I discovered this place when trying to find something to eat after a performance at the PMT theater…read morebasically across the street. It is unassuming from the outside and seems tiny when you enter, but don't let that fool you! First, they have an entire extra room of seating in a space next door (that seems to have been recently remodeled). The menu has a nice variety of options listing hot and cold appetizers, main entrees, sides and desserts. They specialize in Uzbek Cuisine which is quite different in some areas, but also similar to other cuisines with certain dishes. There are a variety of dumpling entrees and also fried dough/fried pocket items. One of the favorites among my family is the fried pelmeni which are small, beef filled dried delights. Perfectly fried, bite sized and packed with flavor. They are served with sour cream and a sweet chili sauce, but you don't really need any dipping sauce because they are so good on their own. Another appetizer we love is the cheburek, a beef filled fried pastry similar to something like an empanada. For entrees, I've had the Uzbek plov several times. Rice with carrots raisins and lamb. The lamb is tender and perfectly seasoned. It is one of those dishes that I am stuffed but can't stop eating because it is so delicious. The pelmeni soup is another highlight. Perfect for a cold day or to give you an ultimate comfort food meal. Service is usually pretty attentive (although if you end up in the extra room it will be on the slower side but still good). There is street parking right in front of the restaurant, but if there isn't space, there is also a municipal lot about a block away. The one down side is that if they are busy, it can take quite awhile to get food. But the wait is worth it! If you are looking to try something new and different, give this place a try. You won't be disappointed!

I got the Beshbarmak (4.25/5) and pistachio hummus (4/5). The pistachio hummus was very rich and…read morethick, almost like a pesto, but it was still good. The Beshbarmak was interesting; the lamb was super tender and fell right off the bone. The noodles were really soft and almost falling apart in the soup. The service was ok (3/5); it took a little while to order and had to ask for the check after waiting for a bit. The interior of the restaurant is nice (4/5) but a little small, so you may have to wait at peak times.

Very good food. Tasty to the core!! Great service and ambience. Generous food portions great to…read moreshare.

Deceptive menu pics and descriptions + nothing Turkish here and it is unreasonably expensive for…read morewhat you get: --Unlike the menu claims, what they serve as Adana Kebab is NOT lamb + flavor was not remotely Turkish. Not authentic at all. -- What they call Turkish rice can't even be called decent rice -- Persian menu items however were good -- Lentil soup was a good soup but it was not an authentic lentil soup at all. Don't expect the traditional flavor -- Unlike the pics, salad mix in your Adana will arrive in a tiny, disposable clear plastic -- You will eat at tables covered with sticky, clear nylon table "cloths" -- Your water will be served in disposable plastic cups -- Your food will be served in acrylic-plastic cups, including the hot soup -- Now the value: Soup is $10, Adana is $22, Kobideh is $25, a cup of Cay / hot tea is $3.50 (almost all Persian/Turkish restaurants serve this as a complimentary item -- Lastly they will charge you an extra 3% for paying by card Decision is yours... We will not go there again.

It's a lot fancier inside than I was expecting. It's a great ambiance with scenes from Turkey and…read moresoft Jazz streaming in the dining room. The staff is very accommodating. I am delighted that they have vegan and vegetarian options. Parking is on the street on Penn Avenue. Everything is delicious and I will definitely be back.

Good stuff. Restaurant needs to be a little bit cleaner. Near the door there were "blow ins" from…read morethe street (cigarette butts, leafs) .. and we were seated there. They had somehow made it around the corner and under our table.... Enjoyed the Malbec. Nice to see a Mediterranean place offering wine. The "mezze" plate was a meal in and of itself. If you want a quick snack or light lunch with a partner, I recommend ordering that alone! It's all you need for a nice meal. We also came back and tried the lamb, very nice! I got the Beyti and it was very good, though I wished it had come with a salad. My wife did not like her lamb shish as much as my meal, but I think overall we liked both.

