Don't sleep on this family owned gem. So much of the menu is house made. Shawarma on point. Great kefta. Crunchy falafel. Smoky baba ghanosh. This combined with great knowledge of the menu and friendly service make this one a standout in the valley. read more

MidEast Eats has really gone downhill the past few months. Used to be 4.5-5*. Not sure if they're using cheaper ingredients and/or a different cook, but I'm going to take a break from ordering from here and hope that it improves. Going to keep my eyes open for recent Yelp reviews and hope they are rated higher. Pros 1. Fairly inexpensive. I'd rather pay a bit more and have it go back to how good it used to be. 2. I like that it's a "mom and pop" restaurant. Cons 1. I ordered a gyro salad today via Door Dash. The food arrived with the steaming hot meat on top of the cold lettuce, which made the whole salad wilted and soggy. 2. The Iraqi bread used to be so good but now tastes more processed and not as fresh nor homemade. 3. The gyro meat seemed steamed or microwaved and not cooked right. Same with koobideh that I ordered that was supposed to be medium temp and it was rare and mushy -- almost raw. read more

MidEast Eats - Soggy salad due to very hot gyro meat put on top of cold salad. - Middle Eastern Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

Semi finalist for a James Beard Award!! Need I say more.. Beef Kefta is so flavorful and moist!! Lentil soup was the best I've ever had. Sweetest owners! read more

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I have been eating at Mid East Eats since they opened. It is one of my favorite spots in Phoenix. Everything is fresch, authentic and delicious. My go-to has always been the Chicken shawarma wrap on the Sangak bread, it's hard to beat. But today I tried the Chicken Shwarama salad in an effort to be healthy. I didn't expect it to be as good as the wrap, but boy was I wrong! The warm, perfectly seasoned chicken over cold crisp vegetables, all topped with their homemade vinaigrette dressing exceeded my expectations. The flavors and textures were amazing together! Honestly, everything they make is top-notch and I highly recommend! read more

MidEast Eats - Middle Eastern Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

AVA Bakery unfortunately fell short of expectations, and while I wanted to give a positive review, several issues with both service and food made it difficult. The venue itself is quite plain, lacking much in the way of decor or ambiance to really talk about. My main frustrations began with my order. I opted for the combination platter, expecting one skewer of beef koobideh kabob and one of chicken. However, when the lady at the counter handed me my meal, it was two chicken skewers. When I pointed out that I ordered the combo, she casually informed me, "Oh, we ran out of beef, so we gave you two chickens." I was quite perturbed by this lack of communication - I should have been informed of this change before my meal was prepared, giving me the option to choose something else. As a "compensation," she offered a bowl of lentil soup, which unfortunately tasted microwaved and was incredibly salty. Secondly, I was surprised and disappointed to receive my $20 entree on a plastic tray with plastic utensils, especially since I ordered for dine-in. All the photos I'd seen online showed meals served on proper plates, and for the price point, eating out of plastic felt cheap and unexpected. Lastly, and perhaps most perplexing, was the unsolicited addition of a garlic sauce, similar to Toom, poured directly onto the chicken. This wasn't mentioned on the menu, nor is it a traditional Iranian/Persian accompaniment, and frankly, I didn't want it on my meal. Overall, while I had hoped for a good experience, the combination of unannounced substitutions, cheap presentation for a dine-in order, and an unrequested sauce made my visit to AVA Bakery quite disappointing. read more

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Kabob was ok, but for the portion and price I think there's much better choices in the area. read more

MidEast Eats - Middle Eastern Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

This place changed owners. But don't let that stop you. The food got even better (I thought it wasn't possible lol). Chicken kabab was so well marinated. Beef kabab was cooked to perfection. Try their hummus absolutely delicious. Of course sangak bread is a staple in this restaurant. The place was very clean. The restaurant staff was so friendly. Definitely highly recommend. read more

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I can't believe we live so close and just learned about this gem! We stopped in to try the chicken and beef shawarma bowls; both were AMAZING! So many options to customize. The owners are incredibly sweet, brought a basket of his homemade bread to try, and everything was tasty! You can truly tell everything is housemade and with love. I can't wait to come back and try the shakshuka and, we'll, basically everything else off their menu. Thank you so much, MidEast Eats! We'll be back! read more

Our go to for amazing lunch experiences as well as dinner with friends. Always leave with a happy belly and a smile on my face. Great people and great food, what else can you ask for? read more

MidEast Eats - Amazing Turkish coffee and fresh everything! Yum Yum - Middle Eastern Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

