I've lived in the area for almost 18 years now. But, I only discovered this market about 7 months ago. I had recently bought the wrong item. I called to see about returning it, no problem. But, we won't be in Tucson for a couple weeks. No problem. Went there today with my receipts and the unopened product. I picked out what I wanted in the first place, and got change back. Being of Armenian decent, this place is a God send. Can't recommend it more. read more

Unfortunately, the only option in town for goat meat. Others are even worse. Usually the experience is ok, their meat cutting skills are limited. They use the machine and then cut the pieces in squares. No technique. That said, it's still manageable. However, not this time. The pieces were supposed to be small for stew/curry. The butcher (a kid this time) did such a sloppy job of it! The pieces were cut as if to throw in a grinder. Some were as big as 5-6 ounce by itself. See the pics for yourself. If you go there, ensure you check the pieces after they cut it. read more

Babylon Market - Look at the horrible cut and size of this piece! - Grocery Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

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Came in for the 7 spice mix for a dish I was cooking. I left with much more. They had frozen bread that is delicious when toasted and a perfect compliment to my dish. The store is a bit crammed with goods but definitely not a deal breaker. The only reason this was 4 stars and not 5 was because they double charged me for an item. It probably wasn't intentional as it was busy and there was a long line at the time. Will go back for that delicious bread. read more

I'm attempting to make the viral Dubai chocolate bar and came here for phyllo dough! Found it in the freezer section. Very reasonable pricing and the staff were very friendly. read more

Excellent grocery for Middle East and Mediterranean foods, spices and especially olives. The restaurant seen is older reviews is no longer open. read more

Babylon Market - Turkish olive oil - Grocery Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

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After listening to a friend rave about this place for weeks the husband was close enough today to pick up some lunch. They have a great website with clear menu descriptions and pictures of the options, making it easy to call in an order if you've never been. The call was answered promptly and good service given over the phone. Told 10 minutes till ready. The husband showed up and just had a wait a couple minutes for the food, which gave time to look around store and pick up some Turkish delight and see all the spices that are available there. We ordered the falafel plate, beef kebab plate and combo plate which had both chicken and beef kebabs. The kebab plates came up with rice and all plates came with hummus, pita and a little salad. Huge servings. The daughter and I will both get two meals out of the one. Delicious food, great sauces, and good service. Definite win read more

I wish it was closer to me to shop more frequently or weekly. My husband and I love the store easy to find things, the okra is always good and fresh here as all vegetables and fresh herbs. Good fresh meat choices as well from butcher. Love love the bread with potato and herbs the dough is so flaky and melts in your mouth and the herbs mixed with potato so flavorful. Look for those little homemade packaged things I am telling you the best freshest food with natural ingredients like your mom or grandma made. Its Turkish style like bourek. Very good. I once came in and they didn't have them I was so disappointed I wanted my brother to try it while he was visiting for a quick snack. But look for the rack with fresh baked goods or ask them if you don't see them, you will thank me. Also, great to find those ethnic item staples you need for cooking middle eastern/european. read more

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Sometimes someone recommends a place that is like a new adventure. I started this new Mediterranean collection as I have been on the hunt for new and fun things from the Middle East. I had several wonderful meals in California and Phoenix and I decided to dig in my own backyard. The owners here at this market are friendly and inviting. It doesn't matter that I'm the minority when I walk through the door. One of the workers bent over backwards to help me find a particular space that I had bought years ago (where; I can't recall?!?) I never did find it on the shelf but he came back about 10 minutes later and found it in the catalog and offered to order it for me. I found several items I've never seen in any other market, and I've been in a few in California and Phoenix. Mostly I was looking for spices and "Halvah" Which is ground up sesame seeds, honey or sugar, and often pistachios. Usually it's in a Candy form but this place had it in small tubs. I'm not sure how they eat it but I guess I would put it on the plain cookie or a rice cracker?? It's a tight packed place with a restaurant in the back. I could smell the bread baking. There were a lot of people coming in to order food - - which I'm going to have to do in the future. They even had a butcher shop! There are breads, teas, mystery items (mysterious for me!) and spices galore. They even had some tea pots and special serving trays from Iraq I believe. The owner told me that is where he is from. I will certainly be back to dig some more! read more

