4/16/25 I came here for lunch as I was near by and never tried this Mediterranean restaurant yet. I was told by locals to frequent here to order only Mediterranean food options as the other foods they offer aren't as good. (They offer Indian cuisine and fried fish/chicken) so I ordered the Greek shawarma chicken entree. I had a coupon that offered a slight discount for my lunch entree, but the employee said it didn't qualify for it. Not sure why, but that's fine. He was using a translator to speak with me, so may be some confusion. The food was mediocre, you do get plenty of food but it just lacks the flavor I expected. It was empty inside when I came in, which is always a worrisome feeling for me, but it wasn't too bad. I won't be back anytime soon but glad I atleast tried it out. read more

Ali Baba - Inside view upon entry - International Grocery Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

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I went back here to redeem another BOGO coupon and this time I wanted to try their American food item, a simple chicken sandwich. I also tried a lamb kebab wrap. When I got home, I found that the wrap was small (one might consider going with the shawarma equivalent) and the chicken sandwich was just tough and gross OH MY GOD or ALLAH or whomever). The chicken patty was square and thin and just tough to bite into and had a weird taste. The cheese is just cold (like why not melt it). The amount of grossness was equivalent to one eating a white bread mayo and banana sandwich, instant hurl. I gave it to my got dang cat and he smelled it and walked away. So the story here is to stick with the restaurant's specialty, the Mediterranean food items. And I wanted to try their fish sandwich, which I may reconsider after the chicken experience. read more

Friendly service, food made fresh, and was able to use their mailer coupon. We tried the shish chicken tikka cube and the Tandoori chicken chargha. Both served with rice, salad, pita, and hummus. Both mains were flavorful, the rice fluffy, salads fresh, and hummus tasted homemade. Be warned, a "full" Tandoori chicken chargha is an entire chicken! Not a bad surprise haha read more

Ali Baba - Tandoori chicken chargha - International Grocery Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

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Super friendly service and excellent prices. I came to check it out because we were craving Indian. Inside looks like a standard Indian restaurant- lots of drink options and even some ice cream. Very flavorful food, my shwarma was a little greasy, and the chicken plate had a lot of bones and cartilage. But flavor was great and we got a chance to try some new drinks. Would like to go back and try some other food soon! read more

Ali Baba - Mixed plate to go - International Grocery Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

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This used to be a grocery store + restaurant. Not they have converted it into a restaurant full time. They have a variety of Mediterranean/Indian/Pakistani food items. They have buffet on weekends. Be ready to wait a while after the food is ordered unless you are getting the buffet. read more

Great Food. Great Service. Amazing selection. The prices are very good. They now have a Buffet. They still have a butcher and meat counter offering Halal food. There is a small grocery section offering middle eastern items not usually found at Kroger. I ate a great lunch of Babaganoush, salads, pita bread, and a yogurt drink for about $5. - and I'm stuffed. Great fresh and healthy food. read more

Ali Baba - Storefront - International Grocery Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

I came for a late lunch and have been curious about their buffet option, as I've seen their signage outside during the Sunday farmer's market.I ordered goat curry. It comes with rice and bread. Omg, the food was so delectable. The goat meat was well seasoned and tender. It was scrumptious! There is plenty of parking right outside the establishment, and other than cooked meals, this place has a small grocery store selling spices, frozen dinners, and meat--halal meat. read more

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Food was fresh (made to order) and plentiful. I have gotten the chicken kebab 3 or 4 times and it's been a little different each time, but tasty nonetheless. Employees are always the nicest and that goes a long way for me. read more

We got the chicken curry and chicken shwarma and they were not good. Curry was all bones and shwarma gave me food poisoning and made me sick!! It seems like they gave us the food they were getting ready to throw out. Rice and dressings were good, and you get a decent amount of food for the price but not worth the food poisoning. I would give this place 0/10 stars if I could. read more

Best customer service!! And if you are looking to have the best goat biryani ever!! THIS IS THE PLACE FOR YOU. It is a tiny grocery store and keep walking inside and you can find the place to order food! Their biryani's is a die for! Before I became a vegetarian I remember loving the goat biryani from here ! I right now have a to go pack of goat biryani for my husband from here and I am literally drooling as I am typing! LOL! Just the smell of it!! Wow read more

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We stopped to eat at Alibaba restaurant and grocery store. This is a hidden gem that we had not realized served food with a restaurant in the back. They had a nice butcher area and grocery store with many speciality Mediterranean items. We were on Southland Drive and noticed the shop and decided to go and take a look. I am glad we did because our food was delicious and we will return in the future. read more

