I got the vegetable platter to go. It included a generous portion of hummus, baba ganoush, salad, pita, dolmas, and falafel. Everything was great. The food was ready quickly. I also liked looking at the grocery market and got some lovely eggplant. read more

If you live by the idiom "don't judge a book by its cover", you will be rewarded here. The outside of this place doesn't look welcoming, but once you go inside, the inviting smells of food take over, and you're already 50% sold. My dad and I went during lunch, when the market (the eating area is a bit hidden from the entrance) offers a lunch buffet for $11. They offered all the basic Mediterranean staples, from falafel to hummus, but still had a pretty sizable variety of food. I could have stuffed myself stupid with their chicken and beef dishes, and my dad was very impressed by the tenderness of the lamb. I was also impressed by the amount of veggies offered - I don't tend to see that in ANY buffet, let alone a small one. Long story short, this place is really ridiculously good, and I'm grateful that a fellow Yelper recommended it to me! I can't wait to go back! read more

This review is specifically for the Friday lunch buffet. Came with a large group of friends who frequent Olive Cafe on a weekly basis. For me it was off the beaten path and I would never have just stumbled across it. I am a fan of non-chain restaurants and this place is no exception. The fresh pita bread and hummus alone are worth the price of admission! Every bite of marinated seasoned meat was delicious too! In my opinion this place needs to expand and focus more on the food. Yes, it's inside a grocery store of sorts, which is tucked away in a mini-mall off the main drag... but it's time to get another location and do JUST FOOD. 2nd location. Please!!! They do it so well! This would be my go to date night place. But as it is, squished in a little side room, and eating off Styrofoam plates with plastic cutlery and no wait staff sort of makes it a little less romantic than I want date nights to be. I'll be back. read more

You know they say the best food is from hole in the wall places and this one does not disappoint on those stereotypes! Since it's just down the road from work I maybe come here once month. They have a buffet which is perfect so you can sample everything that they have. There's also a menu to order off of but why bother. The falafel is good, the chicken is good, the fish is good, the lamb is good... Pretty much can't go wrong with anything. You walk in... Ignore the grocery store, make a left and there's the buffet. You grab a styrofoam plate and pile it on! Grab a seat cause it gets busy durning lunch. Don't forget to grab a drink at the fountain. No one seats you and it's pretty much the honor system when it comes to paying at the end. read more

Excellent and not expensive menu, Best place for food and Arabic grocery. Fresh Hala meat daily and fresh baked bread daily. read more

Delicious food. Fresh and the perfect meal to grab and take home to your family. A must try if you're in the area!

Pretty good food at a reasonable price! The meat portions are generous! You get quite a bit of food and it tastes great!

This is one of my go-to places for lunch. The food here is consistently good. They don't have a huge selection, but I feel that they have something for everyone. A good place to visit for authentic Mediterranean cuisine read more

Food is always fresh, hot and delicious. The owners are pleasant. It reminds me of getting a home cooked meal.

Love their food! And the yummy seasonal fruit and veggies! They have a wide variety of grocery items i.e., olives, cookies, crackers, pita bread, spices and sauces. And the homemade baklava is amazing! read more

Best food In KC the buffet is immaculate I can eat 2-3 plates. The food is too good. Since the pandemic they don't have buffet right now but still the food is awesome must try for anyone in KC read more

Great food at a great price! The buffet is bountiful and everything is authentic. I recommend this to everyone.

Awesome find. We both had the gyros and greatly enjoyed the babaganouj... Yum... Made with smoked eggplant. The fries had a delightful spice sprinkled on there. Ayran and Tamarind drinks to boot. Very kind staff. Loved it. I missed the turn the first pass... Drive slow past if it's your first time in! read more

Good, cheap sort of healthy lunch in the area. Nothing to complain about. Have a large selection for vegetarians! read more