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Babylon is on fire!!!! Love it, Love it, Love it!!! It is outside my travel area for food, it is now going to be a part of my food pilgrimage for many reasons. 1. The prepared food in the kitchen is so fresh and delectable I cannot get enough. The hummus is smooth and creamy, Waleed turned me onto this summer squash ganoush that is everything. 2. The meat counter fresh and ready not frozen. 3. They are super nice and care about the people who come in. 4. A wide variety of other food items from the near to middle east. Really all of the Med countries including North Africa and the Balkans have variations of the same foods, which a lot of the ingredients are to be found here. 5. All of it, just all of it!!! They are local and his brother has my other favorite place to eat in all places, the food court at the Tucson Mall Kebab King. read more

Babylon Market - Wow - Grocery Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

Amazing market with a huge variety of food, teas and accessories. One of the best markets in town.

Sadly they don't serve food inside anymore. It's just the market now. I have checked back several times because I loved everything on the menu but they have closed the lil grill in the back. read more

Quite simply, a gem of a market in Tucson for all things Middle Eastern and more. Amazing selection of cheeses, oils, teas, spices, breads, desserts and more. They carry injera bread for instance. Tightly packed and full of lovely foods. Go! read more

Great grocery store in Tucson. They have everything middle Eastern and N African. Unfortunately they no longer serve food on site. Proprietors are friendly and speak Arabic as well as English. Fun place, easy parking in front. read more

It was like walking into Morocco! Had everything I needed and the service was great. Will definitely return.

Super authentic middle eastern grocery store with tons of middle Eastern as well as some European items! The little takeout restaurant in the back was amazing, offering delicious hummus, dolmas, and falafel. We were informed late last year that the restaurant was under construction to be reopened in April 2021. I called around April, asking whether the restaurant was open, but the man on the phone advised it was not and that it would not reopen, which is disappointing. I'll pop in for other sundries, but I do hope they reopen the restaurant at some point! read more

I was in the area and craving a beef shawarma sandwich. I remembered having a good one here a year ago. I called to place a pick up order. Alas, the KITCHEN is CLOSED - has been for three months said the man answering the market's phone. read more

I'm a big fan of Babylon Market. The same owners who run Kebab King in the Tucson Mall foodcourt, these folks just continue to add to the immense selection of quality middle eastern fare in Tucson (who would've thought). I first came upon Babylon after seeing it a million times going to and from Black Crown Coffee (another quality institution, by the way). After an evening where I hadn't yet eaten yet, curiosity got the better of me and I walked my way over to give them a shot. Babylon Market is, as their name indicates, both a restaurant and a market. As someone who does not routinely (okay honestly, ever) cook middle eastern food at home, I did not recognize most of what they sold. However, I can comment that their selection of ingredients, from preserves, to canned goods, to spices in the back corner, is IMMENSE, and I'm confident they will have what you are looking for (if not some alternative). Oh, they also sell hookahs if you're into that sorta thing. Food wise, everything is made fresh in their kitchen in the back, and it shows in the taste. At this point I've sampled their falafel, sandwiches, dolma, salads, hummus, baba ganoush, and kabsa plate. Incredible flavors all around. I honestly have not had anything that was not delicious from Babylon Market. While I cannot comment on the authenticity of their middle eastern cuisine, it's without a doubt delicious, and will have you coming back for more time and time again. read more

