Love this place. Good food, good prices, good service. I especially like their breakfasts. They braise eggs which is a most delicious way to eat them. The potatoes are super crispy. And the gyro meat is nicely spiced. Coffee is also great. You order at the counter which I love because you can get up and leave whenever you're done and not have to wait for the bill. I have yet to try the desserts but the case is beautiful. read more

My business placed a larger order at 10:40 a.m., we received confirmation of the order at 10:45 a.m., for pick up at 12:45p. I arrived a little after 12:30p, and when I went to the front desk the person behind the counter informed me that they'd only received my order 5 minutes ago. I explained we'd placed it much earlier than that, and she tried to show me the receipt from her register where she'd rung the transaction thru minutes ago. I told her again that we'd placed the order earlier, and she mumbled something about their order system. I told her I'd wait outside for our order. 25 minutes later I went into the restaurant again, waiting in line to speak with the front desk person to see how long it would be. The waiter walked out holding multiple bags, staring at me. I reached for the bags and he glared at me, refused to give them to me, and placed them on a table next to us. I asked "Is that our order?" and he continued to glare at me, put his hands in the air, and walked away without saying anything. The front desk person came to where I was standing, shocked by the waiter's behavior, and asked what had happened? I told her I had NO idea, but we were NEVER ordering from them again! I called from the office when I got back to get the name of the owner and manager, and the person who answered refused to give me last names, claiming that "Chef Brandon" is the manager and "Leo" is the owner. read more

kI have to agree with many reviewers that used to be loyal patrons. No more for me. I hate the service, stingy portions and attitudes of the cooks, lack of flexibility and the lack of character now. Gone are the days of the kind spirited owner. read more

Unfortunately my latest trip to Shish fell flat compared to what I remember it being a few years ago. The food was extremely over priced (considering it was mostly rice) and bland. If you really want fresh, authentic, delicious, and reasonably priced middle eastern food, I recommend going down the street to Zait and Zaatar! read more

Pretty delish . Got the gyro meat breakfast. Good meat. My wife loved the croissant and pancakes. Fries are meh. Service was fast. Tabouli was OK but too much parsley not enough bulgar. Next time I'll try shawarma. Will certainly go back. read more

Tried the Gyro and that was fantastic! Cheese pies very yummy too! Almost like a Mediterranean version of cream cheese wontons. I would definitely go back! Only down fall I spent $18 on myself... ordered the Gyro, 3 piece cheese pies, a pop, and a slice of cake (pretty good but not as good as Cafe Lattes dessert). read more

I thought it was OK, Hubs thought it was great, so 4 stars it is! We came for lunch and ordered, in hindsight, way too much food. We got the hummus appetizer, the chicken shawarma wrap, the gyro wrap, a basket of fries to share and a kids chicken strip meal. I balked at the $32 price tag (no drinks except milk for the kiddo) but then realized we had enough food for another 1.5 meals, each. Hummus was good but we could have used a few more pitas. My wrap was tasty but not the shawarma I was looking for (no garlic sauce or pickles). It was HUGE and I only ate the smaller half. Hubs really liked his gryo wrap but I think he would have rather had the pita. Daughter ate a good amount of her food so we were happy. Overall a good lunch with tons of food. Next time I'll skip the basket of fries and maybe try the fattoush. Oh, Hubs HAD to get the Mounds bar for dessert - pretty good! I kept eyeing their ginormous cakes but was too stuffed to even think about it. read more

This review would have been higher but I HTATE when restaurants want to charge you for every little extra side. I got the gyro bowl and it came with the tiniest side of taziki I've ever seen. In the middle of my meal I asked for more and they said I'd have to get up, go to the counter, order it and pay $1.05. Seriously poor service and pretty tacky if you ask me. Good food, but lack of commitment to a good customer experience. read more

I used to kick around this neighborhood when Shish opened, and it immediately became my favorite place to eat near Mac. Really tasty Levantine comfort food. Every time I'm back on the barbarian side of the river, I try to stop in here for at least a snack. read more

A gyro & red tea is the perfect lunch. Very sweet staff, excellent atmosphere. Top notch desserts.

