, simple and cost effective eatery. It's been this way forever, and clearly the focus is on making amazing food not keeping up with trendy decor.

Being from the NYC area, I have eaten my share is middle eastern food, both good and bad. Place is nothing fancy and service is just ok but the food was really good and fresh. Prices were reasonable. I would definitely go back next time I am in Tempe.

Surfing for local hot-spots and Haji Baba crossed the radar. They are located in a Tempe strip mall and doubling as a Middle Eastern grocery store, too. For a Thursday evening it was busy which is always a good sign. We were seated and warmly greeted by the wait staff. We ordered the sample falafel plate of three. The falafels were warm but did not have much flavor. The gyro was served with pickles, tomatoes, tzasaki sauce and lettuce. The size was large and overall ok, but not remarkable. We also shared a chicken shawarma that was good. I was excited at the prospect of a new Middle Eastern restaurant. The food was good, the staff was attentive but the seasoning did not meet expectations. I would encourage you to give them a try.

This is a great find off the Metro rail line. The service was quick and pleasant, but the food was amazing. We shopped in the market while our food was being prepared. Look forward to our next trip into this neighborhood, so we can stop and eat here. Don't skip the baklava!

This was, hands down, our best meal in Tempe. My daughter and I are still talking about it two weeks later. I had read about this restaurant in a travel guide which described it as the best Mediterranean food in Arizona. I knew then we had to stop in. The Middle Eastern grocery store is located in a strip mall. The restaurant is packed with regulars, families, couples, college students, and tourists. My daughter and I both ordered the Chicken Shawarma plate. We devoured almost every bite of the tasty chicken, creamy hummus, crisp salad, and warm bread. We haven't had a plate this authentic or delicious since our visit to Palestine and Israel a few years ago.

I love haji baba! The food and service are great and I love that I can pick up my groceries whenever I want to make hummus and shawarma. The baba ganoush is the best! Such an amazing little hole in the wall and not expensive!

I had been longing for Middle Eastern food so we drove over to Haji Baba's. A few patrons eating on one side and their market is on the other side. Extremely casual here. Staff are nice. I ordered the chicken shawarma dinner to go. It comes with homemade hummus, rice, tabbouleh and Arabic bread. There is a dollop of garlic Mayo on the chicken. Their chicken is so flavorful and tender. Love the super smooth hummus. It is creamy and tasty. Portions are big enough to share. Separate parking lot and free WiFi.

Great food had the chicken and kefta kabobs - they were delicious! Would definitely eat there again!

Excellent service!! Very friendly staff and answered questions in details even though they were super busy! Babaghanooj: it was good and had a stronger eggplant taste to it than the ones I have had before. Shish Kabab Plate: this was my favorite! It was very tender and flavorful! Sadly it was only one skewer of lamb. Wish there were more lamb in this plate order. Chicken Shawarma Plate: Heard the chicken shawarma was one of the best, but sadly the order I got was okay. The chicken was more on the dry side. The flavor was good though! You can substitute the rice for more salad. They do over dress your salad. The hummus was made really well! Combination: this order had a lot going on! It was a fun entree to try! Gyro, ground beef, grape leaves, falafel, salad, and yogurt! It had a variety of items and it was nice to try them all. This is definitely shareable!! It has a grocery store connected so you can explore the grocery area while waiting for your food!

I haven't been in a few years and it's still pretty good but it has gone down a little. I always get chicken shawarma anytime I try a new middle eastern restaurant as it is a good barometer to judge them by. The chicken was very good and the garlic sauce was good too. The rice is very plain. With rice most places go too strong on the flavor or none. The hummus is also another good barometer by which to judge a middle eastern restaurant and that is what has gone down. It just didn't have a fresh look or taste and that's sad because this place used to have great hummus. Overall, it's still a good value and I would recommend it.

The people come in and greet you with huge smiles and are so friendly. Everything is soooo delicious, omg. The taboola is S-tier. The meat is juicy and delicious. Serving sizes are huge.

A 3.5 for me - Good not great IMO Order: Babaganoush, combination platter, lamb shishkabab, and chicken swarma. Babaganoush -good portion and simple appetizer served with 4 halved flat bread pcs. Tasty but not the best I've had. Would still order again if I come back. COMBINATION platter came with a bunch of items, most of which I would pass if I had the opportunity to order again. The notable items for me were the gyro, beef egg roll (sambousek) and tabooli parsley salad. Falafel was a bit dry all the other items were not notable items for me either. Regretted ordering this after seeing other dishes. LAMB SHISH KABOB -warning, for the price, the protein portion was very small...just a single skewer. The meat was very good and tender. Larger chunks of meat were cooked medium while the smaller chunks were cooked dry, unfortunately. Flavor was very good though. The platter also came with a few scoops of rice and salad (there's a ton of dressing, so I'd recommend light dressing). Best dish we ordered, but stick to a lamb sandwich next time. CHICKEN SHAWARMA was also good, not great. The flavoring was good but chicken we had were cooked dry. There's a descent amount of chicken on the plate, definitely larger portion than our lamb dish. Just like our other dishes, the salad was also over dressed.

I have been going to Haji-Baba for over 20 years. Consistently great dining and an excellent grocery section. Very friendly staff. They carry many International items unavailable elsewhere in the Phoenix area - can you believe Greek Mizithra Cheese! Outstanding!

Wide selection of groceries, wonderfully helpful and polite staff, great food, and a generally welcoming atmosphere. Definitely one to check out.

Been going to Haji Baba since 1982 and the food and market are phenomenal and high quality fresh ingredients! And made perfect from scratch every day! Same owners and very friendly staff, make sure you bring empty stomach because everything on menu is to notch and delicious! The chicken shawarma sandwich is one of my faves, the vege combo is a feast and I love the stuffed grape leaves! The gyro plate and falafel plate are awesome and the tabouli is always fresh and delicious! Some of the best food in the Valley!

Nice cozy place and the food and service was great. Don't forget to get a Turkish coffee to top it all off

We love their simple and classic here. Chicken, rice, hummus, and tabouli are delicious combo. Baba ganoush is so tasty. Tongue meat is also super delicious if you are up for the adventure. Their selection of baklava is huge. There are all kind of different nuts in baklavas. I could not decide which nut I like the most so I usually got several baklavas with different nuts every time. I always like to get more stuff from their market. There are many spices to choose from. These spices are high quality and the prices do not break the bank. Dried fruits are another items I like to get, and also some fresh vegetables.

This place has stood the test of time for a reason. It's not fancy but the service is prompt and friendly and the food is incredibly delicious. The chicken shawarma plate with extra pita is enough for multiple meals (if you can stop yourself from eating it all). Highly recommend!

First time since covid, I have visited this restaurant. While everything has remained mostly the same, food quality good, service always friendly, ambiance still so so, the price and quantity of the dishes has increased to where it is just another Middle East restaurant. Too bad, I mean increases were expected, but also would expect that every thing increases exponentially. Still decent place, though.