Marhaba Grill

This place offers a halal buffet with a wide variety of selections. While I personally didn't like the food. I believe there is room for improvement, especially regarding cleanliness. I hope they can enhance these aspects to better serve future diners.

I have been a loyal customer of Marhaba Grill for a long time. I usually go once a week and order take-out from the buffet section. Every single time in the past, I have paid around $27–$31 for the same amount and type of food. The people at the register who seem to be two brothers and sometimes other family members normally handle the order. However, my experience yesterday was extremely disappointing and honestly felt unfair. After the cashier weighed my food, he told me the total was $49.48, which is almost double what I’ve ever paid for the same kind of order. I didn’t say anything at the moment, but I left feeling scammed. What made the situation even worse is the receipt. Instead of listing what items I took, the cashier charged me as “Custom Item”, which does not show any description, item list, or pricing details. From a customer and legal standpoint, a business is supposed to list what was purchased and the price per item or per pound. Without that, customers have no idea what they are being charged for. For a restaurant I used to visit weekly, this experience was very disappointing. I strongly recommend that Marhaba Grill establish a standard price, clear measurement system, and transparent receipts that show exactly what the customer is paying for. Without consistency or transparency, it is impossible to trust the pricing. Because of this experience, I’m not sure I will return again.

Marhaba offers a delicious variety of flavorful dishes, and the food was consistently tasty from start to finish. The drinks were great too, refreshing and included in the buffet price, which was around $25 per person. Parking was a bit of a mess and could definitely be better organized, but overall, the experience was well worth it. A solid spot for a satisfying and flavorful meal.

This was my first time eating here. I am gluten free and dairy free. The hostess introduced me to the buffet selections & told me what was in them. She was very friendly and welcoming. She said if I have any questions to please ask her. I asked what cuisine this is from & answered Egyptian. The food was amazing, selections wide ranging & well stocked. Everything was very clean. The waiter brought us handfuls of napkins. My friend I was dining with was melting before my eyes when eating the desserts. I will definitely be back. I can’t wait until next time.

This was our first visit. We were welcomed with smile and owner walked with us to the buffet and showed us the vegetarian options. He also briefly explained the dishes. Even being busy at the time, buffet counters were clean and food was being restocked in no time. Food was delicious. Me and wife loved the soup, spinach, all the rices 👌🏽. Falafel had coriander seeds which took it to next level. Desserts were perfect! We are definitely going back again. Highly Highly recommend.

This restaurant came up when we did a search for a meditatrean buffet. We live 25 mins away, so we are not familiar with the area. We were greeted by an older gentleman and he immediately got us drinks. The food was excellent and the service was just as good. Another older gentleman made sure our dishes were cleared and drinks were filled. However, when we went to check out a younger man was at the cash register. He never looked at us or greeted us. He only stated the price. My husband stated how good the lamb meat was and the younger man didnt even acknowledge my husband spoke to him. We paid and there was no thank you or come again. He just walked away from the cash register. Our visit was 5 stars until interacting with the young man then we would give it 1 star.

A pretty good buffet place. Decent selection of main/sides, enough to be satisfied. Really flavorful meats. Lots of dessert choices! An okay salad bar to cleanse the palate. Lunch was about $19 and dinner $23 before tax.

This place was great! Food was fresh and flavorful. They've got a little bit of everything, so meat eaters to vegetarians can enjoy it. A personal fave of mine is their okra soup. I could just pile that on with any of their rice dishes and eat it all day. If you use cash, you can save some cents as they won't charge you the 3 or so % that credit card companies charge them that they pass off to card users.

This food was very tasty and the portions were perfect. We got the platter for 2 and it was amazing!

Came here toward the end of the day, and overall, the food was just okay. Nothing really stood out. My biggest issue was that many items were lukewarm, and some were even cold. It's not a pleasant experience when, for example, you grab a lamb leg piece and it's cold on the outside. The inside of the restaurant is decent. I wasn't a fan of the desserts--mostly standard buffet fare without much variety. That said, I did really enjoy the gyro meat and the spiced rice with okra tomato sauce; those were the highlights. The service was good, which I appreciated, but for the price, I wouldn't say this place is worth it. I do want to say, though that I am willing to give it another try in the future, I believe that a lot of times restaurants can just have a bad day.

