Simply the best! So good that my girlfriend has considered flying a takeout from DEN to DTW because she likes it so much. This is coming from people familiar with Detroit/Dearborn MI lebanese restaurants. read more

This place is absolutely adorable with very unexpected and gorgeous decor that takes you to an ancient Persia bazaar. The grape leaves are a must try and hats off to their baba ghanouj is one of the best I've had. This is an ideal spot for a romantic date night or a casual lunch with friends and family. The staff was great and the overall experience was a five stars, coming back soon, excellent place read more

It has been a couple of years since I have been to Ali Baba and that was for lunch. I forget how yummy it is! A coworker reminded me that one of the best Middle Eastern restaurants in the city. We came in and every course was sublime! The hummus is a perfect texture and multi-layered in flavor, so good. The lentil soup makes me want to have it every chilly evening, hearty and tasty and comforting. My boyfriend had the meat lovers combo with 3 kabobs: one chicken, one lamb and one beef. The meat was marinated and so flavorful and the perfect temperature. I love chai, and the honey sweetened tea is indulgent, like dessert. The falafel, pita and rice was equally fantastic! Meagan was our server and brilliant, warm and efficient. We will definitely put this back on our rotation of favorite restaurants! read more

We were in Colorado on vacation looking for some halal food after jummah at the Golden Masjid. I ordered the following: Meat pie - muajanat with ground beef Lamb kabob - 2 skewers of lamb kabob + rice King Kabob - 2 falafel, 1 grape leaf wrap, tabouleh, baba gannoush, "fattoush salad", hummus, 1 ground beef kabob, some chicken, and lamb + rice The meat pie was cold in the middle, but the bread was good. All kabobs were sauced in what I am pretty sure the KC Masterpiece BBQ sauce. The house salad is nothing impressive, it was just some lettuce, tomatoes, and store bought Italian dressing. The pita bread is a weird mix between the Iranian bread and traditional bread. I really had no idea how to categorize it. It's kind of thick and doesn't work with anything. The tabouleh was not finely chopped and it had 0 seasoning. The fattoush salad is just the house salad with some stale leftover bread on it. The hummus was probably from a can as was the baba ganoush. The grape leaf wasn't that great. You can better ones from Whole Foods or canned from Trader Joe's. Bottom line, if you're looking for Arab food and know how it should taste like, go somewhere else. read more

What a wonderful surprise. We were on our way to the airport and stopped for lunch. The ambiance was wonderful ( I felt like I was in Istanbul) and the food was amazing. Great service, tasty meals, generous portions and a great overall experience. Thank you! read more

Horrible service and food messes up your food always takes 30 minutes to order and 1 hour to receive

My first time here. All I can say is fantastic! We were able to enjoy our lunch outside on the patio under an umbrella. Our server was also the counter staff and he was attentive and friendly without being overbearing. The hummus and babakanush were a real treat but the entree portion of the chicken kabobs was more than enough to share. In fact I can't wait for the leftovers at dinner time tonight! We will definitely be back very soon. read more

Ali Baba Grill - Chicken kabobs, babakanush and hummus. - Mediterranean Near Me - Golden, Colorado

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As much as I love the food and ambiance of this location, the bathroom is absolutely disgusting. On two separate visits, a few months apart, the bathroom was completely out of toilet paper, paper towels and soap. Very gross to think a restaurant would have such low cleanliness standards. read more

What a nice surprise to find such a nice restaurant in a strip mall. Friendly service and tasty food items. I certainly will be back. read more

Ali Baba Grill - Mediterranean Near Me - Golden, Colorado

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Stopped in for a quick lunch. There was one person running the front counter and the dining area. Even though it was fairly busy, he was very attentive and quick. Beautiful decor. Lunch special shawarma is a HUGE portion, enough for two people at least. Will definitely return. read more

We had beef kabob and kobideh kabob, it was good and came with rice. We also had cucumber yogurt which was nice too. They dinner came with house salad and pita bread. Nice setting with cultural charm. We didn't wait long for seating and ordering. Food was prepared and served in timely manner. Nice place to eat. read more

Ali Baba Grill - Mediterranean Near Me - Golden, Colorado

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We love this spot for lunch. The kafta is fantastic and the employees are sweethearts.

