How is some of the best Mediterranean food I've ever had in North Dakota? This chicken nearly made me cry, y'all. I came back two days in a row on my trip here because I couldn't stop thinking about it. The staff was so kind, and I could tell how much heart was put into making this place as great as it is. read more

Ishtar Mediterranean Cuisine - Chicken Tikka - Mediterranean Near Me - Fargo, North Dakota

Best beef schwarma I have had outside of Lebanon! The balance of the beef with tahini, pickles, tomatoes and onions in the warm bread, excellent! read more

Ishtar Mediterranean Cuisine - Beef Schwarma - Mediterranean Near Me - Fargo, North Dakota

The best Mediterranean food I've had in Fargo thus far. The Mixed Platter with a side of rice and extra pita will cost you around 60$ but can easily feed 4-5 people. The food and hummus are delicious. read more

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I was incredibly disappointed in my experience with this restaurant because they had been recommended to me by more than one person. I thought the prices were rather high, but the portions are generous, so maybe that balances out. I got the beef shwarma. It looked nice, and the rice was pretty good. However, the beef was tough and didn't have much flavor. It came with a sauce, but that turned out to be watered down salad dressing. I used it on the beef because it needed something. I don't know of other Mediterranean options in Fargo, so maybe this is popular because it's the only choice. I wouldn't rush back. read more

Ishtar Mediterranean Cuisine - Beef shwarma - Mediterranean Near Me - Fargo, North Dakota

I wish I could rate lower. Also, in the downtown business district... to have only ONE person running a restaurant at noon is insane. The wait was horrible, even to order. We were 2nd in line. She took the 1st order and made it before taking ours. Didn't event take our entire order. Took my partners order (for what he was covering), left me waiting to place my order, and started making his. Nothing was cooked "fresh." Everything was literally microwaved in the back. We could hear the door being opened and closed and the "beep beep beep" of the key pad and the timer. We wanted to just cancel and get a refund, but we're in our work uniforms and didn't want things to get weird. The first order was paid for by my coworker, which was our lunch. We ordered a *large* "world famous hummus" with pita appetizer, expecting to take the leftovers home. $12.99 for a 12oz togo bowl less than half full. But I guess the extra $8 was for visual appeal - it was "pretty." It was definitely NOT fresh-made in-house. I ordered a traditional Gyro, no veggies, and asked if they would add "feta cheese" (specifically asked for feta and said I didn't mind paying more - since it wasn't listed as an ingredient). She said yes. My coworker ordered the beef schwarma. Each was over $12 without sides. I added a side of rice, which ended up being $6.99 for about 8-10oz bowl of basic yellow rice, wasn't even Arabic or Middle Eastern style rice. My partner added fries, which was also $6.99, and it was half the size of a large waffle fry at Chick-fil-A. As said before, I also wanted to place an order for Togo to take home to my family. Couldn't even place that order until our food came out. The menu listed "Tyropita" available as two options - with cheese or spinach (which would be spanikopita). I ordered a 6pc of each. That's when she informs me that "it's all together, the cheese and spinach." OK, so it's spanikopita, not tyropita. I placed my Togo order and sat down to eat my lunch. When I unwrapped my gyro.... it was half cold Donner slices - WITH AMERICAN CHEESE half melted over the top. And what wasn't "melted" was the dry and crusty edges, like it had been left uncovered... for a long time uncovered. Nope. Maybe that's how you trick a kid into eating something, but I have actually had Mediterranean and Middle Eastern dishes all over and never ONCE has it involved "American Pasturized Processed Cheese Food". I asked the lady if they had feta cheese (kinda the standard) or not - since we were charged THREE DOLLARS for it. Three dollars for a slice of American cheese. She did remake the sandwich and with feta. The next whattheflock moment was her bringing out a box of frozen tyropita saying she "found some" and asked if I still wanted one order of each. I was stunned speechless. They charge these prices, and everything is pre-made and frozen! The gyro/Donner meat was pre-cooked, then refrigerated, then microwaved halfway warm (still refrigerator cold in the middle). My coworker's schwarma was absolutely flavorless. No seasoning or herbs or spices whatsoever. Also, I don't think the wooden platters the food came on are food service approved. It's unsealed/unfinished wood, which you really can't sanitize to commercial use standards. We spent $60 on lunch, and I spent $23 on microwaved Spanikopita and Tyropita. Will post pics of everything! PLEASE GO ELSEWHERE. This place could be so much more if they were willing to make the effort. read more

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Grateful for this gem in downtown Fargo. I've never been disappointed with the food or service. Every item I've tried has been wonderful

