Kababi Cafe has been on my eating out wishlist since 2020. I happened to have an event in Plantation today and when I noticed they were 10 mins away, I decided to stop by with the family for dinner.
The restuarant is located in a run down shopping center off of University Drive in Sunrise. There was not alot of parking available, but we were glad to see some reserved spots up front for patrons of the restaurant.
We were seated quickly and got our menus and drinks right away. I gave the place a quick look over and there were literally no other people eating there. Not 1. It was a Sunday, but still, I was a bit surprised to see such a big place so empty.
I love Persian food and I have to say, the menu looked great! For appetizers we went with the kibbe, falafel, stuffed grape leaves, a Persian soup called aush, lentil soup and crispy rice with a side of beef stew. For the entrees we got two beef kebabs and a chicken kebab to share.
The food came out quickly in rapid fire succession. We started with the crispy rice which was good. I also liked the beef stew/sauce alot. The stuffed grape leaves came next. They were homemade and delicious. There was a sweet component in it that I didn't love, but it was very enjoyable nonetheless. Next was the kibbe. It was amazing! And I'm not just saying this, but: best I've ever had! It was hot, fresh and beautifully seasoned. Just outstanding. Next was the falafel. We went from feeling ecstatic eating that awesome kibbe to vastly disappointed eating the falafel. It was terrible! It was not freshly cooked which is a huge negative for falafel and it wasn't even heated thoroughly, so some of it was cold. It was also really dried out. Big letdown. Finally we got the soups. The lentil was pretty good, very hearty and well seasoned. On the other hand the aush was not hot enough and for me it was under seasoned. Kind of a misfire.
After the apps were done we had about a 20 minute respite before the entrees came. As we were talking, we had time to really appreciate the lovely dining area which was very nicely decorated. Also, the Persian music videos were a nice touch! Looking at the place from the outside you wouldn't think there's anything interesting inside, but it's such a pleasant and warm restaurant. We really enjoyed being there.
OK, so the entrees came out. I got the chicken but also tried the beef. My chicken was delicious. It was flavorful, juicy and had a good bit of char. I didn't love the rice however, it seemed very plain and it was not hot enough. The beef kebabs were disgraceful! It was clearly reheated and had an off putting spongy texture. I seriously had to question whether it was even beef or not. It was that bad. Based on this one bite of awful reheated mystery meat kebab I should deduct 4 stars. You're a kebab place called Kebabi Cafe. Why are you reheating beef kebabs? They should be sizzling hot off the grill and fresh. Anything less is unforgivable in my opinion.
In the end we had some highs like the kibbe and the chicken but there were alot of lows as well like the reheated falafel and the gross beef kebabs. You can see the chef has skills, but having the kitchen staff unevenly reheat things it is definitely not the way to go. If the food's not fresh you're just harming your reputation.
Three stars. I feel like they can do better, but I'm not sure I want to pay another $170 to find out if I'm right. read more