Food was okay, nothing that special as the quality is compromised. Service was not good! As their communication is not clear and the amount of ice they put in the drinks was very low! My cup had three ice cubes! We walked in at 2:20pm and checked out at 3:30pm. At checkout, we were asked if that was our first time at the restaurant, we said yes. Then the guy said "since this is your first time here, I will charge you the lunch price!" Almost he is doing us a favor and make sure we were happy customers!!! Didn't know dinner time was at 2:20pm!!! As someone who grew up eating this kind of food, I don't recommend this place! it was way below average tbh. The good thing was their bathrooms were clean!

So delicious, everything! service was exceptional! the the buffet is supper clean! I will be returning with my family again! thank you so much! May Allah keep blessing your restaurant!

Such delicious fresh food! They have a buffet which is great to try all the different items. The tabbouleh was so good. The owner was also very kind.

The food is delicious and abundant and the atmosphere is always buzzing with families.

All food had been out a long time and was over cooked. Will not be returning. Bad Baklava

Price and food doesn't match. Better off eating one good meal somewhere else. They charged a 12 yrs old kid that eats chicken and fries adult price

Very disappointed. I ordered food this evening. I got a call twice saying it was ready. Whoever was calling was rude in the first place. I picked up my food at 8:45pm before they closed. I drive all the way back to St. Paul where I live and my WHOLE order is wrong. Like so disappointed. Joy sure who is in charge but that ain't right.

This is one of my favorite spots in all of Minneapolis. The food is very good quality for buffet style and the price. I keep coming back for more. The lamb and beef dishes are amazing. Desserts are delightful as well! Highly recommend this authentic Egyptian food spot!

Love, Love, Love this place! Food is fresh and really delicious. My husband and I chose the buffet and we were not disappointed. I don't remember the last time I was this full. I sincerely did not want to stop eating. It was decently priced and the staff are very nice. The parking was ok. Just packed right at the front. Fortunately there were plenty of spots right next to subway. The decor is not much to look at but they were very clean and you could really feel and see the culture through the people, which made the decor not matter. We'll more than likely become regulars. Thanks to the staff for our great experience!!

"This is my new favorite restaurant". Spice and freshness perfectly blended in everything I tried on the family platter for 2. Every bite was delicious and unique to anything I've eaten before. The rice is addictive and so is the salad - and I never eat salad! The value for the price is fantastic, I highly recommend getting the platter if you're sharing. Baklava , every meat, the sides, all 10/10. Can't wait to come back. And having parking is always a plus!

Really enjoyed this place. Got the buffet. Great selection, tasted very good, super reasonable price, really great hostess who really cared about taking care of myself and friend i was with. Not a fancy place but clean and comfortable, clearly a go-to regular place for many locals. If i lived nearby I'd be there at least once a week.

For ~$16 for buffet lunch, it's a good deal and fun experience. The food itself was hit or miss. The hummus, gyro meat, and salad bar were the best part. There were an assortment of chicken and fish dishes that were fine but not particularly tasty. The mashed potatoes were flavorless (should have avoided in the first place, lol). The dessert bar had a lot of variety and was fun to try. Overall go for the experience of buffet but food is nothing to write home about.

Outstanding dinner made of appetizers. Falafel, lentil soup, samosa, salad, rice, grape leaves. Our family of four ate as much as we could and we still have more than half left of our $40 dinner. Amazing.

I got takeout today that included hummus, tabboule, kofta, kebab, gyros and some sides. They were a few minutes late than what the website said but they said my order was larger than average. The packaging was leaky and made a mess. The hummus was runny and spilled in the bag. It was also very salty. The tabboule was fresh but had some variations that I'm not accustomed to. The kofta and kebab were good. The gyros were average with not enough flavor and a lot of lettuce and filler veggies.