I love Shish. Great food, nice people, and a very pleasant atmosphere in a sort of quick service environment. I am a big fan of the grand ave scene in general, and Shish is a big reason why. You can come here for just about anything your could want and be sure to get a great meal at a good price. Can't miss their homemade hummus, simply served topped with fresh tomato, herbs, and olive oil, and with house made pita bread for dippin'. The Shish Maza Mix is another great appetizer, big enough for a meal or perfect for sharing. Comes with their homemade hummus, babaganoush (a nicely spiced eggplant dish,) crispy falafel, feta, tabbouleh, and some veg. delicious! Their Gyro is one of the best I've had with juicy and well seasoned meat, garlic, tomatoes, onions, lettuce, parsley and tzatziki sauce. If you're feeling in the mood for something a bit fancier see if they have the lamb shank special on the menu, or go for one of the kebab platters. Honestly you cant go wrong. Did i mention they make a mean Turkish coffee as well as a full selection of hot beverages, and have a great (if a bit expensive) dessert menu? This place is a must visit if you're in the mood for great middle eastern food in a casual friendly setting. read more

Love this place! The food is fantastic, prices reasonable, and a friendly staff!

Was down in the area the other night and found it on here so me and my mom decided to try it. I got the Gyro Plate Special and she got the Shawarma Chicken Wrap. The Gyro meat was great! Good taste and slightly burnt on the edges (thats how you know its good gyro meat). But the veggies and rice that came with it were tasteless. My mom's wrap was very savory and good! The atmosphere was very nice for it being a mid sized café. Overall, I thought it was a great experience for being picked at a moments notice. I definetly will be coming back read more

This review is mostly for their burnt butter cookie and chocolate cake. I had a cappuccino but was underwhelmed. Also, their staff was clueless. It seems like the kitchen staff really know what they are doing though, which is the most important thing. I would definitely come back and try some food items, and I suspect this little place is a hidden gem. I hope they make it long term. read more

Great little place with tasty authentic Middle Eastern food.

Really high quality food. Been there many times and had many things and it's all been excellent. Nice people running it. Highly recommend the red curry with shrimp. I'd go there everyday if I could. read more

Great food! I've ordered it for takeaway on more than one occasion and it's always been delicious and promptly ready

The best Greek food in the twin cities, maybe it's because they fry their gyro meat. Anyways, if you've been to french meadow, you need to stop because they suck.....and start going here. They serve breakfast and lunch in a casual, order at the counter environment. Everything I've had has been great, including the desserts. All around great place! read more

This place is really delicious and well-priced, I think, for the quality of the food. Gluten-free and vegetarian friendly. I really enjoyed the veggie curry I had last time I was there. The portion size is really decent. I took my mom there for her birthday and she raved about her kebabs and the salad served with it. The only downside is that sometimes they are understaffed and the tables aren't bused. Not a big deal, overall. read more

Breakfast from my Village is my favorite thing ever. And my more traditional breakfast eating husband loves the greek omelet.

The atmosphere is not very fancy but the food is fantastic. We love the garbanzo burger. Very good salads and desserts are amazing! This is a regular and frequent stop for us now. read more

I think this place has the best gyros and gyro meat. It is a quaint restaurant and definitely a good stop for food on Grand ave. Their greek salad is delicious with real olives and good dressing. read more

My family and I have been here twice and enjoy the atmosphere and food. The gyro is very good, great portion and great ratio of ingredients. The chicken Gyro was a little on the salty side the second time we went but was not on the first visit. read more

Grabbed a lb. of gyro meat and pitas during a busy Sunday brunch and the people were pleasant and accommodating, then I got the bill. Extremely affordable for what some places will charge 50% more for simple Kronos or Grecian Delight, and is FAR superior. Will be back read more

I live in the neighborhood and I will not stop at Shish (or it's sister Grand Central) again, this is why. The very first time I decided to dine here, my friend told me the management was extremely rude (not all the employees are like this, but the fact that Shish can't even keep the same employees for more than a couple months says something). I looked at reviews and saw many people saying the same thing, including comments about the owner being incredibly rude to customers (specifically women). I decided to risk it since the food looked delicious, and they had great vegan options. I ordered a Falafel pita with fries to go. And it was delicious... Until I found a piece of STEEL WOOL in my pita. At this point I had left the restaurant so I couldn't go back and ask for a new meal. I was very forgiving (why? I don't have a clue) and decided this was probably an extremely rare occurrence. I stopped in to get falafel twice after that with no issues other than extremely long waits and rude staff one of the times. They also have you tip before you even get your food. Personally I tip if it was good service after a meal. I think it's funny they make you tip after you order because their service is so bad. Then just recently a friend and I decided to go to Shish. We ordered (we both got the falafel wraps) and when our food came out, I saw something smothered in tahini in my wrap. I picked it out... it was a rubber band. I'm 98% sure the waitress saw it and didn't do anything, because it was in plain sight. I have never had this kind of thing happen to me in any other restaurant. Seriously, random non-edible things in my food *twice*? I've heard their kitchen is unhygienic, but this is ridiculous. I don't want to drag a small restaurant through the mud but Shish is a mess and I will not eat there again (out of fear for my life). I'll stick with French Meadow next door. read more