What can I say it's a hole in the wall that takes a bit getting use to but the lunch buffet is pretty good. They had about 4-5 meat dishes, 2-3 Rice's, baba ganosh, hummus, house made pitas, Darjeeling tea, ect. I didn't care for the baba ganosh but that's my issues. It you like a strong smoke flavor you'll love it. The gyro meat was tender. The roasted eggplant was a bit oily but I'd return for that and the hummus. It's a bit confusing at the register bc no one stood in a line. There were lots of people buying homemade bread and such. It definitely needs an update but overall it was clean. FYI around 2pm on Friday is got extremely busy. read more

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I enjoy Olive Cafe. I've ordered the gyro plate with lentil soup with hummus on a couple occasions. They provide huge portions! It's such a unique environment as well! It operates out of store, but off to the side, that's where the magic happens. The hummus is huge! The entree is even bigger!!! Definitely great value for your dollar!!! read more

Great unassuming place with amazing falafel, gyros, shawarma, and other authentic middle eastern dishes. We had a large party of 20 hungry frisbee players but they handled it with ease and speed. Really fresh and delicious food- you can't go wrong with whatever you order. Plus there's loads of seating. LOVE IT read more

Very good food and service! Friendly staff and will remember your face and your previous order!

- Copies of Quran for sale. Check. - Video of Mecca on continuous loop. Check. - Women in burkas/burqas shopping. Check. - Signage most of us cannot read. Check. - Occasional man in jubba with beard. Check. - Nice people. Triple check. My Allah but the food here is off the scale great, the people working couldn't be nicer. I had one of the most memorable dining experiences in a very long time. Decided I'd take my food outside where there was ample seating. When my meal was ready they insisted on carrying it out to the table outside for me even though it was a single tray containing a falafel sandwich in pita and a salad. Staff and customers made contact, said hello, asked how I liked the food. It was terrific, easily the best of this type in Kansas City. I'd be surprised if anyone else even comes close. Upon standing to leave I passed the table where the owner and a friend were taking a meal break to compliment him on such a fine meal. "Would you like some coffee?" the owner asked, motioning to a small pot with an extended handle, the lip of the pot covered in heavy grounds. "Is that Turkish coffee," I asked. "Yes, yes, very strong, join us." And so we sat for 30 minutes sipping coffee and having conversation. Learned his family is Palestinian, but appears the grocery and restaurant serve as magnet for the general Mideast. A young Chinese woman making her first visit began chatting with me and was asked to join us. She was visiting from Cyprus which took the conversation in a new direction. Cars pulled up often, usually exiting the store with carry-out meals. See, I have this theory unrelated to the rating that we have a presidential candidate at the moment who would be well served by my experience. Six months from now I know I'll be able to look back with a smile at my brief time here, with the hope that individual has moved on to selling reverse mortgages on TV and filing bankruptcies. The food, the experience, the atmosphere. What a moment. Sure, it's sort of a dumpy little place, but I could care less. this my case, my four stars is five in my eyes. Doesn't matter, I don't care. Can't wait to return and will with friends. I want to try EVERYTHING here. read more

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Outstanding in every way. The food is great. They are friendly and engaging. They are eager to answer questions and help in any way possible. Great selection of middle eastern grocery items also at reasonable prices. read more

Big fan of Olive Cafe. Fresh pita cooked onsite. Not much to look at but always enjoy the food. Chicken and salad is a favorite. I always take out but there are tables. read more

It's almost impossible to find unless you know it's there. Just the way I like it. It's no-nonsense; you get a plate of food, and it'll be one of the best plates of Middle Eastern food you've had. The portions are big, bigger than you'd think for the price, even the "american" sides of fries. Huge. And they let you know if you think you haven't eaten enough. It's definitely not a place that's trying to cater to anyone wanting a tourist-y rendition of the regional flavors. It's a grocery, first and foremost, and yeah, they sell plates to order. You sit where there's a table, either near the front door or in the spartan "dining hall" through a side door. The whole place feels cobbled together, disorienting the first time you go in, like it's purposely trying to dissuade anyone who's not sure if they should be there. And that's why it's awesome. Because once you taste what they're cooking in there, it'll all make sense, it's all worth it. Probably the closest thing you'll get to feeling like you're Anthony Bourdain finding some out-of-the way and maybe-even-dangerous place to eat in this part of the country. Now, if you can just find the joint... read more

