Excellent service and massive portions, which is nice because the price point is a bit high. The flatbreads they serve are massive, I included a photo with a fork for scale. We offered the appetizer sampler and I got the beef tikka which was wonderfully seasoned. They unfortunately don't have regular iced tea so I had to make due with pomegranate juice, which was just ok. read more

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Everything we had was really well executed and flavorful. The appetizer platter was great to start with. Hummus was light and fluffy, great for spreading, and I was pleasantly surprised by the flavor of the baba ganoush which had no bitterness whatsoever. The star was their fresh flatbread that is served with the platter -- perfectly soft yet thin enough to rip and dip. I ordered the chicken shawarma in a pita-like bread. It was simple, chicken, garlic spread, and some fries stuffed in. The menu image had lettuce and tomato included, but my order did not come with any, so i used the appetizer platter fixings to garnish and add more flavor/texture. I really liked that the chicken was well seasoned but not too salty (you could eat it on its own) Ended the meal with their hot mint tea, dispensed freshly in front of you with mint and sugar provided to taste. read more

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Great service. Waitress explained all our questions and helped us to decide what to order. Large orders Definitely be coming back read more

Service was excellent! Very large restaurant; great for large groups! Clean and welcoming. Pricing isn't bad. Portions are large! I got a 2 person combo and it felt like it could feed 4-5 people. Maybe I just don't eat a lot anymore, but it was still a lot.. had to take the rest to go. Food was good, but I was hoping for a little more flavor in the meat. The lentil soup was my favorite dish! read more

Love this place! Great customer service and the food is amazing! All the way from OHIO

I recently got a to-go order of lamb quzi from here. 1) It was amazing. The lamb fat was so tender it melted in my mouth. The lamb meat itself was perfectly sauced and spiced. The thin flatbread with the meat was also a nice addition to absorb the sauce and added to the overall taste. 5/5 2) The rice that accompanied it was also delicious. It was perfectly spiced and went well with the lamb meat. 5/5 3) The actual flatbread that they added to the dish was also amazing. It tasted extremely fresh. 5/5 Mean score: 5/5 If I come to this area in the future, then I would definitely get food from here again. read more

Have dined couple of times at Ishtar during our visit to Michigan. The ambiance and the vibe is amazing when they have live music. I have noticed the quality of the food and service has gone down slightly! Our first dining experience here was phenomenal. We usually go with the lentil soup, and the kabob platter with lamb chicken as the protein. Love their bread and side of rice. They are divine and so is their tea at the end. read more

The lunch specials are a very good value. Noisy. I was pleased that they were willing to substitute more salad for the rice that typically comes with my entree. Noisy. Please consider ordering tea ... prepping and pouring the tea is a show. And the tea is good too! Noisy. The chicken and beef were served very hot, the portions were large and arrived swiftly. Did I mention that it is noisy? How noisy is it? It was extremely difficult for three of us to have a business conversation. Too many hard surfaces and zero attempt at acoustic dampening ... minus one star. Will I return? Perhaps. Not convenient to me. Not a fan of noisy venues. read more

Ishtar Restaurant - Shawarma lunch plate, substituted extra salad for rice. - Halal Near Me - Sterling Heights, Michigan

We ordered family dinner for 3 and it could have fed twice than many. It included 3 different kinds of soup all three in a tomato base. A tray about 9x13 inches of assorted meats and another tray the same size with three different types of rice. It also included 2 large pieces of pita bread. Was definitely a good value for the price. Place looked busy while picking up my order. read more

The food was so so so good. The only issue I had was that the table we were at was small, this caused us to have to stack plates and there were multiple spills. There was soo much food and not enough space for us. Besides that the food was great! I loved the busy and friendly atmosphere. The service was so kind and welcoming! We will definitely be back! read more

My co-worker is obsessed with this restaurant and we quite frequently order it through DoorDash. It's always SO good. The soup and shawarmas are amazing. I got the lamb shawarma and that's always perfect paired with the soup. My one complaint is it's not healthy to serve such hot food in styrofoam containers because when the container melts, the styrofoam ends up being ingested. I know a lot of restaurants use styrofoam but there has to be a better option. Especially because my soup cup was totally deformed after I got done eating. read more