Dropped by with the family in Christmas Day, I was happy that they are open till 9pm. The lamb Kabsa was the best by far. The salads were good (baba ganouch and metabel). We got the beef shawarma plates, the beef was dry, we ended up not eating the two plates we ordered. We also purchased a few things from the store. Sadly a couple of items were not eatable after we went home and opened them. Such as the halal marshmallow and the pistachio nougat, both did not have "best used by" date and were dry as wood. read more

Great store ! They have a huge selection of food as well as drinkware that looks middle eastern, serving platters, etc. The people working there are very friendly and service is excellent. I like a certain brand of grape leaves ( Orlando ) and they are half the cost of Amazon. read more

The nicest people who cook the worlds greatest food. I have been coming here since 2012 when I moved to tucson. Having lived in the middle east in the past, to say I'm addicted to middle Eastern food and culture is an understatement. This restaurant and market is amazing to cater to the office - very reasonable at 120 bucks to feed about 20 people serving large platters. They have hookahs, shisha; dates, black tea, and everything you need to cook any authentic Arabic dish. The staff is so kind; never treating me differently than the other customers - even though I look different. Their kitchen knocks out the best falafel and lamb in town too. 5 stars all day every day! I will always be back read more

Great find in Tucson! I'm always on the hunt for an ethnic marker for authentic cuisine! Great shop with wonderful shwarma wraps, falafel,tabouli, baba ganousch, etc. Sometimes the falafel are a little "well done" but they have great flavor. Make sure to ask for the tahini sauce on the side for the falafel! This place is mostly a market with a standing shop in the back to order food. Be warned that there isn't any seating, except for a few tables outside, and the tables outside are pretty noisy due to their location on speedway. Prices are more than reasonable and the service is quite quick. I'd recommend this place to anyone for a quick meal on the go. read more

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Hard to find Middle East foods like the different grades of bulgur wheat. Almost an entire aisle is devoted to varieties of chickpeas. Good ethnic choices for Tucson, AZ. read more

Exceptional market with a wide variety of spices, Jared and canned goods, frozen supplies (we got spring roll wrappers) and a fresh food restaurant inside the shop. I will definitely be coming back! read more

Babylon Market - Grocery Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

I'm half middle eastern and always looking for good middle eastern food. Babylon market is a rather large grocery store as far as specialty stores go. They have a wide variety of products from different areas of the middle east. You can come here for any ingredient that you may need for any middle eastern dish. There are kosher options, imported frozen foods and cheeses, candies, pickled goods, meats and more. The best thing that I purchased from here was a delicious piece of baklawa. This is the real deal. The layers of pastry are a tad salty and crisp. The nuts are in larger chunks and fresh. Then there is a small bit of honey soaking up the bottom couple of layers. It provides for a sweet and slightly salty treat. They have numerous sweets like this. They also sell hookah in a variety of flavors and some other tid bits from that part of the world. This is definately an awesome middle eastern market. You will definately be happy wiht what you find. read more

Love this place! Has all the middle eastern treats you could want. I also occasionally pick up a cone of henna for tattoos. Staff is very friendly and helpful. The deli/restaurant in the back is delicious! I tend to stick with the lamb shawarma and the hummus. Both never disappoint. read more

Babylon Market - Lamb shawarma and side of hummus - Grocery Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

My wife and I came here to buy pomegranate molasses for a salad dressing recipe. The selection and service here way exceeded our expectations! The folks behind the lunch counter showed us to their favorite brands, we ended up leaving with pita, zaatar, olive oil and more. Needless to say our salad dressing came out great. We haven't tried the restaurant inside the store but I don't doubt it's great, looking forward to loading up again soon on Mediterranean and middle eastern ingredients. read more

Babylon Market - Some of our haul from the grocery store. - Grocery Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

I'm an Iraqi and I can attest to how authentic and delicious the deli food is. The folks that own this place are warm, welcoming and will go beyond to help you. Excellent for catering too. I feel like I'm back in the Middle East, where the grocers care about you, take your bags to the car, give suggestions, and care about the quality of their product. By the way, the cucumbers here are the only delicious cucumbers in Tucson...Whole Foods, Farmer markets...all of their cukes suck. Best falafel in town. The lamb is incredible and the butcher will cut your meat to specification. I have turned all My friends onto Babylon... and we cater many of our university events and faculty parties with them. Tucson became a better city when they opened. read more