Boyfriend: What do you want for lunch? Me:Ali Baba's. Boyfriend: What do you want for dinner? Me: Ali Baba's. Boyfrend: What do you want for your birthday? Me: Ali Baba's. Boyfriend: What do you want to name our new cat? Me: Ali Baba's. Since I've been to Ali Baba's this spring....I can not get enough!! Coming from Chicago and my boyfriend from Detriot, we know what good Lebanese food is. This is it, people! I've only been to this location and have no desire to go anywhere else. Oh god, the hummas is like BUTTAH! Seriously, I don't even want to know how they get it so smooth. It would be like ruining the magic of Christmas. The chicken shwarma is perfection in all of it's beautiful seasoned juices. The rice is a huge portion and so yummy. Falafel....yes please! And that garlic sauce they bring with the shwarma is out of control. So much garlic, so much good.Also don't forget to try the mint tea! It's the perfect little topping to this masterpiece cake. The atmosphere is super cool, decorative, and ornate. Great spot to get food with friends or check out on a date. You can't believe you are in a strip mall once you enter inside. Whether it be a dive bar or fancy shmancy, I love when a place has an atmosphere that enhances your whole eating experience. Everything is a great price. Not only that, but the portions are huge! And saving the best part of all for last, the service is so incredible. They have the nicest people working there. They really take great care of you and have phenomenal hospitality. We always request to get served by Ali, he has provided us with the best dining experience and customer service that we have EVER received ANYWHERE. I can not emphasize that enough. Check out Ali Baba's and then check it out again a few days later ....or at least....that's what I do ;) read more

While most people were out enjoying the springy weather today, I was working, but luckily for me I was working in Golden! Went with work-related people to Ali Baba Grill for a late lunch. Brightly and comfortably decorated back room was empty when we arrived so we chose a nice corner table along the prettiest decorated wall of all. Since their menus reminded me of the menus at Marrakech on Colo. Blvd. in Denver, I mentioned Marrakech to our waitperson, and she told me they are both owned by the same people, but Ali Baba has a more extensive menu. More Greek items at Ali Baba, she said. Anyway, they have the same magnificent hummus and wonderfully fresh pita bread, and the entrees that come with a salad, hummus, and rice for a reasonable price. Most just under $10. The Greek Salad one of my co-diners got was huge with massive cubes of fresh Feta cheese and olives and everything else that makes a Greek Salad what it is. Nice soups. Friendly fast and efficient service even as the place filled up with people while we were there. And it's so nice and relaxing to watch that fountain in the middle of the room... read more

Oh Ali Baba how I could just bathe in your hummus. It's so smooth, creamy, and seasoned. The best hummus and baba ghanoush in the Denver area. I pretty much just order the falafel sandwich with fries and a side of hummus they always throw a bag of pita bread in the bag, though I dip the fries in the hummus as well. And every other time I get the baklava, not too sweet, but so flaky and it's the spot. Chicken swarma sandwich is a solid sandwich my husband says, but I guess I get weak for the dips. And I see the hummus and ghanoush in grocery stores now, yay! read more

I fell in love with Persian food when I was living in LA, so I was extremely excited to find that this place existed.. and in Golden, no less! How awesome is that?! I'd recommend getting their lunch special. $8 for a large plate of rice, your choice of meat, and salad, what a great deal! It usually lasts me for 2-3 meals because there's so much food! My favorite has to be the chicken koobideh. It is so flavorful. Another great dish is their chicken shawarma. While the meat is a bit dry, the sauce that comes with it is like crack for me. I slather it on everything and voraciously eat anything it touches with no self control, it's so bad.. but SO GOOD. They also have delicious baklava... you know it's good because everything it touches gets covered butter and honey.. in other words yummy yummy goodness! I used them to cater a winter celebration event for about 100 people and they were great. We had lots of food and everyone LOVED it. read more