This restaurant offers a wide variety of food from all around the Mediterranean. I had the samosas as an appetizer and a Chicken Tikka wrap, and my wife had a falafel wrap with fries. Our guests had lamb and chicken schwarma with rice and salad. All of the food was decent, though for me it was not remarkable. My chicken was pretty dry, and surprisingly low on flavor. Our guests said their saffron rice was good, but that they'd had better. Service was really slow - there was one employee taking orders and cooking. The restaurant was essentially empty. There were 2 DoorDash drivers that stopped in to pick up small orders during the 2 hours we were at the restaurant, and one other table of 2 people that came in to eat. This was from 6:30pm-8:30pm, so I would have expected it to be a lot more busy. Honestly, this was a bit disconcerting initially, though the food certainly was better than "empty restaurant" quality. Lastly: there was no bathroom in the restaurant itself. This is downtown Fargo, and an old building, so I get that to some degree. However, as a guest, my experience was reduced by having to ask the chef&host for the key to the bathroom in order to wash my hands before eating. On top of that, the bathroom itself was filthy and smelled terrible. read more

After reading previous reviews, I was expecting much more. Total letdown. I ordered chicken kabobs. No flavor and overpriced. Around $25 for lunch and still walked out hungry. Cashier was also the busboy. Hence the dirty tables waiting to be cleaned. Keep walking. Find somewhere else to dine. read more

Loved this place! Tasty food, relaxed vibe, and fast service. Perfect spot for a casual lunch or dinner.

I loved visiting the older downtown area to find this tasty food place. It was a gem of a find. Thanks.

Food was good and felt very fresh. I wished that the fries had come with a more mediterranean style dipping sauce than ketchup. Great place to go if you are vegetarian. Despite only having one person working when we went, service was good. Plenty of seating and nice big windows but maybe some background music playing would have been nice. read more

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Food was great and reasonable portions of the meal. Well cooked as expected. Greatly enjoyed eating it.

Their food is amazing! They will accommodate people with gluten and dairy allergies. I'm addicted to their humus. It is so good. The staff is beyond nice and helpful. I tell everyone about this place! Great atmosphere too. One recommendation: do not order online, the owner has been trying to get GrubHub to take it down, but they won't work with him. GrubHub will take your money and he never gets it or the order! It's ridiculous! Make sure to Order in person or over the phone. read more

We have eaten here at least a dozen times. The food and service are always amazing. We haven't ordered a single thing that we wouldn't order again! read more

Fabulous food, and friendly service! Modern industrial feel to the eating area. Love the falafel wrap! read more

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I finally stopped here and I was so impressed! The food was great, the atmosphere was comfortable, abd the person working was friendly. I'll definitely be back read more

Ishtar Mediterranean Cuisine - Chicken gyro with fries - Mediterranean Near Me - Fargo, North Dakota

I ordered beef shawarma and tabouli for lunch. The food was well prepared, fresh, and very tasty. The portions were such that I have enough leftover for a second meal. It wasn't an one y lunch but the larger portions made up for that. read more

Ishtar Mediterranean Cuisine - Beef Shawarma and Tabbouleh Salad - Mediterranean Near Me - Fargo, North Dakota

Excellent food.cant wait to try their other items. See dad greettwe fdsrthh gghteefhu. Yyerffui. Rrdsseddf.;54; read more

Ishtar Mediterranean Cuisine - Chicken Shawarma Wrap - Mediterranean Near Me - Fargo, North Dakota

Do you like falafel? Do you like chicken shawarma? Come here. Seriously. I ordered the chicken shawarma wrap and a side of 5 falafel. First thing I noticed was a presentation. Both orders were each brought out on their own wooden cutting board. The chicken Shawarma wrap had been grilled on both sides and cut diagonally, sitting on top or another. The falafel were accompanied by pita slices, hummus, and slices of tomato. We were off to a good start. But then you take a bite into the Shawarma and you get a crisp from the grilling, plenty of meat on the inside, seasonings, and vegetables. The falafel wore a absolute perfect balance of crispy on the outside - softer on the inside. They were so moist. I loved it so much that I made sure to go back to the counter to tell him that I loved it. He pointed to a photo of his father on the wall and explained to me how proud he was and how long he's been in the business. I certainly don't write yelp reviews very often, but good food deserves good reviews. Come here! read more

So good and so friendly! I'm so jealous of the people who live in Fargo and get to eat here whenever they want! Definitely will remember next time I'm in fargo! read more

Ishtar Mediterranean Cuisine - Dolma with parsley salad. OMG! SO GOOD! - Mediterranean Near Me - Fargo, North Dakota

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This is the best Gyro Spot we've found in Fargo. Gyro was very large and tasty. Pita was soft and delicious. We asked for feta in our fries and they were perfect. We also ordered the 3 piece Samosa. Very tasty and rich in flavor. On the day we were there, the owner was working by himself. Service was a little slow because of that, but not unexpected. read more

Simple setting, delicious food, quick service. Great place to order lunch takeout. Lady behind counter is super nice.

Stopped here enroute to Minneapolis from Dickinson, ND. Har been craving Mediterranean food for the past 10 days and since we didn't find any in Yellowstone we knew we couldn't miss it here. The food was really good . The fries were very crispy and the Falafel rolls were fresh and tasty. They made the Taboulleh salad just for us . We topped with the Turkish coffee that simple awesome. read more

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Awesome food and a great downtown location! I have eaten here a number of times and it is always delicious.

