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    Ali Baba's Cafe

    4.5 (932 reviews)
    ModerateMediterranean
    Closed 11:00 am - 8:00 pm
    Updated 2 months ago

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    Ali Baba's Cafe Photos

    ALI BABA'S CAFE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Outdoor seating
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - Ali Baba's Cafe

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    Chicken Shawarma Plate
    Andres O.

    Food was good, but if you're working don't come. I lost my entire Lunch time waiting for my food. Had to tell the server to just box it up because I had to return to work, so I got to eat it cold. He did tell me that they were sorry but they only had 1 cook that day. But I feel it's something you should tell customers if you're backed up. You don't know if customers need to head back to work. But yea the food was good.

    Menu
    Peter M.

    There is no question that the SFV is a superb dining destination. Nice, eclectic and vibrant choices, without the madness of driving into LA and being frustrated and clogged by endless traffic. Hence, once in a way, I like to head west on the 118, over the mountain, into the calm and beautiful neighborhood of Simi Valley. This time, I decided to try Ali Baba Cafe and came here to have their Kufte (their name for the minced kabob). When I gleaned the menu, I was surprised to see that you could actually order falafel, by the pieces at $1 each. Never seen that anywhere. I do not want you to think I am cheap, but it is so nice to have this option, instead of having to order 6 at a time and what happens, if they are no good? So, I opted for just two falafels to start with, while I attended to personal business on my phone. When the falafels arrived, I was blown away. The outside crispiness was unique (and I have had falafels at numerous other outlets). Freshness and taste complimented. Came with Tahini. Superb. Excellent service. After that, I decided to go with the Baba salad. Here too, no pressure down the throat, there is a smaller size, you can order. At $6, that was my selection. I requested no lemon (in my opinion, citrus can destroy a dish if it is not controlled. So I avoid). The salad was moist, refreshing, colorful, crunchy and satisfying. At this point, I had forgotten about the kufte, and still desired more of the falafel. So I ordered 4 more pieces. Once again, every bite was divine. On exiting, I had the privilege of meeting Omar, the owner, who was sitting outside. I took this opportunity to compliment him on his restaurant ....and the falafel. Which in my evaluation, is clearly, one of the best falafels, I have had, in both these lovely, attractive and magnetic valleys of Simi and San Fernando.

    Patrick W.

    Nice and friendly service and ambience. My order included a Chicken Shawarma Salad which was a good portion although I couldn't really taste the meat so much because it was cut quite small. The Baba Ganoush with Pita was good, although more garlicky than smoky Eggplant tinged like other places. The Chicken Kebab Plate was also a good portion. The Chicken was juicy and tender although not really flavorsome. Overall, a good place for lunch.

    Cali W.

    No color, no flavor kind of a rip off for close to 14 bucks for three small pieces of ground chicken kabob

    Chicken Kebab Plate
    Sarah T.

    My absolute favorite Mediterranean spot. Definitely a hole in the wall kind of place - you can easily miss it as you're driving on Madera. But once you try their food, you will be thinking about it for days! You cannot go wrong with the chicken kebab plate and the hummus. The rice is seriously to die for. I think about this rice in my sleep! The hummus is definitely on the more garlic side but I absolutely love garlic so it's perfect for me. Most restaurants you can tell the difference between eating in and ordering takeout (usually takeout food quality sucks) but here the takeout is just as good as if you were to eat in. The service is great and the takeout is usually pretty quick.

    Outdoor patio with plants for privacy

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    2 months ago

    The best Middle Eastern food, and probably all of Ventura County, great service great quality we usually bring it in

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    10 months ago

    Horrible service!! Food is good but got totally ignored very disappointed. Owner needs to get better staff

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    Page 1 of 24

    Ask the Community - Ali Baba's Cafe

    Is the food here halal/zabiha?

    Yes

    Whom is the owner/operator of Ali Baba Café in Simi Valley Ca.?