Ishtar Restaurant - Lamb (meat) shawarma sandwich - Halal Near Me - Sterling Heights, Michigan

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We had Friday night date night here last week, it had been years since we last went. The restaurant was very clean and our server was prompt and polite. Drinks were a little odd, a kirklands bottle of water and a $3 can of Coca-Cola, it was fine but just strange. We went for the dinner for 2 combo with lemon chicken soup. I'm obsessed with their soup and would highly recommend it. The meat was good, the brown rice flavors were a bit strong for our liking so we went for the white rice, but both rices were cooked perfectly. The beans on the rice were delicious! Overall the meal was good, I will certainly return for the soup, but would more than likely try a different meal. read more

Ishtar Restaurant - Halal Near Me - Sterling Heights, Michigan

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Came with some coworkers a few weeks ago. Lentil soup was very tasty! I got the lamb. It was flavored wonderfully and cooked to medium as ordered but very chewy and with not much in terms of sides a bit expensive. The only have bottled and canned drinks. My coworker got the grilled fish and I definitely did not look or taste grilled. I think there's better restaurants in the area read more

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We drove from Chicago to Michigan this morning and came here super hungry for dinner! Pros: - definitely order the Iraqi mixed grill - best dish and very reasonably priced at $24 - get a large rice plate - we also got a chicken sandwich - sides included were soup or salad - you should go for the soup. Comes with naan and it's so yummy - came with veggie stew- we picked potato and it was great! - complimentary tea. It's so so good! Cons: - very loud music. We asked to be seated very far from the music. I will definitely come back here! For 3 items it was $43, very reasonable! read more

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Absolutely loved the whole vibe of this place. Live music, great service (and a show if you get tea!), and fantastic food! They really load you up with all kinds of delicious plates to try and everything tasted fresh and cooked to perfection! read more

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Recently went to Ishtar for lunch with a few co-workers. The prices seem a little high, but what doesn't these days, and the portions are quite large! A couple of us had fatoush and a couple ordered entrees. They didn't have feta and there wasn't any crispy pita in the fatoush, which I'm used to and love. Despite that the salad was huge and super tasty! I took half home for dinner. The bread was super huge and some of the best flat bread I've ever had. It's similar to Naan bread. The entrees looked fantastic and there was so much food. You could smell the lemon from the soup! They also offer a complimentary tea service after your meal, made table side by a gentleman in traditional garb, we declined, but I'd do it next time just for the experience! I also liked the open dining room and the intricate wall decor! I can't wait to go back and try something new! read more

It's my fav place to dine in at or get carry out, food is always delicious. Service is good and staff is nice. Their beef tenderloin is to die for and the chicken tikka is a win. hands up for beef shawarma saj! Salads are always fresh and their lentil soup is always fresh and hot. I'll never have enough of their food! Place ls always clean and the dinning area is huge. They also have another room (more private) that could be used for special occasions. read more

Wow. This place definitely lived up to the hype. Amazing Iraqi food that is a step above many of the other Middle Eastern restaurants in the area which shows by how busy it was on a Thursday evening. My roommate and I split a full size of the Iraqi salad which was delicious. It has the same tangy dressing as tabouleh but instead has cucumbers, chick peas, tomatoes, and beets. I also ordered the okra stew which was the perfect complement to the fresh bread. I just wish I had gotten a few more okra in my order. The falafel wrap was another winner with well seasoned falafel that wasn't too dry and perfectly crispy. My roommate got the lentil soup which I tried and was impressed by. It had a good balance of different textures (no one likes mushy lentils) and just the right amount of brightness from some lemon. We also each got a pomegranate juice which was very refreshing, just a bit pricier than we expected ($7.50 each)! Another bonus is that it's right next to Palm Sweets bakery which we gladly perused while we waited for our take out. So many baklava options! read more