Best Middle Eastern food in Denver for my money; I was born in Lebanon and grew up in Saudi Arabia - so I know a thing or two about it. I was skeptical upon parking, the restaurant is in a little strip mall in north Golden - not exactly a hotbed of culture. Almost every time I've been there, I've heard customers speaking Arabic - always a good sign. Until I came to Ali Baba the first time, I'd never found hummus worth paying for at any other place in the area - I'd much rather make my own. That was until I found Ali Baba...their hummus is incredibly smooth and has just the right amount of tahini, so many places overdo it. I'm not generally a fan of falafel, but the ones at Ali Baba are the best I've ever eaten, hands down. Unlike the lumps of Kingsford charcoal briquettes that so many places try and pass off, these lightly fried bites of goodness come out fresh and packed with flavor. Many places in Denver seem to think it is okay to pass off ground beef as kafta kebab, but at Ali Baba you get hand-formed ground lamb with the requisite spices - not to missed. The gyro meat is always fresh and tasty. Go for lunch and the value can't be beat - gyro sandwich for five bucks? Um, ok! As other reviewers have noted, they don't have a liquor license, something that normally would preclude me giving five stars, but I'll let it slide under the heading of 'Authenticity'. I can't recommend this place highly enough - truly delicious, truly authentic. read more

I'm really diggin' on this place right now. I've been a couple times so far, and the food has been phenomenal every time, along with great service. I'll admit I didn't have very high expectations for a little mediterranean joint in a strip mall in Golden...but I was blown away. Upon first glance, it doesn't seem like anything special. But once you enter the main dining room you are transported to land far far away, with magic carpets on the ceiling, hookahs in the corner, and comfy pillows to sit on. I've tried a couple different apps, including the falafel (some of the best I've ever had!) and the Sambusek w/ cheese (Feta Cheese, eggs, olive oil, spices, lemon juice, wrapped in wonton skin then deep fried to perfection). Both were great, but I definitely lean towards the falafel. I will be ordering that every time! All entrees also come w/ hummus, which is oh so creamy and delicious. The pita bread is a little dry IMO, and doesn't seem homemade, which is a shame. And on to the entrees... aka... sweet, sweet heavenly meat. The best way to go is definitely the Lebanese Meat Combo: A combination of lamb kabob, chicken kabob and kafta kabob (made w/ ground lamb). Wow. I can't even put into words how amazing that platter o' meat is. The menu says it feeds 2 people...but that thing is ginormous! Feeds way more then just 2 people, even for big eaters (like me). The Gyros entree is also a must try... blows Pete's gyro meat out of the water! It does make me sad that they don't serve alcohol. Both visits, when eating a bite of perfectly grilled lamb, I was longing for a lovely glass of Shiraz or Zinfandel to wash it down with. But alas, I must enjoy my meat sans alcohol, but I promise that will not keep me away from this little hidden gem in Golden. read more

Ordered Ali Baba via DoorDash. I ordered for 4 people and the restaurant missed one of the orders. The pita came in a store bought package. If you're going to use store bought pita at least toast it for customers or something. The food all looked off putting in color especially the hummus. I don't know if the chickpeas were old or what. Overall I was very disappointed and would never order here again. read more

Ali Baba's interior is really cool, from its outside it looks like a regular groceries' side shop; once you get in, an amazing decor pops up and it gets quite interesting, nice furniture, hand made booths, nice lamps hanging, very goddy. Food: Ordered a Kobideh entrée; it was not quite what i was expecting... The meat was quite dry with not so much seasoning, the rice was al-dente dry, tomato was a nice touch to the dish. Portion was big, but boring. read more

I have loved Ali Baba's for years and have migrated over time to gyro meat combos every time. I used to be into lamb or chicken, the king combo, but the gyro is definitely the best. Might not be the healthy option but we love it. Take out service is great. I recommend. read more

We stop here after our bike rides. They have great tabouleh and hummus and babaganoush. Enough to get us back on our feet. I like the diversity and that you can have 3 appetizers for 2 people and be full. Addition : we got our wedding food from here. We had the roasted lamb and it was delicious. The rice that comes with it is amazing. We have some left over all frozen now, and i am looking forward to it... read more

Delicious, fast, cheap, and authentic. The falafel was tastier, more flavorful than I've had anywhere else. Easy to find since you can see it from Hwy 93. Had an early dinner here after an afternoon at Red Rocks, Dinosaur Ridge, and the Coors Brewery. Nicely decorated. If you're in this area and need a bite to eat, I would highly recommend this place. read more