Top tier service. Super friendly and all smiles. Super helpful as well. Everything is delicious! Full of flavor and cooked perfectly. Walking into MidEast Eats you feel like you're walking inside home. The staff are warm and welcoming, and so quick to offer advice for newbies like me. They offer insight, and if you're lucky, samples on certain things! Inside there is plenty of tables and chairs. Aside from the amazing service, the food is just as good! I've tried several things and it has all been delicious! Food, baked bread, and a couple treats; ALL PERFECT! This is the perfect place to go if you are new to this cuisine and want to try something new. If you are still hesitant, I'd recommend trying their burger. It's a regular cheeseburger, but with flavors! Such a great spot and I'm glad I found it. read more

MidEast Eats - Middle Eastern Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

My wife and I had the shakshuka, pita chips, felafel bites and baklava. It was phenomenal!!! The owners are both so sweet and helpful. I need to try this whole menu lol. The shawarma cheesesteak is next haha. Highly recommend!! read more

MidEast Eats - Middle Eastern Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

I will recommend this spot to everyone I know! The food and the staff are both equally out of this world! We went in this afternoon and had pita chips, falafel bites, 2 orders of shakshuka (which is what the picture is of), and baklava! I cannot stress enough how amazing every single dish was! Not to mention the staff there are just so sweet! Super easy to talk to and they were so nice to our daughter and just an all around great experience! If you are reading this review please take my advice, go get your car keys, and have yourself some day changing food and service :) read more

MidEast Eats - shakshuka - Middle Eastern Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

A perfect taste of Chicago!! Every time we go to MidEast Eats, they treat us like family, and the food is always so delicious! It's a wonderful and surprising mix of Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisine, and always a friendly atmosphere. The owners are from Chicago, so they know great food and service. I'll be back for sure! read more

We've been meaning to try Ava Bakery for a while. I love Mediterranean food! We ordered food to go - it was all delicious! They bake own bread and it's delicious. Ground kebob, chicken and veal stew were very flavorful. Portions are good although the veal stew didn't have a lot of meat. Tried their cakes too - chocolate, almond, carrot cake and baklava. Baklava was light and not overwhelmingly sweet. Otherwise carrot cake was our favorite. Service was very friendly and courteous. read more

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I went into this restaurant recently for the first time after reading how good it was on Nextdoor. I'm not entirely familiar with Persian food, so I went in to ask questions regarding the menu and order food at the restaurant to bring home to eat. The gal working there was amazing, she answered my questions, helped me make modifications to menu items (adding and removing a few ingredients) and even gave me some of their fresh baked bread (Sangak) samples to enjoy while I waited for my order. The restaurant was easy to find and casual but had a nice interior. As far as the food goes the Sangak bread was delicious (I will definitely be buying that in the future)! I ordered Lentil Soup that was good but a bit spicy for me (I'm a wimp when it comes to spice though, so take that for what it's worth). The Hummus was excellent as were the pitas. The mixed Kabob plate with rice was very flavorful and I love the spices that were used. I really liked the fact that I was able to remove a few ingredients prior to ordering because a lot of places don't let you do that. I will return and try other menu items, it really was a great experience. read more

Very good Persian food, with some things you don't usually see on menus in the US. I had the special bandari, which I've decided is the Persian equivalent of a Chicago Italian Beef. The sausage was tasty and tender, the bread was solid enough to not collapse under the sauce, and the ingredients were all fresh. However, I found the heaviness of the tomato sauce to overwhelm everything else, such as the spices. I also got the baklava, which was as good as one gets anywhere, but not a magical standout. read more

Delicious food! I had the gyro sandwich which was steaming hot and tasted amazing on fresh and soft pita. My family had falafel which came with tasty pickles and picked turnips. Everything tasted fresh and made to order. The restaurant is tucked away in a large strip mall. Plenty of free lot parking. I was just traveling through town and I see they had a yummy looking breakfast menu too. Happy to see ethnic cuisine in AZ. read more

What a delicious gyro. The meat was not dry and the edges were crisped. The sauce and vegetables were fresh. The price was fair for the large quantity of food given. The French fries were perfect and hot and crispy. I will definitely return and share with others! A great neighborhood place that should not be missed. read more

MidEast Eats - Crispy hot shoe string French fries with Gyro Combo. - Middle Eastern Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

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Excellent food with great care for customer satisfaction. Everything I tried was made from scratch balancing flavors which speak to Isam's heart for his patrons. Shakshuka is first a celebration of tomatoes and this dish hits all the right notes. Peppers and onions join with the appropriate level of spice and fresh tomatoes to elevate well baked jammy eggs which is all soaked up by fresh baked bread. The bread. The bread. The bread. Just drop by now and pick up a long sheet of Sangak or fat Barbari or better yet BOTH! Just go by, get some real Hummus and be surprised by how you lived without scratch made falafel before. read more

Absolutely love this place! Delicious food with such warm hospitality. Eli, Diana and Sweety make you feel like family. The ambience is simple yet perfect. I'd recommend this place to anyone! read more

MidEast Eats - Mixed Kabob - Middle Eastern Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

We were looking for halal eats. Food was good. Service was wonderful. We ordered ahead for pickup which was very quick.