Ishtar Restaurant - Dining room - Halal Near Me - Sterling Heights, Michigan

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I had been meaning to try Ishtar for forever now. I live close enough where I could literally walk to them and often will smell grilling meat when I'm walking my dog nearby. The waitress was super friendly and didn't rush us at all. I was catching up with a friend I hadn't seen in over four years and had much to chat about including the food. We ordered the combo for two people and had enough for more like three possibly four if they had a small appetite. But the meats were very flavorful, tender and just the right amount of char. No wonder the aromas were always so intoxicating! The combo also came with soup or salad, some sides (choice is stewed okra or potato or beans) bread and choice of rice. We weren't as familiar with these sides and the differences between the two choices of rice so the waitress brought us a mix of half and half for the rice and recommended the potato and okra. All were very tasty. I really don't want to speak out of school but I believe this is more Iraqi style middle eastern food? A bit different from the typical style I find in dearborn which I believe is more Lebanese style? Four stars only based on my preference for the Lebanese style. Either way it was tasty and worth a visit! I'd go back. read more

Ishtar Restaurant - Rice - half and half - Halal Near Me - Sterling Heights, Michigan

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Nice spot to visit during the pandemic. The setup in here is spread out and has high booths which does help to separate guests from each other. I tried the kabob platter and hummus. I was delighted that they brought out a huge piece of bread along with the hummus! They also provided a lemony chicken soup which was the star of the meal! I enjoyed it more than the actual entree! The kabobs themselves were decent and served with veggies. Wish they had been on a bed of rice but they were not. The kabobs were not too moist as I typically like my meat but a bit on the drier side. Still decent but not the best I've had. They also had a server coming by to check in on each table frequently enough which was nice and they offered Arabic tea which was delicious / i would definitely recommend it. Edit: in case you're still hungry there is a bakery / dessert place right next door, which is ideal! read more

Ishtar Restaurant - Lemony soup - Halal Near Me - Sterling Heights, Michigan

Yeah, atmosphere, the food is service. Everything was good. We had a large group and we felt the staff was there just for us.

I dined in yesterday (probably one of their busiest days of the year "Eid Al Adha").. my review is based on my experience for yesterday. I heard a lot about this restaurant and in fact many people recommended it so I decided to take the gang and give it a try. Place is huge and luckily we were seated immediately. Restaurant was a bit noisy but acceptable considering the huge number of people dining in... Dining area was clean and so were the tables. But the toilets were terrible 1st time I used toilets but later they were a bit cleaner. Service was OK and a bit acceptable but I didn't like the fact that my bill was handed to me before finishing up my food and while I was eating!! The food, that is the best part... food didn't live up to my expectations... we ordered many dishes, majority of portions were huge but food lacked flavours although meats were cooked good but lacked the flavour, one of the rice dishes was overcooked and actually rice was burnt and served ... I can't complain about the salad, tan our bread and lentils soup which were the best.. Place is a bit pricy in regards to quality of food served yet reasonable compared to portions served. read more

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Had a wonderful experience dining at Ishtar restaurant. I love Mediterranean food and this place met and surpassed my expectations. This was not only Saturday night dinner but a whole immersive experience - dinner, show, photos. First off, food was great- tried appetizer platter - hummus was delicious, very smooth creamy consistency, Cole slaw , which I'm usually not a fan , I actually had double helping. Fattoush salad had unusual but tasty dressing with pita chips on top (a bit too many chips for my taste but easily removable). We tried a pie with rice and meat inside - dough was very tasty, rice had a great flavor though a bit on a drier side. Lamb chops were delicious and so was a roasted chicken. Lamb shank was a bit fatty (maybe it was just our piece like that) but sauce it came in was really good. We also ordered a hot tea that was delivered by a "tea man" who made a whole show of serving glasses, tapping them to play melody and then pouring a really good tea. There was a man playing keyboard in the room and singing songs - it really added to the atmosphere. And another gentleman offered to take group table picture which he proceeded to print and frame right away and you had an option to purchase for $10. Overall this was a great experience! Do check it out but come early - this place doesn't appear to take reservations and gets really busy. read more

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The service was below average. We ordered falafel wrap and we got falafel sandwiches in a subway bun. The server was rude and did not want to accept her mistake. The manager tried to help but it was too late. Never going back again. Ambiance was okay. The music was very loud. Not suitable for vegetarians. read more

Ishtar Restaurant - This is the falafel wrap! - Halal Near Me - Sterling Heights, Michigan

I'm visiting from San Diego with my husband. I have to say, the food was amazing! Flavorful, rich, cooked to perfection! I'd recommend this place to anyone who appreciates and enjoys authentic cuisine! read more