I've driven by this place a million times at Forbes & Braddock but hadn't tried it until recently…read more Bosphorus instantly became our go-to close-by spot for takeout. Easy, timely ordering and pickup. The food is excellent too. The meat dishes were delicious; we had chicken and lamb Adana and both were very tender. Each dish also comes with a good helping of pita. Falafel was excellent too. The platter comes with six pieces, rice, and salad, whereas the appetizer comes with four pieces. The Bosphorus salad was very tasty and had a nice light dressing. Cigarette Borek was a crispy, yummy and beautifully presented appetizer. We also went in person one Friday evening. The food was delicious as always but the experience wasn't quite as great. The air conditioning wasn't working so the place was sweltering and everyone seemed frazzled. The bathrooms were also a little run down.

Generous amounts of good food for not high prices. I got two lunches out of the falafel platter…read more New this time I tried the salgam, fermented beet juice, which is a beautiful garnet color and, ahem, opens the bowels.

Ali Baba's on Craig Street always hits the spot…read more The four of us pretty much worked our way through half the menu. We started with the maza platter loaded with hummus, baba ghanoush, artichoke hearts, taboulleh, feta, and olives, plus stuffed grape leaves. Added an order of mujaddara and spinach pies, then moved on to the lamb and chicken shish kebabs. Somehow we still had room for baklawa to finish things off. Everything was fresh, flavorful, and exactly what you hope for when you come here. The staff is friendly without being overbearing, and the Craig Street location has a relaxed neighborhood feel that makes you want to stick around. Good food, good people, good spot. Ali Baba's is one of those places that never disappoints.

A true Pittsburgh institution. Hands down one of my favorite restaurants in all of this city. And,…read morethat's saying a lot considering what a foodie town the Steel City has become. In all of the years they have been in business (family owned since 1972), the quality and service has never waivered. I am an absolute nutter for Mediterranean food, specifically Syrian. The food is 100% legit, authentic. Made with love, care, & pride. My goodness that tabooli is INCREDIBLE! All fresh ingredients, all the time. Just the right amount of lemon so it doesn't overpower the rest of the flavors. The spinach & lentil soup reminds me of an old boyfriend's Sitty's kitchen. Her soup was the best and the stuff you get at Ali Baba is nearly identical. Kebab dinner platters and grape leaves are fantastic. If you're visiting Pittsburgh, check out North Oakland and this little gem. It's off the beaten path and not touristy but the food is solid and delicious.

An amazing meal and a gorgeous restaurant! I dined here for the first time recently with a friend…read moreand we were impressed. Here's what we got: -The Flirting Camel cocktail - made with real camel's milk! The first sip was interesting, and just got better and better. So unique & creamy. -Fairouz in the Morning mocktail - my friend's drink - she enjoyed it! I took a sip and it tasted like fall! -Dolmas (stuffed grape leaves) - absolutely delicious! I love stuffed grape leaves. -Hummus - so yummy & smooth. My friend had the cucumbers and I ate all the pita because she's gluten free. -Kefta Kebab - my friend and I both got this as an entree and it was divine! So flavorful! -Cream & pistachio baklava - probably the best baklava I've ever had! This was a really great experience! Everything was fresh and truly delicious. Our server was great and everyone was so nice. They were also really accommodating of my friend being gluten free! And the space is absolutely gorgeous I will say it's a little pricey - my friend and I split the two appetizers, but my check was around $80 with tip & tax, which is a lot for one person. The Flirting Camel drink is expensive, but understandably so because they import the camel milk. Overall the meal was worth the price! And I had leftovers from my entree. I would love to go back and try the lamb! it was so good & so unique! Fairouz in the Morning mocktail - my friend's drink - she enjoyed it! I took a sip and it tasted like fall!! Dolmas (stuffed grape leaves) - absolutely delicious! I love stuffed grape leaves. Hummus - so yummy & smooth. My friend had the cucumbers and I ate all the pita because she's gluten free. Kefta Kebab - my friend and I both got this as an entree and it was divine! So flavorful! Cream & pistachio baklava - probably the best baklava I've ever had! This was a really great experience! Everything was fresh and truly delicious. Our server was great and everyone was so nice. They were also really accommodating of my friend being gluten free! And the space is absolutely gorgeous I will say it's a little pricey - my friend and I split the two appetizers, but my check was around $80 with tip & tax, which is a lot for one person. The Flirting Camel drink is expensive, but understandably so because they import the camel milk. Overall the meal was worth the price! And I had leftovers from my entree. I would love to go back and try the lamb!