    I don't know the name of the owner, but it's the brother of the owner of the other location (I think maybe they are in the San Fernando Valley). I heard that the two brothers don't exactly get along. The owner of the Simi Valley location seemed… 

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    Caffé Noor - Chicken Shawarma plate

    Caffé Noor

    4.5(380 reviews)
    4.7 mi
    $$
    Outdoor seating
    Catering service

    Came in tonight for dinner to-go giving a 2nd chance after a mediocre delivery experience during…read moreCovid. After talking with the owner and staff I was pleased to learn they made their menu more traditional and much more to my tastes. I went with the Beef Lule Kebab, and added a small Tabbouleh Salad, and a large order of pickled Veggies. The staff were friendly and happy to help. Prices were more than fair considering the quality and portions. The restaurant was clean, welcoming and the open kitchen is always a good thing in my book. It's good seeing the team putting your meal together! Getting home and opening my meal I was pleased to see two juicy Kebabs atop basmati rice, as well as hummus and a grilled pepper and tomato. Upon digging in I got a high quality tasting meal. I do wish I had gotten the garlic sauces I ordered, because it would have been a great addition to the meal. Overall I would recommend trying them out, and if you're like me and haven't tried recently, they are definitely worthy of a second chance! Thanks for the great meal! You'll be seeing me more!

    My family and I frequently get food here. There is always plenty of parking, and the place offers…read moreoutdoor seating. However, I have only picked up food from the restaurant so far. The place is kept well maintained and clean. Customer service is always fantastic. The menu offers a nice variety of items including pizzas and wraps. I love their hummus. However, they charge extra for sauces. Also, I am not a fan of the house sauce. Ordering online from their website is always easy, and my orders are always ready on time! My family and I will definitely keep coming here for food.

    Photos
    Caffé Noor - Inside

    Inside

    Caffé Noor - Falafel bowl

    Falafel bowl

    Caffé Noor - Combo Kabob

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    Combo Kabob

    Sadaf Restaurant - Chicken Barg

    Sadaf Restaurant

    4.5(573 reviews)
    7.1 mi
    $$

    A+++++ Sadaf has a beautiful new look, and as always, the food was absolutely amazing. Our waiter,…read moreAli Reza, provided excellent service -- he was knowledgeable, attentive, and made wonderful recommendations throughout our meal. I highly recommend trying Sadaf, especially the Thousand Oaks location. It was a fantastic dining experience from start to finish.

    I'm a big fan of Persian food, and I've eaten in many a restaurants. Some good, some not so good,…read moreand in case of Sadaf, some amazing ones. This food is so good, it is the standard to be compared with. The only other time I had Persian food this good, was twice. My mom's cooking and another Persian restaurant in San Jose. If you are here you're in good, nay great hands. I know I get too poetic sometimes. But bear with me. Order any of the appetizers, and you will be superbly satisfied. The Naderi Kabob, done medium rare and Albaloo Polo (cherry rice), we're literally delectable. I didn't get a chance to take a picture. Sorry! My bad. The restaurant is at the site of N old Persian restaurant, but completely redone, and redecorated. Staff are professionally trained and service is just excellent. Can't wait to visit this place again. Come for a date, come with family. Update! Update...my second visit in just as many months, and the service and quality remain excellent. This time I tried the combination filet mignon and ground beef kabobs. In a word, Delish! Wait! Is that word? Desert was fresh

    Photos
    Sadaf Restaurant - Interior

    Interior

    Sadaf Restaurant - Beef Koobideh

    Beef Koobideh

    Sadaf Restaurant - Saffron Martini

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    Saffron Martini

    Mediterranean Pita Grill

    Mediterranean Pita Grill

    4.3(897 reviews)
    7.6 mi
    $$

    The food is Fantastic, The rest is a mess. Did I mention the food is fantastic !!…read moreBut, The tables are always a mess, inside and outside tables and floor are a mess. the trash can's are always full and sometimes overflowing. the trashcan's themselves are dis·gust·ing with food. and yes as reported, "the service is slow", areas to improve, Police the tables and floors and make it fresh and clean. You don't want people to question weather the kitchen is clean. again, the food is great ! Good food in Thousand Oaks is hard to find, I would like these folks to stay and thrive.

    This is a decent place to get fresh and healthy Mediterranean food. It is located in the Albertsons…read moreshopping center right next to Sharkey's. I ordered the salmon plate, and it was flavorful and fresh. The hummus was yummy, the side salad was lightly dressed, and the salmon and rice were well flavored and filling. It also comes with a large piece of pita bread. The pricing is comparable to other places serving similarly healthy food. This is close to where my client works and it was a good place to have a casual meeting and get some lunch. There is indoor seating, but it is a tiny space so eating outdoors is more comfortable. There's a Boba spot next-door and Starbucks is right across the parking lot in case the meeting runs long and we need our sugar/caffeine fix!