First of all I want to say I am a brown person, very familiar with desi & middle eastern restaurants. So this review is not about culture shock. I am vegan and so I always ask if restaurants have vegan options. I am fine being told no-- but when I asked here, they told me they had many. They immediately rushed to charge us $38 for two buffet meals without explaining that we could have paid by weight. We only found that out later. Then at the buffet we found that their only vegan options were some rice dishes, pita, and raw vegetables. Their beef samosas are mixed with their vegetarian ones. The buffet is messy and nothing is hygienic-- serving spoon handles fall into other dishes, utensils are kept in huge baskets for everyone to grab from, and people take things with their hands. Mask wearing is clearly optional. Why lie to me and make us pay for an all you can eat buffet where almost nothing is edible to us? Just say no, we don't really have vegan food. That's why I asked.

Unappealing exterior but very good food. Prices are very reasonable as well. Buffet has a pretty good variety, not too much that it is overwhelming, but enough for variety. 5-6 different meat dishes. 7-8 vegetable dishes, 2 soups and a large dessert selection. All tasted wonderful. It's a great spot

First time in Minneapolis. This one of the two best places I've eating while visiting. Food tasted fresh, and there was a variety of food to choose from. Everything I ate had a distinct taste. Really good thank you guys

Fantastic buffet with lots of choices including vegetarian options. I especially enjoyed the yogurt chicken and the salmon. Wonderful salads and far too many desserts to try them all. Everything was fresh and reasonably priced. Fantastic lunch!

This is an ultra-casual, family friendly place that offers up a generous buffet of well prepared and flavorful items. All at a reasonable price. Ate here with a friend of Turkish origin who lived in Greece for a number of years. He's a semi-regular. He says this is among his top choices locally for Mediterranean food. Beginning with what I'll call the salad station, I very much liked the fresh, light Tabouli, the smooth, smoky Baba Ghanoush, the Greek salad, the Hummus (Tahini?) and the Kalamata olives (NOT pitted so take note). At hot item station one, the Gyros with peppers and onions were a bit oily but good. The Kofta had a pleasing texture and flavor. The Greek chicken breast was nicely charred and had a lemony zip. The seasoned rice was a fine accompanyment. At hot item station two, the smallish, triangular spinach pies were very good. The falafel were a bit dry but brightened up with a generous dollop of Cucumber sauce. The vegetarian samosas were a bit too dense and lacking in seasoning to my taste. The salmon was not surprisingly overcooked but still not bad for a buffet setting. There were numerous other savory, tempting offerings that I passed up this time around. I suspect I'll be back for more sooner than later. I found the desserts to be worth the extra caloric intake. The Baklava was moist and flaky. the Krima rich and satisfying. The various cookies were crisp, airy and not overly sweet. They were especially good with a cup of their hot, minty tea. Over the prime dinner hour, food went quickly but stations were promptly refreshed. This meant that most items had little time to dry out and lose their appeal due to prolonged exposure to a heat lamp or a steam tray. Table service was a bit laggard. Water wasn't refilled and it took a long time for our tea to appear. But, to be fair, as others have pointed out the emphasis here is on buffet style self-service. Overall I had no qualms about the food. The floor and some tables were a bit sketchy. But I found a clean four top in a sunny part of the restaurant so it was all good. The parking lot is way too small given how popular this place can be. You'll be lucky to find an open spot. Be aware that some slots are reserved for other establishments and you may risk getting towed if not observant. Street parking can be a bit of a challenge.

My review is for a take out order. We got the Marhaba Family Platter, added falafel and it was amazing! Flavors everywhere and plenty of food. The Hummus and Baba Ghanoush are super creamy. I will be a repeat customer!

UNREAL deliciousness and phenomenal price. So many different options of: Meats: chicken, beef, wings, ribs, you name it. Assortment of different rices, the spicy one with dates was phenomenal. Variety of salads: shirazi salad, tabouleh, iceberg, coleslaw So many different fruits and desserts So many different stews with beef, eggplant, potatoes, okra I honestly can't say enough good things about this place. It's the perfect fusion of Mediterranean style meats and Indian style spices. If I lived in Minneapolis I would eat here at least once a week.