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It's a big place, down the complex from Palm Sweets. Had some water quickly, no one has come to take our food order, lots of waitstaff have passed up by. No idea who will be waiting on us since no one has come by for a few minutes. Started off with the mixed appetizer, chicken tikka and the shawarma on hummus instead of rice and a large lentil soup. The bread here is chewy and delicious, the hummus is so unbelievably smooth and so tasty. The mixed appetizer was so good. The eggplant salad, tabouli and the hummus is so on point good. I ate quite a bit of bread with the hummus because it was such a lovely combination. My husband even commented that he's never seen me eat so much bread, that it must be good hummus. The table next to us got the sham quzi, that looks so comforting good. The chicken shawarma meat was dry, was just okay. My hubby said there's a ton of hummus but not a lot of meat. . The chicken tikka was kept warm under the yummy huge fresh pita bread. The chicken tikka meat is yummy, moist and huge chunks of it too. I don't love the veggie garnishes, since they don't look great and aren't grilled much, except the tomatoes. The mints look rather wilted and not so appetizing. I would have preferred some red and green peppers maybe. This one waiter makes here seems to be the main man to make the black tea. He does a short jingle at the table before he pours the Iraqi black tea for each patron, he's so much fun to watch. I can hear him making tea anywhere in the restaurant. Our waitress, Athraa was nice and pleasant to deal with. Now we are waiting to get our leftovers packed and our bill too. She came by as I was wondering when she would come, she must sense my thoughts, so it feels. read more

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Wonderful friendly service. Quality food and a lot of it. Good value. Very popular and highly recommended by locals and as far as DC area. read more

This is one heck of a family restaurant. Giant portions, large spaces, buzzing crowd, and friendly staff. The kind of place that would fit the image of a chatty Sunday afternoon family dinner. The ambiance itself is good, and the setup is comfortable. The menu is HUGE, but mostly it's very meaty. The options for vegan/vegetarian are limited, except for some soups and salads. They have descriptions for most of the items, which are helpful for beginners like me who need to become more familiar with the names of the dishes. Ultimately, I decided on Okra Tashreeb, a tomato-based okra and lamb stew with tannour bread, served with rice and a choice of soup/salad. My friends also ordered many other dishes, including Meat Quzi, Sham Quzi, Meat Biryani, and Chicken Scallops. I tried the Sham Quzi and the Meat Biryani. They also serve complimentary stacks of LARGE tannour bread; they are huge! One piece of bread is enough for at least three people. When our food came, I was excited at the portion. They don't joke around. These are the kind of meals that will give the waiter carpal tunnel syndrome by the end of the week. It has substance. The rice is basmati and sprinkled with chopped vermicelli and bits of vegetables. Food was a 'yes' for my taste. The salad had a sharp, tangy, acidic dressing, which I love. I always prefer refreshing sour dressing rather than sweet or heavy mayo-based stuff. The chopped vegetables for the salad were fresh and crisp. The lamb for my Okra Tashreeb was fell-off-the-bone-tender and juicy. I love the gamey taste. The okra was such an excellent addition to the texture. And who knew tomato-broth-soaked tannour-bread would be so comforting? I also had a taste of the Sham Quzi and the Meat Biryani. The Sham Quzi is filled with biryani rice, so technically, you only need to pick one. The biryani rice is heavily spiced with cumin, which is a YES, but this is a personal preference. My friend, who's not big on spice, finds it too "spicy" and didn't like it. We had so much food and had to bring the leftovers home. Even though the price appears on the upper side of the menu, if you compare it to the quality and quantity, it's great read more

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""FRENCH SANDWICHES"" I placed an order of 2 sandwiches to pick up. However, I get home and I open them up and I first see that the sandwiches look poorly made where there is barely any meat on the sandwiches. Then both of the sandwiches had old dry bread. WHICH THE LADY CALLED IT "THE FRENCH SANDWICH". Both sandwiches equaled out to be 15$ dollars. This is embarrassing. THE PICTURES PROVE MY REVIEW. read more