I found my Persian stuff all at once in this cozy little middle eastern store, Rosewater, Fava beans, lamb meat which they grind it for me, sikh for kabab koobideh, pomegranate paste,.. I'm new to Tucson & didn't expect to find these authentic stuff from back home here :) read more

Always friendly staff, that will help you eagerly if needed. The to-go food is delicious. We've been getting the jumbo shwarma meat sandwich and it is the closest we've had to a doner wrap we had in Germany. Very excited to find! Great prices, great selection of hard to find foods read more

Babylon is a place I've been meaning to check out for a while. A couple months back, I was catching up with a friend at his parents house and I was treated to meal made by them. His family is from Iran, and they made me a traditional Iranian dish. I don't remember what it was called, but it included some pan cooked rice, chicken, pickled vegetables, and greens. It was one of the best meals I've ever eaten. From there I got the itch and I was eating at various Mediterranean places in Tucson and Phoenix. Months later, I had to meet a friend to help him with some paperwork and I decided to take the opportunity to eat at Babylon. Told him to meet me there and we invited some more friends. It was a great decision because we all loved it. The market feels really welcoming and they have an amazing selection of middle eastern products. The counter in the back is the best part, with an excellent kitchen serving up some amazing shawarma, falafel and even burgers and chicken sandwiches. Overall, great place to get a bite or some groceries, absolutely my new spot. read more

This was for me a great place to discover different foods. Like Rice, grains and spices. I was very short on time but I am looking forward to my next trip to Babylon Market. The gentleman that check me out was very kind, I dropped my keys under a display and the almost knocked over another display.... he just smiled at me. They do have food to go that I may try on my next visit. read more

Delicious middle eastern food served--sort of--in the back of a typical crowded middle eastern grocery. This is a place for foodies and affectionadoes. Go for it; try the stuff you've never had and you'll end up smiling. The service is at best fast casual and the seating minimal. The music is authentic Arabic. So the ambiance is something you'll have to grow into. If you do, you may well run into me since we will definitely be back. read more

I gather the items I need and I'm waiting to be checked out. The two guys behind the register start checking out the person behind me in line. First time it happens, I thought it was a mistake. Then they start checking out the person behind me AGAIN. I'm in my scrubs thinking ok must be a mistake. Then THEY start checking out the other person. Ok, they are being rude and blatantly ignoring me. I just got off work and was trying to buy Lebanese treats for someone I know that misses his home. I've always wanted to check this store out. Guess what? I'm never coming back here again. Don't come here. They are super rude and straight up ignore you. The store WAS NOT BUSY. read more

It was a good place long time ago as far as remember, now everything is different I don't know why! The shawarma is a disaster and i mean both chicken & beef shawarma, never tried the falafel because it wasn't encouraging. The market is very pricy and a total exploitation not mentioning the butcher corner. They tried to sell us a bad can of tahini and when we complained to the cashier he was trying to convince us that the "original" one is supposed to be like that!!! I absolutely don't recommend it to anyone.. and for my fellow brother muslims, you can find a "halal" meat in another american grocery stores. read more

Very affordable options, many healthy choices, lots of vegetarian choices Lots of affordable products in the store as well and fun to peruse while waiting on food! The falafel sandwich was heaven, perfect combination of juicy falafel with lettuce, tomato, onions, and tahini. The falafel was so flavorful and not dry, the best that I've tried in Tucson. I got the hummus as well which complemented my sandwich. I was craving this for many days after trying it. Can't wait to go back. read more