5 out of 5 stars for food. We ordered the chicken kabob and a beef plate and loved both plates. The seasoning was spot on and the meat was juicy. Even the grilled veggies was delicious and I don't even like vegetables. Plus, You also get a lot of food for the price. I really wanted lamb but they were sold out (must be that good). They also have a pretty extensive buffet option (perfect for those who are looking to fill their bellies up with meat) and that's what 99% of their customers choose to go with. Since it's sort of a hole in the wall and given the fact that 99% of their customers choose the buffet option, you can guess that service is so-so. You do have to flag down an employee but they were always super nice to get you what you need. And you may have to walk up front to get and pay for your bill. They just arn't going to check on you like a typical sit down restaurant. This was our first time giving this place a try and was very impressed with the food. It's easy to miss this place since it's way at the end of eat street.

Delicious samosas!! This was a great buffet spread of various Mediterranean meats and vegetables.

This place is a gem. For $16 you can visit Marhaba's buffet. The buffet consists of so many great things. The have goat, lambshanks, chicken, biryani rice, sambusa, fish, desserts, and a whole lot more. The place is fairly quiet and a lot of families enjoy this place together. I truly enjoyed every single thing they offered. I found myself visiting the buffet bar numerous times. If you want to cure your hunger for under $20 I highly advise you check this place out. Remember to be respectful while on Marhaba property.

My new fave MiddleEastern spot in the twin cities. Their Ramadan Buffett was amazing and all of the dishes were as authentic as it gets. This family owned establishment won me over today.

Been here a couple times. Food is always good. Its Gyros, various lamb and mid eastern dishes. Some amazingly good hummus and baba ganush. Yay sty desserts too.

We ordered for two people and it's plenty to serve 5. The food is fresh, beautiful and delicious. The no contact delivery was amazing, the driver left food outside door, texted us to let us know, including a photo of it at the door. He waited in his car for us to get it, we exchanged a friendly wave. We recommend this restaurant to everyone, you won't be disappointed!

I came back after not eating here for a few years (I live far away.) I had planned to order from the menu but the buffet was huge and had a good selection, so I went for that instead. Buffet items ranged from excellent to meh. High points: - Smoky, creamy, delicious baba ganoush - Hot, perfectly seasoned kofte and gyros - Fresh, flavorful tabbouleh salad - Huge selection Low points: - Odd-tasting mac and cheese - Several items that were supposed to be hot were room temperature, including fried shrimp and falafel Decor is the same as it's been since the restaurant moved to this location sometime in the 1980s. I'm usually fine with that, if the food is killer. The food is not what it used to be. The other issue is the clientele. Most were just ordinary diners, but on today's visit I experienced two individuals who were playing devices loud enough that we could all hear them (no headphones) and another patron who was loud and abusive to the staff. I would not make a special trip to come here again, but might eat here if I was in the neighborhood anyway and hungry for middle eastern food.

This is my new go-to restaurant for Mediterranean food in Minneapolis. The customer service is so friendly. The people I saw wore masks inside, too. We ordered take out, because of the current limitation on service. We got the family platter for two and baklava, and there was so much food!! This is a small, family-owned business and they clearly take care of each other and their local community. I went inside to pick up my order and they were putting together food for homeless people in the area. I was also escorted to my car due to the amount of food that came with my order (a platter and a big bag- so much food!). Local, family-owned restaurants like these are such gems, and I will definitely recommend this place and keep going back there due to the service I received.

Delicious and an amazing value! They have a very extensive buffet offering. It looks hot, fresh but we've always ordered from the menu. The beef sambusa are the best. They are flaky, a little spicy and really flavorful. We've tried both the family platter for 2 and today we had the chicken kofta kabob and the beef kofta kabob. The dinner platters come with salad, hummus, amazing pita bread, rice and a drink. The portions are generous and the kofta kabobs offer a really great grill flavor. Having said that, it is a dive and not a place for a first date. The owners are most accustomed to folks ordering from the buffet so the experience can be a little odd and at times uncomfortable....but worth it for the taste of the food.