I work just down the street, and as a vegetarian LOVE middle eastern food. After reading all the fabulous reviews, I had to try this place. I stopped here one Friday and ordered the falafel. Much to my dismay, my food was served cold, with absolutely no hint of warmth to it at all. It did not even look like a falafel, but a mash of falafel meal. The tzatziki sauce was watery and tasteless. I was thoroughly disappointed. I'm hoping they were having an "off day" and this is not typical. However, I cannot figure out how you serve food that cold. I'd much rather eat at Aladdin or even Jerusalem cafe. I'll try it again, but if it sucks a second time, I'm done. Update: well, I have been to Olive Cafe a few times since my initial visit. The food has been leaps and bounds better (and hotter) than that fateful first try. I've had the veggie plate, the falafel (again), the falafel soup and some of the bakery items. They are ALL delicious. And again, it's just up the street from my workplace. Definitely 4 stars in my mind now. read more

I stumbled across this little cafe / grocery last year in the dead of winter when I happened to drive by on an errand. It's the sort of place you'd never otherwise find, which is a bit of a shame, because the food is so good. You drive into the parking lot and you're not sure that the place is even open, but they actually are. Our little group bought a selection of items, meat-bearing and not from the menu and shared. They were all delicious. As to the grocery selection, it's decent enough that you can cook most recipes, although the spices are priced higher than they are at the middle eastern market in the River Market, but then again, you don't have to deal with the cranky proprietor at the River Market, either. If you're in the neighborhood, going there will save you a drive for sure if you happen to run out of masoor dal or turmeric - don't pay Whole Foods prices, go here instead. read more

Thank you to everyone for your review of this place. I would have never found it without your reviews. I had lunch there last week. Wow what a great little hole in the wall. This is not your strip mall greek place this is the real deal. The food is great and the people that work there are very nice. Fresh bread baked daily, meat shop is fresh and great cooked to order food. I had a the gyro plate and it was so big had to take home about half. If you are looking for fresh goat or lamb you can get it here. They get it fresh every Thursday. I asked about a whole goat as I have some friends that like cooking a whole goat and want to try it. $100 bucks for a 20 lb goat ready to cook does not sound to bad. Great other dried goods, olives, frozen meats, huge selection of feta and other cheeses. You got to check this place out! read more

I usually don't like Lentil Soup. But it was cold so I tried it. It was sooooo good!

I've been wanting to try middle eastern cuisine for some time now. OK...only a month and a half since I turned veghead. Sadly I've been denied for weeks now ..(throws an evil eye Wolfie's way ;p), but thanks to some obliging co-workers, I was whisked off to the Olive cafe for lunch today. I already knew what I'd get...one of the few non meat offerings....the falafel sandwich. I did my falafel research....I felt there was a pretty good chance I'd like it. Meh....not so much. Loved it ! Should have purchased another one to cart home. Freshly made - fresh pita bread - fresh toppings. Awesome first time experience that definitely wont be my last. Hodge podge little place. Only had a few minutes to look around. The grocery had lots of stuff I've never heard off, but looked damn good. I did end up buying some fresh pita bread to take home, and some sweets - baklava-esq noms that are choked full of nuts and funky flavors - that my co-workers are devouring at this very moment. Great prices.....huge portions. This is definitely a place to give a go ! read more

On recommendation, I stopped in to Olive Café on a recent business trip to Jacksonville. I had ordered takeout, and it was delicious. I will definitely go back on my next trip to Florida. read more