James Beard folks know a thing or two about food eh? I had a single chicken skewer, yogurt with shallots, baklava and Turkish coffee. The chicken was seriously possibly the most moist tender tasty chicken I've ever eaten. Served on yummy seeded bread. Yogurt was also served with bread and everyone at the table agreed it too was delicious. I think one of my goals in life is to compare baklavas to those I had in Brooklyn on Atlantic Avenue and this is hands down the best I've had west of the Mississippi (most are too dry and sometimes too sweet) There were a couple of vegetarians in our party and while the seasonal salad looked good I would respectfully suggest that they consider adding one more vegetarian option? If they don't, add one of the yogurts or hummus both of which are served with bread and i imagine you'll be a happy veggie. read more

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THE BEST FOOD!!! This is real food, nothing fake or ultra processed. Absolutely delicious. Their flat bread is amazing!!! I had the tongue sandwich and my wife loved the chicken shawarma pita sandwich! Both were excellent. read more

Amazing Persian breakfast!! The traditional omelette and sangak reminded me of the Persian omelettes my dad used to make me when I was a child. I will definitely be back! 10/10 recommend! read more

MidEast Eats - Persian breakfast, traditional omelette and ghormeh sabzi plate! - Middle Eastern Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

This place serves up delicious, super fresh and flavorful food! I got the Chicken Kabob Pita and hummus, husband got Gyro. Everything was so fresh, crisp and delicious. Establishment is clean. Delicious. Healthy. Yum. read more

I recently visited Ava bakery and was impressed with the quality of their halim. The flavor was rich and the texture was just right - not too soft and not too chewy. However, I do have to say that the prices for their halim were a bit steep. While I understand that good quality ingredients come at a cost, I couldn't help feeling like I was paying a premium for the convenience of being able to purchase halim in AZ. Despite the higher prices, I would still recommend Ava bakery for their delicious halim. Just be prepared to pay a little bit more than you might at other places. Overall, I had a great experience at Ava bakery and would visit again. Seating areas are very limited so keep in mind to make a reservation a head of time! read more

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I found out about this place from the latest James Beard Award nominate list and Ava Bakery was the only one that got nominated under the "Best Restaurant" list this year. Since we don't have a Michelin guide in AZ, this is the next best thing and it really is a big deal. I've never been truly disappointed when I follow the James Beard list. Even if they don't actually win, being nominated is a huge deal for restaurants. It's quite far for me if I wanted to go here from my home which's about an hour away, but I happened to be in the neighborhood so I decided that this was a good chance to go and try. The location is inside of an unassuming strip mall that gives off a 80's vibe. The mall itself needs a lot of facelift. I entered the restaurant and there were couple of occupied tables and I could've ate there, but decided to take the food to-go. A nice lady stepped out of the kitchen and took my order. What I ate: -Tongue sandwich. I usually like the texture of a whole tongue and that's the reason why I order it, but this was more of a shredded version of tongue. However, it was pretty tasty with onions, basils, and other herbs. -Kabab plate: came with their whole wheat bread which is like a flat pita bread, but very chewy, soft, and more moist than pita. The plate came with charred roasted tomato, basil, and onions. I love love koobideh and this was one of the better ones I've had and I loved the fact that they weren't overly salty like most places. The meat was tender, juicy, and flavorful. Their bread is worth buying some extra so that you can bring home and eat with hummus. -Saffron rice pudding: not too sweet and rice were slightly undercooked just like how I like. -baklava: again the theme of this place is subtlety. I don't like over seasoned food, but I prefer my baklava more syrupy and sweet. Their baklava were neither. However they were delicious with a cup of tea after my meal. 4 items plus bottle of water came to $52. Overall I really liked their food and I would definitely return again when I'm in the neighborhood. read more

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Found ourselves in Deer Valley area today. Ate at AVA Bakery -a James Beard Semifinalist. It was dead at 1pm on a Saturday which doesn't bode well & a google search told me they're looking for a new owner. The food was very good. The kabob wrap, chicken wrap & Bandari were great but I preferred the kabob wrap (we went halfsies in the pic with kabob & bandari). We also had the Barbari bread-this was meh (no oil, topping etc so just dry bread but kid ate it)...couldn't figure out what the James Beard people had tried that led it to Semi final status but flavors were on point. read more