Great place to eat, second time here. Awesome customer service. There was a man asking for money outside (he said he was homeless), my husband didn't have cash but offered to buy him a meal. The owner or manager told my husband "don't worry about it" and went out to offer the man food. There was a dinner gathering downstairs and when the sister was paying for her group the manager wasn't worried about it being exact again said "don't worry about it." Very rare customer service. Plus they keep everything clean and have disposable gloves to use while serving your plate.

Envision yourself at a place like Castro Bistro on Washington Avenue where you are indulging yourself with kebabs and fried tomatoes. However, once you receive the bill, it is over $20 and you shocked. Now imagine there is a buffet-style of Middle Eastern food that is at a price of $15. That is Marhaba Mediterranean Grill over on Eat Street, Minneapolis. This is a great restaurant that offers excellent price for someone who is looking to further broaden their palate and learn more about this cuisine. I was able to experience so many great dishes from lamb kebabs, some terrific ribs, to mysterious dessert. The only let down were there were so many options, so some of the dishes were not as good in quality and consistency. Overall, I had a fun time enjoying this place and learning more about a new culture and style of food.

This is a strange place on Eat Street and probably the only Middle Eastern restaurant on the street. It's been open since 1974, apparently, and once you walk inside, you'll definitely think it's 1974: the place is completely faux-wood paneled; the carpet is worn; and even the cash register is pea green and old school. This restaurant feels like someone's 1970s rec room. That said, it's pretty clean and the service is fast, not in least part because it was empty (they do seem to get many phone orders, though). I had a baba gannuj appetizer ($5.00) which was nicely presented, but didn't have much taste---the eggplant could have been smoked more and maybe could have used some kind of spice. My falafel and vegetable "sandwich" (served in a piece of pita) was huge and cost only $4.75, but it too fell flat in terms of taste. I'm not sure what this place is doing wrong, but everything tasted bland; the vegetables, which included cauliflower, potato and eggplant, were burnt, which negatively affected the flavor as well. This place has eight vegetarian dishes and a couple of veg. appetizers, all of which seem to be vegan, but I was not impressed with the food. The prices are really cheap and the portion sizes are large. Java's been open for 35 years now, so it must doing something right, though I'm not sure what that is.

I hired Marhaba to help me with food for a party. We bought Falafel, Chicken, and Tabouleh and it was all very tasty. In addition, the prices for our large order was reasonable and it was all hot and ready right on time. Thank you Marhaba!

I'm a sucker for a value, especially if the quality of the food is pretty good. Hence the 4 star rating. This place always seems packed - I've been a couple times where I just came and went because their parking lot was over full. Today, it was late enough that I parked in the Asian supermarket's lot right behind Marhaba to run in to get a take out order. They have buffet during lunch ($11 from 11-2pm) and dinner ($14) eveyday that actually looks pretty good with different varieties you usually don't see at typical buffets. I'd definitely come back to try it. The place was packed on a Thursday night around 7:30pm and everyone looked happy. I ordered the kabob combination for $12.99 which turned out to be HUGE and could definitely feed at least two or three people. As in those 2-3 people leave full. There was a little salad with lettuce, cucumbers, vinaigrette, olives, and two grape leaves. There is another little styrofoam box of a thin layer of hummus, enough to use the 2 warm pita breads up as an appetizer/snack. Then you open your main entree - there is a thick layer of well-seasoned and a little over-cooked Mediterranean rice. And over it was amazing slices of chicken breast, lamb sausage kabobs, and lamb gyro meat. SO MUCH FOOD. The flavors were all there and haven't just eaten at another Mediterranean place the night before where the plates were left greasy, this tasted a lot healthier. Of course I laughed in the face of health by just eating double the portions. All in all, the staff is friendly. The prices are a fantastic value. The quality is good. The flavor is good. The location is central and convenient with its own parking lot (although it's almost always full). I'd definitely come back.

I was excited to try here after an Uber driver boasted about it. I go there about 1.5hrs before closing. I was just really underwhelmed. The food just didn't have much flavor, was lukewarm, and the decor was blah. The food, flavors, quality, and decor was about on par with a high school cafeteria. I'm glad I tried it, but would never go back. :-/ There are just too many other better options in town.