Food was pretty good with really large portions. The ambiance and decor of the place was really cool despite being in a strip mall. Not the greatest or fastest service, but a good place for lunch. read more

I have tried both locations of Ali Baba now and I just don't know what to think about this place. This visit was strange. The place is really nicely decorated, but you have to fight your way through a take out line to get into the dining room. We were directed to just take a table so we did in the upper area. Once seated the server seemed very rushed and it became apparent that they were very understaffed. After a few minutes a different server came to us and took our order. We both had the lamb shank. The lamb was perfectly roasted and really flavorful. I have had the humus in both of their locations and in my opinion they use too much tahini for my taste and is seems a bit bitter. The pita was not fresh this visit it looked and tasted store bought. We waited a really long time between server visits and the staff seemed overwhelmed with the business. It was early too. read more

This seems to be a happening spot in Golden. I think with a few changes this place could be pretty good. My bf and I arrived on a Saturday night and there was a long line which I discovered was for both take-out orders and to be seated to eat in. This confused me and others and I believe that this restaurant would really benefit from employing a hostess to meet and greet guests and establish order/organization to the process of waiting for a table and/or picking up to-go orders. It was definitely strange to wait for a table with other parties as well, when looking around the dining room, I saw several empty tables that had not yet been bussed and cleared, along with a perfectly good table in the dining room that was being used as a wait station. There should absolutely be a formal, official wait station set up for the servers that is somewhat tucked away from guests. Very tacky to use an open table in the dining room. The restaurant also seems very short staffed as I watched the servers struggle to accommodate the dinner guests. The food was good but would be so much better if the pita bread was made in house and not store bought. It was also microwaved and became dramatically cold and hard very quickly. Making homemade pita bread and not microwaving the bread would really create a different dining experience. I was also underwhelmed with the Kraft dressing that was drowning the house salad. Needless to say I did not eat it. Again, if the restaurant made a classic Middle Eastern dressing the experience would become more authentic and elevated. Maybe a dressing of fresh lemon, olive oil, zaatar spices and tahini? The standouts of the meal were the Baba Ganoush and Chicken Kabob. Both dishes had great flavors. The hummus was thick and needed more olive oil. Ali Baba, I believe in you! Please consider the above suggestions for improvement. They are all pretty simple and would make a huge difference in the experience of your restaurant. Wishing you all the best! read more

3.5 stars~ yelp .. you should really allow us to give some half stars. I mean I like Alibaba, but I am not at the YAY! I am a fan stage. But I am not at A ok stage too. I like it better than A ok and less than I am fan. So what stage is that? That's the 3 and a half stage. I love the decor, I love their service and I like the food. I am not a great fan of their hummus, but I do like their baba ganaouj. smoky and delicately spiced. I had the quail here a few nights ago. I expected a smoky, spiced quail. It was however a little on the sweeter side with some sweet marinade on top. Good, but not great. The kafta kebabs were succulent, aromatic and fresh off the grill. Great! And I can always eat their chicken shwarma sandwich. Always is great! Its a good place to dine out with friends, It always IS busy on weekends, The ambiance and general constitution of the place makes you want to talk .. talk and talk. It does make me happy to go and eat there!! is there a 3.75 star system on yelp! read more

The ambience leaves a little to be desired, but it's obvious the effort was made (and really, how much can you do with a shopping plaza space?). I think it was only the lighting that bothered me; it could have been darker to create more mood. The food was impressive -- better than we expected -- and we can see why this is a local favorite. The hummus and pita were good and straightforward. The falafel seemed tastier than what I'm used to; I'm not sure why. The seasoning on the mushroom appetizer was fantastic. My husband raved over his lamb kabob, and I had a hard time getting over the incredible speed of the service -- from the time we ordered until the food arrived MAYBE ten minutes passed. (I'm not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing, but we were starving and with a $15/hour babysitter at home, we were incredibly grateful.) The price was hard to beat -- we had a coupon for $5 off a $30 check, and try as we might (four appetizers and two entrees), we couldn't reach $30 in order to get the discount! I'm disheartened by the negative reviews. I will say that we've only been to Ali Baba's once so far, but we were so happy with the experience that we'll definitely be visiting again. I hope our next trip is as good as this one was! ---- UPDATE, February 2010 ---- We still haven't been back inside this restaurant because I really am a stickler for good lighting and I just don't LIKE it here, but we've ordered lots of takeout (we live nearby) and it's always excellent. read more