I absolutely love this place and can't believe I hadn't written a review for them. First of all, this little market is jam packed of random goodies. So many food items I never thought existed. It's so fun to peruse through the narrow aisles and see what sort of things you can find. Apart from food items, they sell hookah, equipment to make Turkish coffee, and other similar items. Believe me, you won't find most of the stuff here at a local Safeway. However, the shining star of this establishment is the tiny kitchen in the back. Sure, there are no tables to sit inside; this is truly a take out kind of place. However, the food is phenomenal and inexpensive. My favorite is the humble little eggplant salad that doesn't look very photogenic but is incredibly flavorful. Also, the hummus here is probably the best I have tasted. This hummus blows any store-bought one straight out of the water. As for the meat dishes, I have not tried one I haven't loved. They have one chicken dish (kebsa I believe) that is probably the winner of all the meat dishes I have tried. Juicy and flavorful and comes with a huge portion of rice. There is a fridge right next to the kitchen that has a bunch of yummy foreign beverages. There are so many to try from, and it's pretty fun seeing all the different brands and flavors. I suggest pairing your meal down with one of these. And don't forget to try their baklava for dessert-this alone will keep you coming back to Babylon. read more

Best little secret in town. Great food and atmosphere. Ordered the beef gyro which was fantastic. While you wait you can check out the market. The staff is very friendly and always make me laugh. read more

This is actually the Middle Eastern grocery store. But they also will prepare food in the back. It is very clean. The food is obviously the best part. They sell pickled vegetables from the Middle East. And also the best flatbread. They have a good price for Bulgarian feta cheese which is the best feta cheese in the world as we all know. The prepared food is especially delicious. I ordered beef shawarma over rice with a side of hummus and tabbouleh. The hummus of course was very creamy the Shawarma was tender. read more

Babylon Market - Delicious beef Shawarma over rice with tzatziki hummus and tabbouleh - Grocery Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

Great market with everything you need to make your favorite middle eastern or worldly foods. They have all the spices, mixes, frozen items, and fresh meats (lamb) that you need. It is very packed and tight inside so if you're not good in small spaces you might want wait outside and have someone else do your shopping. I did not eat there, however I did spend $50 on the food I needed to make my own delicious Armenian food and that earned me a $5.00 credit for the "cafe." Bottom line, if you need those hard to find ingredients for your exotic dishes it's more than likely here; or look for something new to spice up your food and out a new twist on it. A must stop shopping experience! read more

I have been looking for a place like this in Tucson for quite a while, and what do you know? It was waiting just around the corner from me the whole time! The original purpose of coming here was that we were looking for gyros, and I had heard good things about this place. When I went to the counter, I looked at all the photos of food, and none were labeled gyro. I must have had a confused look on my face. The man behind the counter asked if I was looking for something specific. I said "yes, I heard this place has good gyros." He responded, "Yes, we call it schwarma". Ah ha! Yes, of course you do... 2 regular schwarma sandwiches, hummus, and baba ganouch came out to about $20. Not bad. I would advise anyone expecting big fluffy pita to look closely at the photos. They call their bread pita, but it is closer to what I would call a tortilla. Not exactly what I was expecting, but it was truly delicious. I will have to check out the chicken and the kebabs next time. Also the falafel. I'm also thinking that making them "meals" may be a better value for a whole dinner. The baba ganouch was very good, albeit smokier than other versions I've had. The hummus was very creamy, which I like. They clearly use tahini in theirs, which is ok although I typically prefer without. These both came with more traditional pita. While I waited, I did some light shopping in the market which is full of all kinds of good things. Everything from hookas and tobacco, to spices, to a huge selection of olives. Rose water, olive oil, tea, and all sorts of refrigerated sodas and refreshments from the middle east. At the counter, they have what looks like homemade baklava. I did happen to notice, for those to whom it matters, that the lanyards they sell over the counter were sporting the names of all sorts of middle eastern countries. Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Syria, and Palestine. No Israel. No secret which side of the conflict they support. But for me, I really liked this place, and I will certainly be back. read more