Discovered this place by accident. Excellent little local spot with the best middle eastern food I've had since I was in Jerusalem. People are super friendly too. Will be back often. read more

Came here for breakfast, it was so hard to decide what to order, everything looked and sounded delicious. Ended up splitting the Mediterranean wrap and Maza platter with a friend, soooo good, generous portions. I've always been a fan of Mediterranean food, but never liked falafel until today, their falafel was the best I've ever had. Can't wait to come back and try more of the menu! read more

Great food and good sized portions. Friendly and cute little cafe atmosphere. Get's really busy at peak times! Desserts looked to die for! Definitely will be back read more

One word: Amazing. I first tried it AFTER my trip to Israel and I have to say that the flavor match is authentically up there and reps the culture of the middle east. Tasty, big portions, whats not to love? read more

If I don't get my weekly gyro wrap and saffron rice from Shish I have a temper tantrum. The food here is excellent, always consistent and the service is quick and friendly and it is cheap. If you need a great deal of energy I recommend the Turkish coffee and anything from their dessert case. read more

This place serves wonderful food, has nice staff, and offers indoor and outdoor seating. The falafel is fantastic!

I was eagerly anticipating my meal here. I am a sucker for Shwarma, falafel and the like. I have been a long time patron of Coffee News Cafe next door and have to say that I think the Hummus at Coffee News was better than Shish's. The shwarma was dry and the portion was too small for the price. It was fine but I don't think I'll be coming back. Hopefully they get a good college crowd that will sacrifice quality for proximity. read more

This small restaurant, which is like a diner inside, is on Summit a block from Macalester College. It's wonderful. I had the Breakfast from Jerusalem: baba ghanoush, hummus, spiced ground beef, roasted diced potatoes, pita bread, cucumber, falafel, tabbouli. $8.95. The coffee is very good. You order from a large blackboard at the counter and the cashier or waitress brings the food to your table. On a Sunday morning, it's busy, but there was plenty of seating at ten or so. My wife had two eggs with wheat bread toasted on the griddle and a latte. Delish. Be there or be square. I can't wait to return for lunch or dinner. read more

Having lived in the Middle East for 5 years I'm kind of a middle eastern food snob. Shish is by far the best I've found in the TC. The food is not only genuine, it's fresh and tasty. The place is spotless and the owner Moe makes sure everything is right. If you want humans, falafels, gyros or mamas baklava, this is the place. read more

Normally love the food, but today when I got my to go order that took 30 minutes the manager said "don't open this for 10 minutes, the rice is still el dente and needs to finish cooking". Fine. Whatever. I let the rice sit for 30 more minutes and it was still rock hard! I asked before I ordered if it was ok to order from the lunch menu. I waited for 30 minutes for my food. I paid full price. I will NOT be returning! read more

We were looking for someplace to eat that had some semi-healthy, yummy options. We didn't want a full meal so split a chicken shawarma plate. Between the salad that came with it and the generously sized portion, two of us were completely filled up. Nice atmosphere. Clean tables. Good food. What more could we ask for. read more

Great Café style setting! If you're looking to grab a quick bite or lounge in Mediterranean splendor, Shish has you covered. Try the Shishwich if you love life! read more

Best falafel I've ever had! Any other place i eat falafel doesn't compare with Shish. Get it on the Lebanese flat bread wrap, it's delicious. And the homemade garlic sauce is unlike anything else, I could put it on anything! Be sure to check out the daily specials. Whenever friends come to town I always bring them to Shish! Great people, great food, great location. What else could you ask for!?!? read more

Love this place, only drawback is deciding what to order!! Great customer service, very friendly people.

Consistently delicious! I've been in a few times for falafel, dolmas and other middle easter staples and I've always left satisifed. Most recently I swung in to grab some gyros to go, expecting something like what I would get at Dino's--I was way off! They were swimming with flavor and perfectly seasoned. The next time I'm jonesin for a gyro I'm headed straight here. read more