Scrumptious! You may think price is a little high but the serving size & taste is sensational. Food is authentic and reminds me of my time in Denver. Great memories! Too late for a picture because I usually finish it before I even think about leaving a review. Haha read more

The service was a little slow but WELL WORTH THE WAIT! The chicken shawarma was AMAZING! Whatever marinade they put on the chicken was so so good. I'm actually sad I live out of state because I would come to this place regularly. read more

Good fast style Mediterranean food. The best part of the selection was the hummus, soft, creamy, and delightfully flavorful. The samosas (beef) were also well put together even if the tzatziki was a little wetter than I prefer, though that might have been due to the abundance of fresh cucumbers which offered a bright summer flare. The beef shawarma plate was solid. Even if a little on the dry side the flavors, complimented by the red onion, a yoghurt sauce and some as of yet tangy brown sauce, were on point. The Turkish coffee was full of body and served in a beautiful little cup that tied together a solid experience enticing enough to make me want to return. read more

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Great food, atmosphere, and service. Started with the baba ghanouj, which was well-seasoned and accompanied by warm pita. The main dish of beef shawarma was delicious alongside a side of hummus. The whole meal was brought to a close by some delicious Turkish coffee. read more

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Never made a yelp review ever, but Ishtar is so good, it compelled me to review it. The meats are always so flavorful and the service is exceptional. This place definitely doesn't get enough business, do yourself a favor and try it out! read more

Pretty good samosas. Excellent spinach pie (lots of spinach). Fine Gyros. Pretty quick.

I only got take out due to the pandemic. We just decided to get the sample appetizers and get a snack. It was so tasty, the dolma has great flavor and the falafel was crispy. The only thing is it was a little on the expensive side. I do want to try more when we can eat inside. read more

Ishtar Mediterranean Cuisine - a person holding a container of food - Mediterranean Near Me - Fargo, North Dakota

We ordered a variety of appetizers and they were all delicious. Would drive back to Fargo just for this restaurant.

Three notable things about Ishtar: 1. Location: it's right on Broadway. Once you're done with walking around , taking pics with the Fargo theatre sign and generally checking the area out, it's a a nice spot to sit down and have something different. 2. The owner: a really cool guy. He was friendly and informative; guided me about downtown and the city in general. 3. Food: I tried the lamb shank at my only visit there so far. It was nicely prepared. Quantity was just sufficient and the rice served with it was quite good too. I wanna try the half rotisserie chicken entree next time. It's apparently popular and was all sold out when I went. read more

O wow. Terrible is the only way to describe the experience. I got the mixed plate for $24. All of the meat was over cooked and seriously burnt. The burnt side of the chicken was served down so I didn't see it until I flipped and pieces over. The shawarma meat was so over cooked it was like eating unflavored jerky. The "steak" must have been from a old milking cow as it was so tough I couldn't eat it. The only redeeming quality was the hummus was decent. Guessing it was canned or bottled. Better options in town. Too bad... read more

Pretty underwhelming. Tried hummus, Baba ghanouge, falafel, and gyro and fries. Gyro was OK but they didn't put any onions or cucumber on it. Tahini was super watery, and without flavor. Baba ghanouge had some flavor, but pretty bland, and the humus has no flavor- like canned chickpeas thrown in the blender. Fries were soggy. Falafel was actually terrible, tasting like a dough ball. We ordered a 5 piece and threw out 4. Prices wouldn't be bad if the food wasn't so bad. There are now several Greek/middle eastern/Mediterranean restaurants in town, I think you can skip this one, as I know I will. read more

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So glad to have such great Mediterranean food in downtown Fargo! It can get busy around lunch, but I've always had great service no matter the rush. I usually get a gyro for lunch and it is reliably tasty, but this weekend my wife and I ordered three appetizers for a tapas-style dinner and they were all fantastic - dolma, kuupa, and samosas. Fun to sit up in the window seat and people watch on Broadway! read more

Ishtar Mediterranean Cuisine - Kuupa on left, samosas in background, dolma in foreground - Mediterranean Near Me - Fargo, North Dakota

One of my favorite places to order delivery from in the pandemic era. The lamb sandwich is delicious and flavorful. The meat is extremely tender and while it is a simple sandwich, it is definitely a treat that I look forward to every now and then when I am craving for something savory. Their mezze selection is decent and all their food tastes great. read more

Really nice people! Also they were very accommodating. The restaurant was neat and clean, my food was cooked to perfection! Great vegetarian choice! Highly recommended. read more

Ishtar Mediterranean Cuisine - Falafel gyro and fries - Mediterranean Near Me - Fargo, North Dakota

Awesome food, awesome people. The swarma and samosa are my go to, but everything I've had is amazing. Definitely recommend

One of the best hidden gems in Fargo. Flavor is unreal. Authentic Mediterranean! Treat yourself!