The good: the chicken schwarma, gyros, and falafel are AWESOME! We discovered this place in 2005, by happenstance as we had gone to the area to get coffee from Noa Noa next door. but I was hungry for real food and tried Ali Baba. Fabulous food! Too bad its not closer to Boulder! The bad: Their mushroom appetizer was spectacular before, but now they've added a really strange mustard and ketchup sauce on it... I found it truly odd. Previously it was just mushroom with spices and it was divine. Too bad - I'll make sure next time to specify without the mustard/ketchup topping. ETA: Avoid ordering the Noodle Soup. Do not try this. It tastes exactly like raw tomato sauce in broth, with noodles and vegetables, then topped with an unfortunate amount of olive oil. Worse yet, it came to the table lukewarm. ::shudders:: Also, we just had orders this afternoon for take-out to eat in the park. When we got there, we discovered they didn't pack any utensils! Not a big problem, just a slight bummer. Double-check your bag! read more

This place is awesome! I have to agree with some of the others before me, the hummus is delightful! Also quite tasty, the baba ganoush. It is leaps & bounds better than any I've had from the store. I had the chicken schwarma that was a little dried out but still quite flavorful. Our server was a very softspoken and not very personable but the drinks & food came out quickly nonetheless. You really can't describe fully how the inside dining room looks until you go see it yourself, hookas, gold swords and all! We will definitely be going back here again, food is great and affordable. read more

What is it about finding good food in strip malls? It happens people! Not always, but sometimes. And sometimes it's Yelp-worthy. An ad rep came to visit me today and we ended up at Ali Baba Grill for lunch - I hadn't been in ages and quickly worked up a craving for chicken shawarma...and falafel...and gyros. At the time it ALL sounded good. We arrived and were promptly seated and orders taken. I got my chicken shawarma and loved every bite. My rep went with the gyro lunch entree and co-worker had the lamb kebab. HELLO! I had one bite and *almost* regretted my initial choice. But no worry, I'll be back and will have a whole kebab all to myself. Maybe even two! As always the falafel was most dee-lish, as was everyone's entree. My ONLY (small) gripe with Ali Baba is: where does everyone go when it's time for the check? Seriously it's pulling teeth to get the bill there. Usually you can flag someone down and give the "we're ready for the check" wave but sometimes it's a little challenging. No worries though, the food and atmosphere make up for it - at least in the upper level where the decor is Mediterranean-inspired and very inviting. I work in Golden and our restaurant options are few - thank goodness for little strip-mall gems like Ali Baba Grill. read more

My husband works in Golden and Ali Baba is very often our choice when I meet him for lunch. Great, great food. cheap, very cheap lunch specials. my recommendation is the beef kabbob, but everything I tried is great. if you are looking for bargain lunch, keep it to the lunch sandwiches and water, and you won't spend more than $5. read more

Haven't been here in around 8 years. Used to frequent this restaurant regularly when I lived in golden for 5 years. I remembered as soon as I sat down that this place used to have good food but terrible service. Well, seems nothing has really changed. Great hummus, pitas were light and fluffy, chicken kabobs were great. Service was awful, waters not refilled since we sat down, appetizers arrived 15 minutes after main course, haven't seen waiter for 15 mins. Additionally, falafel was over cooked as well as the kibbeh. Now I remember why I used to come here for takeout only... read more

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Hit & Run Hummus Fix! Stopped by Ali Baba in Golden on my way back from Boulder tonight. Stepped up to the empty shop at 8:55PM, five minutes before closing. I Picked up Hummus and a piece of Baklava. The owner gave me his last two slices of dessert. I then made my way home to the Ranch in record time. Their hummus is oh so smooth, with a slight acidic taste. Coupled with a fresh slice of warmed pita , I cannot begin to explain how this simple appetizer works so well. Add to that the bonus Baklava, and I'm one happy camper. I promise a proper, sit-down review, but for now, this is as good as it gets. read more