This review is for the housemade pita bread, which I stumbled upon at Patel's Market on 119th. I've never been to the Olive Cafe restaurant but that's gonna change and here is why. This bread is awesome! I do not say this lightly. My husband is Persian and you know how there are wine snobs and coffee snobs? That's how it is with Persians and bread: they turn up their nose at anything but the absolute best. Just like pita bread is a stand-in for Indians who can't get naan, it's the same for Persians who can't get their traditional flatbread, sangak. So suffice it to say, we have tried a LOT of pita bread over the years, in CA where we've mostly lived, in Albuquerque (grad school), Denver (road trip), and now in KC. We have tried them from everywhere: mainstream supermarkets (ALL of 'em), Whole Foods, TJ's, Sprouts, and tons of mom n pop stores. And the verdict? The Olive Cafe's pita bread ROCKS, period. It is right up there with the hand-tossed sangak made at the Persian bakery in San Jose that's trucked to all the Persian markets in the Bay Area. And that's saying a lot. This pita's a little puffy but when you toast it, it has the outside-crisp, inside-soft thing happening. It also has excellent flavor, which is sometimes difficult to find with pita bread. It has the right amount of air bubbles so it's light but doesn't fall apart. The texture's not too limp nor too hard...uh, ix-nay that yikes. I mean, it's not floppy, nor could it stand in for a Frisbee on a disc golf course. It's perfect. And it comes in a large size, and an even larger size...sigh. Nix that, too. It's perfect, take my word for it. And take my hubby's: he tossed an entire 12" pita into the toaster oven just now to chow it down "au naturel": no humuus, no cheese, no falafel, no butter n jam, no nada. Let's just say the pita proof is in the Persian pudding. Next up, we pilgrimage to the actual restaurant! If it's even half as good as that bread, we're gold! Where the heck is Raytown, Siri? read more

By far my favorite Mediterranean eatery. Family owned and operated. The place is really a small supermarket or convenience store, but their products are mostly imported from the middle east and other places. They also have their own bakery and sell fresh pita bread and other specialty breads. If you happen to be around near lunch time, you should try their gyro sandwiches or shish kebab. They have a very unique home-made flavors to their food. Their kebab plates come with a delicious lentil soup or salad. just made me hungry thinking about them... read more

Olive Café (and middle eastern grocery store) is tucked away in a small strip mall in Eastern Kansas City. The television in the dining room is always tuned to Al Jazeera's news network, and the bright orange booths are not particularly comfortable, but what Olive Café lacks in ambiance it easily makes up for in good, inexpensive middle eastern cuisine. Olive Café offers a great little lunch buffet for around $10. The buffet offers the usual middle eastern fare including falafel, stuffed grape leaves, and spit roasted beef and lamb. It's one of our favorite dives. read more

I have enjoyed the buffet and shopping at Olive Cafe. The most enjoyable experience though is an ice coffee and a piece of their baklava.

Go for the falefel, stay for the Al Jazeera. Very good food near the Triangle. This is a frequent lunch destination for me and my coworkers. I'm addicted to the falafel sandwich. It's one of the best I've had, although my experience with falafel is somewhat limited. I've seen many people order the gyro or kebab plates and struggle to finish them. The portions can be very generous for not a lot of money. read more

My new favorite Middle Eastern food in KC. The chicken shawarma sandwich and falafel are great. The pita was fresh and plentiful, unlike what you receive from midtown establishments. The hummus was average. Way off the beaten path and worth a stop. The service was friendly and the prices are super cheap. The grocery store and Arab soccer on satellite were a bonus. The bar for Middle Eastern food in KC is low, not hard for this place to excel. read more

The food here is actually really good! I had the buffet when I came in to try this place out for the first time. I wasn't sure which dish I wanted, so I opted to try out all the variety. For a small, out of the way grocery store/restaurant, this place makes some good food. The hummus was thick & flavorful, the rice was amazing, & their curry chicken was amazing! There is a place to order at the counter when you first walk in. Don't be fooled by the aisles of grocery items. This place is, in fact, a restaurant as well. There are pictures of what they have to order & the food comes out pretty close to the actual picture. It's a very casual place, so don't come expecting anything fancy. The seating area is a bit small, so it's more of a come, eat, & leave kind of place. Not one you'd linger around for a long time chatting to friends. You can, but the atmosphere doesn't really lend itself to that. The only thing I didn't like about this place was how hot it was inside. I could feel the AC on, but it didn't feel very cool. It was tolerable for the time we were there to eat. If they had it cooled down a bit more, it would be an ideal place to eat at during the summer. If you're in the neighborhood, stop by. read more

Still the best lunch buffet in town! A masterpiece! I wish there was one in every city!