Amazing food! I loved the buffet! Lovely and friendly staff!! also if there is something you like but they are out of, ask for it and they will make it

Have been going to this location for many years. Before it even was renamed. Have ALWAYS LOVED THE FOOD. My last visit to pick up takeout was horrible. The Lamb was over-cooked and so was the Pita Bread, both charred and hard. I paid over $24. for my order and couldn't even eat it when I got home. Parking there is usually horrible but on this day it was good but the food was horrible. Don't know what happened on the day that I went but damn I was disappointed and my two dogs (neither of them) even wanted the Lamb. Don't think I'll be going back to this location but I LOVE Gyros so...may be a better bet to TRY (which I never have) IT"S GREEK To ME". Sorry to write this type of a review but it's the total TRUTH. I hope your restaurant doesn't keep serving food that tasted like my order did to LOYAL CUSTOMERS or anyone for that fact. For over 30 years i've been eating Gyros since I first tasted in downtown MPLS back in the 80's! Sorry to say but on this day you guys really gave it a bad name.

My husband is Egyptian and we love the selection here. Authentic Egyptian food and desserts. Lots of selections always well prepared and affordable.

Really good food. Try to get there early if you're going for dinner-- at around 8pm it started getting crowded. I particularly liked the lamb shank-- moist and tender. If you are a fan of okra, the stewed okra over rice was quite tasty.

I want to explain what a wonderful surprise I found this restaurant to be. I was on a quick trip to Minneapolis. Part business/part pleasure. My friend and I were looking for something to eat, and both love Mediterranean food. We looked up this place and knew what we wanted - what we hungered for, but didn't really know what to expect. It was her first time in the area and I'd visited once before. I knew it to be on the edge of a hipper neighborhood, filled with chic cafes and bars. We pulled into the parking lot and instead found a family restaurant. I say "family", because it was literally filled with families. This was a weekday afternoon and it was crowded with families in traditional Arab dress, all circling the generous buffet counters. It wasn't at all what we expected, but what a wonderful surprise. And, oh, the food! I'm not necessarily a connoisseur, but I know what I like. There was plenty of the recognizable foods like dolmas (I guess they may be called something different, depending on who's making them), lentils, and roasted chicken and vegetables. There were beautiful deserts and fresh salads and vegetables. These are things one would want in any good restaurant, but I have to underline that it's a buffet, and that's not really how it seemed to be advertised. But, if you want to have a lot to choose from, be enticed by variety as well as taste, and really fair pricing, on top of that, this is a great place to try. We were wildly satisfied.

It was OK. Very dingy feel and food that seemed to be cooked void of any soul or feeling whatsoever. Run more like a be ending machine/business than a place to eat. Water had a floater and was served in a tacky red plastic cup like an arcade soft drink.

Got a door dash delivery. Huge portions (platter for 2). Food was good. Would definitely recommend!

On my first delivery order the food came on time. Food was good. I also tipped the delivery guy. Although they cancelled my next two orders midway after accepting the orders on both ocassion without any proper reasoning. Very unprofessional. They should not be accepting delivery orders if they don't have the resources to deliver. To add I ordered using seamless.

Pros: Tons of meat and rice options. Lots of options in general. Very well seasoned food especially the salmon. Very good samosas. Good seating. The customer service is nice, but not overbearing. Cons: Lack of atmosphere. Tips: This is a Middle Eastern Restaurant and the owners/staff do play Arabian prayer music and watch what seems to be religious things on the tv. Also, most of the customers also appear to be a part of the same faith. I think customers should be aware so they can be respectful or have to choice to not come if they are offended. It didn't bother me, but it may make others uncomfortable. Overall, I really enjoy this restaurant's food and will be back.

High value buffet place. I liked the gyro and the steamed fish fillets. The kadaif was a must try! It's crunchy outside and soft inside and full of flavor!

Food was good but got food poisoning. They never gave me my money back as promised since I threw most of the food away after getting sick. Dishonest and unethical!!! Why did he have to lie to me! Ridiculous!