Ishtar Restaurant - Halal Near Me - Sterling Heights, Michigan

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Ordered food here on a satuday night for my family. We had about 12 people so got quite a bit of food. It took about an hour or so for it to be ready. We ordered the #4 family platter then got some extra catfish on the side since someone doesn't eat meat. They don't have falafel which I was a little surprised by. However the chicken & beef shawarma was excellent. Didn't love the bone in some of the other chicken and fish, it was hard to eat around. The hummus was great and wish I had more! The rice has two version one spiced and one plain. The spiced was interesting and tasted like cinnamon. Overall would definitely come back! read more

Ishtar Restaurant - Family Platter #4 & Catfish - Halal Near Me - Sterling Heights, Michigan

Really great food and excellent service. Very attentive and friendly waitstaff. The portions are huge! Bring your appetite!

Ishtar is one of my favorite restaurants that I keep coming back to. Avoid the weekend if you don't like to wait as it get very busy with all long wait lines outside. Fortunately, the made a system in which you get a text when your table is ready. Their soups and mix appetizers are right one the spot . Mix Grill Plate is awesome, but I rather would go for kabobs next time. read more

Ishtar Restaurant - Mix Grill - Halal Near Me - Sterling Heights, Michigan

Overall experience is fine but whatever you do, do not order the fried fish curry, just terrible! The texture was off and it was not fried at all while tasting extremely fishy, even though I was told it was a mild fish. You're better off getting chicken kabobs, quzi and lentil soup. read more

Ishtar Restaurant - Fried fish curry - Halal Near Me - Sterling Heights, Michigan

The food here is amazing and the people are all friendly. This is my husband and I's favorite place to grab a quick bite

Unfortunately, this restaurant doesn't take reservations, otherwise, I would dine here on every single one of my Detroit trips. This was my first time trying Iraqi food, and man, they really know how to cook their meats! There were 9 of us in our party and we ordered the platter for 5 and the Sham Quzi. Both were amazing! The platter basically comes with all types of kebabs, shawarma and a whole cooked chicken. I didn't read much about the Sham Quzi online and it turned out to be my favorite item. It looks like a pie/soufflé and is stuffed with biryani. Soooo delicious and definitely worth trying! We had so much leftover food that I would recommend sizing down on the platter (we tried but still had leftovers). They are extremely generous with their portion sizes! read more

Ishtar Restaurant - Platter for 5 - Halal Near Me - Sterling Heights, Michigan

Came back here again. It's a staple when I visit, because it's just a great restaurant for middle eastern food. The shawarmas are humongous, and food is always fresh and made to order. They can get very busy, so you may be waiting for a table at peak hours. FYI: The middle eastern tea (Chai) is made from fresh tea leaves here. The guy who comes around handing out the tea will put on a nice show so get your cameras out. read more

Excellent food with very nice customer service Best beef shawarma Highly recommend!!! read more

Been on my list for 5 years, a dozen Iraqi friends told me the best in Michigan. After visiting 8 other Iraqi Restaurant by far the best of the very best ever. A huge restaurant featuring 2 large dining rooms. A mega platter for 2 could feed 4 hungry folks. Delicious Lentils Soup and Rice a special mixture outstanding. Thanks Eva for the superstar service. The Red Sauce bowl's have Okra n Lamb, White Beans and one with Potatoes. The traditional Iraqi Beef n Chicken Kebab along with Chicken and Beef Shawarma carved off the rotating spits. Just take a look at the three cone's of Meat. Looking forward to another visit soon for unique Iraqi dishes not found at the other restaurants. Find 5 star reviews around the web Google Yelp and Instagram. #ishtarrestaurant #iraqifood #iraq #platterfortwo #middleeasternfood @ishtar_.restaurant #downriverfriendseat read more

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Great food. We have go to Ishtar every time we are in Detroit. Lots of Chaldean families there every time we've been there. Great atmosphere it is like we are on a trip. read more

Ishtar Restaurant - Halal Near Me - Sterling Heights, Michigan

Brutally overpriced, cheap processed food. Spent $50 + tip on the worst meal I've had in a couple years. You could literally go to any other schwarma place and do better for a fraction. Place was empty and I had to walk my bill up to the counter where staff were texting. Bummer, cause I thought it might be a good new take on Mideastern Cuisine. read more