Ali Baba's is very nearly a godsend for Golden. In an area lacking distinctive, flavorful ethnic cuisine, Ali Baba's shines, and honestly would not be out of place among middle-top restaurants elsewhere in Denver or Boulder. Their food is typically fresh and delicious, served with care, and reasonably priced. My favorites are the gyros and chicken shwarmas, but their plates and dinner dishes are delicious as well. The hummus is well made. I'm pretty sure Ali Baba's went through a renovation over the summer, as their initial eating area has been greatly updated and redecorated. It's now nearly as nice as the upper eating area, which is seriously some of the best middle-eastern decorative work I've seen this side of the Dushanbe Tea House. Definitely worth checking out, even if you never decide to eat there (which would be, IMO, a big mistake). read more

Ali Baba's Hummus be-Shawarma was listed as one of the top 100 must eats in Denver, so I gave it a shot: Rating: 3.5 (out of 10) Price: $11 The Skinny: Upon entering, you look on the wall and see all of these accolades: best this, best that. Write-ups here, write ups there. Whoever their publicist is, hire them tomorrow - they are selling ice cream to Eskimos. I just do not see what all the fuss is about. The hummus had the look of being good: fluffy, creamy, golden - but the taste was clearly off. Too much cumin maybe? The waiter, pausing from watching football in the back, gave me the option of chicken or gyro shawarma or both, so I did both. The two were like the yin and yang of taste on a plate. Chicken was borderline inedible, but the gyro was surprisingly terrific. In the end, it just seems silly to drive all the way out to Golden for such an uneven plate, when there are excellent middle eastern options on Colorado blvd. I've got a pic of it up on the blog in my profile jko read more

We have been going here for years, and tonight was very disappointing. The website claims they are open until 9pm. We walked in at 8:15, and were greeted by a friendly guy who was extremely hesitant to seat us as they stop serving food at 8:30pm (and we were apparently cutting it close). We ended up getting seated, a few minutes later, another couple walks in to be seated, (who, like us had driven from Denver to eat here) were turned away. The guy voiced his irritation that the website says they are open till 9, and it is 8:20pm.... This was his first time there, and now he won't be going back. We actually spoke with the owner, who denied this was happening, then walked over to the server and had a few words. The server seemed genuinely surprised and almost seemed like the owner was throwing the server under the bus to cover up his bad practices. Despite liking this place, that's a terrible practice and I wouldn't chance it. I believe there is now a location in DU that is open until 11pm (at least that is what the website says, lol!). read more

Really enjoyed the grilled meats and rice at the new Ali Baba Grill in Boulder. I had the meat platter which consisted of 3 kabobs of differing styles all of which were really tasty. I could only finish about 1/3 of my plate so had plenty of left overs for next few days. The place is new so still working through some new opening issues but the food and service is outstanding! read more

Nicely done interior, but food was mostly a bit of a letdown. Baba ghanoush and hummus fine, pita generic. Fava beans, muhamara, tabbouleh, and grilled mushrooms all ok, but nothing to rave about. My chicken shawarma lunch special was big but really not very tasty - lots of variously diced string pieces in some watery sauce and much of it a bit dry. Also had some baked pies - feta, muhamara and spinach; these were pretty good, but kinda like little pizzas. Sorry, not worth the drive down from Boulder for me, unless I had a craving. read more

After a day of hiking through Red Rocks, we were rescued by a friend who brought us here for dinner. The Ali Baba Grill is located in an ordinary shopping center .. but don't let the unimpressive exterior fool you. Step inside and be transported to an authentic Middle Eastern/Lebanese establishment - the decor is impressive and the ambiance relaxing and enchanting. We started with hummus, veggies, and pita bread. The second portion of pita was cold, but nonetheless the hummus was delicious and we devoured it like savage beasts. Next we ordered the Meat Plate and the Vegetarian Plate and shared plates. The meats included lamb, chicken, and beef on skewers served with a side of rice, and they were tasty... though I do not eat lamb. The veggie plate was more to my liking- it was filled with hummus, 2 stuffed grape leaves, falaffel patties, and a few other treats to include a side of rice as well. A curry dish was ordered by a friend at our table, and I sampled and it too was quite good. In conclusion: all of the foods we tasted were delicious, our waiter was pleasant, and our experience was a very enjoyable one! read more