    Photos
    Mediterranean Pita Grill - Interior

    Interior

    Mediterranean Pita Grill - Kabob Combo Plate (DINNER) (chicken and beef)

    Kabob Combo Plate (DINNER) (chicken and beef)

    Mediterranean Pita Grill

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    Maral Cuisine - Eggplant and whey

    Maral Cuisine

    4.3(468 reviews)
    7.9 mi
    $$

    This is our family's favorite restaurant in the area. We have been coming here for countless years…read more The food is not only incredibly fresh. The prices are beyond reasonable for the amount you get and the taste is right out of a Persian grandmother's kitchen. Their lunch specials you can't beat the price. I feel that this is a hidden gem

    My husband and I have gotten takeout from here for a big events twice. Usually when you do…read moretakeout, it's $23 per person which includes beef or chicken, garden salad, two appetizers, bread. It is definitely a good deal when you do takeout however, if you go to the restaurant, it would cost about $40 per person, including a drink. We really enjoy their food, we had spoken to alex multiple times regarding ordering. We usually get the beef koobideh and chicken shish kebab. With rice, must o khiar which is the yogurt dip, mushk badenjan as well as garden salad salad The eggplant dip is usually really good however, when we went to the restaurant, it was mediocre. However, the food the salad were really good. We had gotten lunch menu, which comes with soup or salad and a dish of chicken or beef. We had the lentil soup and it was outstanding. The restaurant looks nice and fancy, they have plenty of parking lots. Overall, the service was wonderful, if I am not mistaken, the server name was Jennifer and she was amazing. I would return to the restaurant, however I hope next time the eggplant dip would be better

    Photos
    Maral Cuisine - The main Dinning Room.

    The main Dinning Room.

    Maral Cuisine - Chicken Shish Kabob

    Chicken Shish Kabob

    Maral Cuisine - Fancy atmosphere!

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    Fancy atmosphere!

    Casalena - Garden (Altar View) at Twilight

    Casalena

    4.1(1.9k reviews)
    12.5 miWoodland Hills
    Family-owned & operated
    Women-owned & operated

    I suggested Casaléna for lunch because I'd never been and had been curious about it for a while…read more Walking into the garden patio, I immediately understood why the setting gets so much attention. We sat outside surrounded by greenery, large umbrellas, and plenty of natural light. Even with a full patio, it still felt comfortable for a long lunch and conversation. I ordered the Pan Seared Salmon with a pistachio and coconut crust, roasted carrots, and cumin vinaigrette. The salmon was cooked beautifully, and I loved the texture from the crust. The roasted carrots added a little sweetness without competing with the fish. My friend had a salad topped with grilled chicken, and we shared an order of fries. I also had one of their cocktails, which arrived with an orchid garnish and felt perfect for an afternoon on the patio. Service was attentive throughout lunch, and we never felt hurried even as the patio stayed busy. Casaléna also offers valet, which I appreciated given the Ventura Boulevard location. I'm glad I finally checked it out. I loved it enough that I ended up coming back for dinner for a birthday celebration, which probably says more than anything else I could add.

    My boyfriend and I came here on a date night. The food was delicious. Everything was fine except…read moreonly first got there. Our table was set with dirty plates and we let the manager know but he didn't seem to care too much. She just apologizing and gave us new ones. Very surprised that an establishment like this will put dirty plates on the table however it was late and we were starving so we didn't wanna leave to another place. Everything else was fine afterwards the drink lady came and was nice It was a bit too loud for what we wanted. So maybe next time we can try a quiet area in the restaurant otherwise the ambience seems chic

    Photos
    Casalena - 34 oz Wagyu Tomahawk Steak

    34 oz Wagyu Tomahawk Steak

    Casalena - VODKA LUMACONI
 
 Spicy vodka sauce, ricotta, pesto spice

    VODKA LUMACONI Spicy vodka sauce, ricotta, pesto spice

    Casalena - Yuzu & Lychee Martini

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    Yuzu & Lychee Martini

    Ali Baba's Cafe - mediterranean - Updated August 2026

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