MidEast Eats - Barbari bread - Middle Eastern Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

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This place has GREAT food. We had the Kefta kabob and the Shawarma sandwich. Everything was cooked with lots of flavor and perfect temperature. I love that it's homemade including the bread. Yum. Diana was very personable and we even had Turkish coffee on a cold rainy day. We will definitely be coming back. 5 stars all the way!! read more

Really fantastic food and service. The woman working at the front was SO friendly and gave us great advice. We got the gyro and it was heavenly! read more

This place has amazing food. The bread is so great and yummy. I love the staff they are so kind and inviting.

Super delicious food and very pleasant And excellent customer service amazing food highly recommended read more

MidEast Eats - Ghormeh sabzi - Middle Eastern Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

I came in looking to try something new -- my first Persian restaurant -- and MidEast Eats / Ava Bakery did not disappoint. They absolutely delivered a flavor I didn't know I was craving. The burger? Let's just say it never stood a chance. Perfectly seasoned, juicy, and stacked with bold flavors that hit all the right notes. One bite in and I knew I'd made the right choice. This wasn't just a meal; it was an experience. Now, the Yogurt drink... that was a different story. My palate wasn't quite ready for it -- bold, unique, definitely a curveball for me. Not my usual lane, but I respect the creativity and boldness behind it. And I can't forget to give a major shout out to Diana! Her knowledge, hospitality, and genuine care took the experience to the next level. She walked me through the menu like a pro, answered all my questions, and made sure everything was spot on. Excellent customer service like that is hard to come by. If you're in the mood to step outside your flavor comfort zone and try something that fuses tradition with innovation, this is the spot. read more

Ava's is located on the North Side of Union Hills Dr. It is close to the North Eastern Corner of the 7th Street Plaza. It can seat about 16 people. Both the dining area and the restrooms are very clean, but the bathroom is poorly illuminated. The front dining room does not have shades. The menu consisted mostly of sandwiches. Some are unique to cuisine they serve. My dining partner and I hand Bandari and Kotlet Sandwiches. Both encased in aluminum foil. Either tastes different, in a very pleasant and unique way. These sandwiches include two hot peppers in a separate dish. My partner had tea, which was mildly infused with cardamom. It all was very good. The service was leisurely. If you are not too adventurous, but long for something exotic try the Bandari or Kotlet. They are not too far off from the American diet. They also include tongue sandwiches on among the 16 choices you have there. They also serve soups and other items. The menu, as it appears in yelp, may not be the full one. This is definitely a place to return to. More items need to be explored, or for another taste of Bandari and/or Kotlet. read more

We heard about this place from a friend and made a point of visiting them during our trip. This is a casual eating place. Furnitures are bare and the place is small. The service is okay. The food is great. They use quality ingredients and do not mask the tastes with lots of salt. We had chicken and meat kebabs and both were great. I specially like the chicken kebab with garlic sauce. Highly recommended. read more

Food was good. Lots of rice though, skimpy on the meat. Hummus is good. Nice service read more

If you enjoy Mediterranean this should be your next place to try. It's a small A+ rated restaurant. Very clean, and very friendly service, I ordered a Gyro to go. It was by far the best I have had in a very long time. read more

Unorganized and unprepared. Ava bakery was at the Persian new year on 3/2/24. We purchased two chicken kabob plates and were told it would be a 10 min wait. After 30 minutes of no communication, we asked for an update and were told it would be 2 hours or we can have a "sausage sandwich" instead. A single sandwich costs much less than a chicken kabob plate, we also wasted so much time waiting and so did everyone else. There was no control of the line or orders of food, complete chaos and waste of time. read more

Ava Bakery's Persian food is a true delight for the taste buds! The flavors are authentic and reminiscent of home-cooked meals. The Bandari and Kabob wrap were exceptional; the tender kabob combined with the savory Bandari sauce created a mouthwatering experience. Each bite was a burst of flavor that left me craving more. I highly recommend Ava Bakery for anyone looking to indulge in delicious Persian cuisine. Whether you're dining in or grabbing a quick bite to go, you won't be disappointed. I can't wait to return and try more of their mouthwatering dishes! read more

The food was really good, and the staff was very friendly and let me try free samples. I ordered the chicken Shawarma, and it was loaded with chicken and vegetables. The bread was also a perfect consistency. I am definitely going back read more