Thank you, Yelpers, for saving me from my fast food rut. I was beginning to think there was nothing worth venturing out of my office for, since all I've seen in the area has been fast food and chains. Olive Cafe is a gem. Not the shiniest of gems, but a gem nonetheless. It's situated in something akin to a mini mart, which I'm okay with. Just don't expect anything beyond that in terms of ambience. The guys who work here were super nice to me today. I didn't know exactly what I wanted, and they recommended the kabob plate. Delicious. The seasonings were bold and just right for me. Big flavor in the spices and marinades. The chicken was my favorite, and I'd probably just order all chicken next time. The kofta was good, but I wouldn't be able to have that on its own. I didn't finish the other beef; which was a bit tough, and I didn't have a knife. Pilaf was nice and fluffy and well seasoned with (I think) turmeric and saffron. It was an appetizing yellow. My plate cam with a side salad (you can get soup instead), which was perfectly acceptable. Veggies seemed fresh and the dressing was good (like a Greek vinaigrette). Tasty, firm olives. None of them were mushy. I hate mushy olives. You can bet I'll be back. Especially since I forgot my wallet and don't have enough cash on me to leave a respectable tip (I let them know in advance, and they were friendly about it). read more

This place is the holy grail of Mediterranean food. They have a buffet Monday through Friday during lunch that is incredible. I have yet to find a place that compares. Everything they make is not only cheap for the portion for amazingly delicious. I come here on the weekends sometimes to get a chicken shawarma or falafel sandwich. Cheaper than fast food and sooooo much better. They also make baklava which is really good more cinnamon than most, but in a great way. I will continue to come here about once a fortnight. read more

Long story short: finally, some legitimate ethnic food that's local to me!!! Long story long: I've actually been here a handful of times already. I had originally heard about this place from a handful of friends and classmates, so when my small group finally decided to come here as our last meeting of the school year, I was terribly excited. This place isn't in the best neighborhood nor in the most attractive of strip malls, but nonetheless, it's where it is and that has no bearing over the food. This place is more than a restaurant, it's also a small market and deli and "meat shop". Seriously, they've got fresh whole lamb legs in the case. They also apparently have a lunch buffet for like $8.95 or something like that, but I still opted to go for one of their entree plates, getting the gyro plate, which came with fries. I also got a plate of falafel for me and my friends to share. I'm so glad I got the plate. There were a lot of fries, and while they aren't anything to write home about, they do the job. My gyro plate was really good and loaded up with fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, and a really good tzatiki sauce. The falafel were plentiful and really good. I'm glad I got it for everybody to share because I wouldn't have been able to finish it all by myself. The next couple of times I've gone, it's to get things to go for my girlfriend and myself. She always gets the chicken schwarma, and that's been good as well. My girlfriend used to live just down the street and around the corner from here, but she's since moved, but I would definitely make the trip here to get some really good Mediterranean food. read more

This place is fantastic. Don't let the grocery store as you enter fool you. Walk in and to the left there is a simple counter with a menu posted on the wall. Order and then your food will be brought to you in the seating area opposite of the grocery. The food is unbelievable. We had a family meal there and split a large salad that was full of cucumbers, tomatoes, feta cheese, lettuce and olives with a tangy dressing. Not overdressed it was just right. Also ordered was the falafel platter, the hummus platter and the chicken kabobs. OH my...so much food and only one stomach to eat it with. The falafel was perfectly cooked and was neither dry nor greasy. It came with three different accoutrements; a hot chili paste, tzatziki sauce and a mixture of tomatoes, cucumbers and perhaps tahini. All were great. The hummus was the creamiest I have had in a while with rich olive oil drizzled on top. And of course more of the chili paste in the middle so you could spice it how you liked. The chicken kabob and rice were so tasty. Chucks of chicken over saffron rice with fried onions and bell peppers. The rice was so decadent I could have made a meal of it alone. And of course there was plenty of fresh pita to eat with. My only regret is this is so far away from the house. We were on our way to the zoo when I yelped for something good. I am glad I did, and I promise to make the journey back soon. Already dreaming of the falafel..... read more