A great Syrian restaurant located in the heart of Pittsburgh. We got to meet one of the owners when…read morewe dined in for Sunday brunch, and she was so sweet. This is a family establishment that's been open since the 70s (pretty incredible)!! The food and service were great too. They were extremely kid friendly with our infant. For Sunday brunch they have a prix fix menu with a variety of options from a traditional Syrian breakfast (with potatoes and egg scramble) to a hearty tomato shakshuka. They also have super unique cocktails like a fig martini. They also have different types of mezze, and the labnee dip was great. I can't wait to come back to try dinner!

So good. I got the Beef Kofte Wrap, Lamb Gyro Wrap, and the Pide with Turkish Sujuk…read more Both wraps were great and absolutely massive. I liked Beef Kofte wrap the most. Wish they would include more sauce with these. The Pide with Turkish Sujuk was delish. Basically the Turkish version of a pepperoni pizza. The cheese was great and the bread was crispy. Overall, very nice spot. Will be eating here again in the future.

Absolutely terrible across the board EXCEPT for the chicken shish kebab. That was actually insanely…read moredelicious. But also is $23 for MAYBE 2oz of chicken and bagged veggies. Not worth it whatsoever. Also the "grilled" veggies that came with it. Maybe put on it for 10 seconds. Just look at the tomato... Gyro was bland and dry. Tzatziki was under flavored and SUPER RUNNY. Happens when you don't use enough/proper yogurt, drain cucumbers improperly, or let sit out too long. Lamb shish kebab dry and overcooked I don't even know what soup we got but that was horrendous I would like to mention the baked good did look great but I had zero desire to spend anymore of my money here Inside was very spacious so seating shouldn't be a concern if you actually waste your time going.

When you arrive you order online through Toast. Its a small dining room with 4-5 tables. It looks…read morelike they do a big take-out business. I'm a huge fan of Uzbek food so I was delighted to see this restaurant so close to me. There's more here than just shish kabobs, but the focus is on street food. There's not much here for vegetarians, but the portions are excellent and the food is very good. It's all Halal.

I think it's a pretty new place. This spot is a little tough to find and up a big hill if you're…read morecoming from downtown. Just a few tables there. I got a ton of food from this place: Samsa, small side of suzma, lemon tea, Uzbek bread, and plov. The food is pretty solid. The bread is huge but doesn't have a ton of flavor to it; I do think they make it in house. Honestly a good deal. The suzma I got on the side is a lot like sour cream, which I'm not sure if that's supposed to be the case or not. The lamb samsa was filled with far too many onions (see picture). It really overpowered the appetizer. The bottom was a little too charred as well and the lamb was quite fatty. I would personally skip the Samsa. The lemon tea was really good and they gave a large portion. When you dine in, it's a whole teapot essentially, but I was really hoping to try their ayran (they were out, unfortunately). The actual tea itself is a regular Lipton or something of the sort; store bought. Finally, the star of the meal, the plov. I will say, this was actually really quite good, albeit quite oily. The meat is surprisingly pretty tender and not super fatty (definitely some pieces were, but on the whole, they were good). The rice, chickpeas, and carrots are all well cooked and went nicely. No onions in this plov, which I'm super happy about! I'd definitely recommend it if you come here.