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It was the Christmas night. Most of the restaurants in the city was closed. It came to my realization when my stomach was making noises. The dining place in the hotel I checked in was closed and they receptionist in the front desk was good for nothing. Well, thanks to Google to make our life easy. I found the place by searching halal places and restaurant open today. It is a grocery store with restaurant in the back. Frankly speaking, not a great sitting place to have meal. I ordered chicken and goat kabob, chicken legs and gyro Sandwich. The service is relatively fast. Food is not spicy like in Indian or Pakistani restaurants. The chicken was nice and moist. But the kababs were too dry for me . The seasoning is on the lighter side. The gyro was great. They carry Indian spices and rice. The price is reasonable. Free parking in front of the restaurant/ store. Thank God it was open and I don't have to starve on Christmas night. read more

Got the chicken schwarma wrap today and it was delicious. I live away from Lexington and just happened to run across it. It was the highlight of the trip. Hoping to make it back with the family soon! read more

Easily one of my top 3 food places in Lexington. They're so friendly, and the food is amazing. Affordable, big portions, and an amazing weekend buffet. Do yourself a favor and come eat here! read more

Ali Baba - Buffet - International Grocery Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

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The food was delicious especially if you love curry and spicy. The vibe is a typical mom and pop store, there's actually a small grocery store inside. I loved the grocery store because it sells food from Mediterranean and Europe. Definitely a hidden gem! read more

fantastic! friendly people and authentic Mediterranean food. Definitely going back for the lunch special

Ali Baba is actually Ali Baba Mediterranean Territory. Rightly so, though quite small, it caters to your every Mediterranean need. Once you enter, there a couple tables with chairs on your left and some clothing and hookahs for sale on the right. Then, a few aisles of Mediterranean grocery (and some Indian spices) lead to the back of the store where both the kitchen and butcher shop are. That would have been a concern but I saw the 100 score on Facility Inspection and was relieved. I've heard a few friends mention Ali Baba over the years but never ventured out to it until now. We went there to pick up an order of chicken briyani. They kept it hot for us in the oven till we arrived. The Briyani was okay, nothing that will blow your socks off but not bad either. The chicken kebabs, on the other hand, were out of this world! I learnt they make them fresh every Wednesday and freeze them. We reheated the kebabs in an oven on Sunday and they were still perfect - so tender and juicy. My biggest pet peeve is a dry kebab and I was surprised at the way this turned out. Everyone that had it that day kept raving about it. Ali Baba boasts of fresh halal meat, fresh pita etc. It carries Indian/Paki sounding dishes like samosa, pakora, paratha and even, wings! I find that quite interesting. I would like to try those other items from their menu sometime. One weird detail - we had to tip them when we picked up our food. I don't know how usual it is, but I don't remember tipping for take out food before. Anyway, the Briyani was not too shabby and the kebabs... oh I'd start drooling if I keep going on about those kebabs! read more

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The food was very good and prices are extremely reasonable. Had the chicken sharma platter with hummus , salad, and pita for $6. and had enough left over for dinner. I know many people will disagree, but Alibaba has much better spices and flavor than Sahara and I used to love Sahara. Alibaba will be my place to go for now on! Servers were so nice and helpful, too. Can't go wrong with trying this place out!! read more

I wish I could give this place 2 fives... One five would be for the butcher shop. It is hands down the best halal meat in Lexington. The pricing is really good (except lamb and goat... kind of expensive). The quality is superb and area is very clean. They are very accommodating as well. As South Asians, we are particular about how the meat is cut. If you ask them that you want it cut a certain way, they will accommodate. The other five would be for the take out area in the back. They start with really good meat that is fresh. They appropriately marinade and flavor the food. The hummus is to die for. Frankly they food is really under priced for the quality. read more

On a last minute whim, we decided to get a late lunch here after watching the Capital Plaza Tower implosion in Frankfort. I have already been here and knew there's not much seating but everyone in our group was hungry and had their mind set on Briyani. When we showed up around 2 pm, they were out of a lot of items on their short menu but had Lamb briyani and chicken kebab, which is what we ordered. The briyani was good but the kebabs were phenomenal. Highly recommend the kebabs. We ate family style and the bill came around to only $10 per head. The vegetarians in our group had the paratha roll without chicken as they were out of samosas. They did provide extra chairs on our request, which we carried from the back and arranged the table ourselves. I'll not blame it on them as they are really a carry out restaurant. I'll be back to try other dishes. read more

Ali Baba - Very limited seating - Just two tables - International Grocery Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

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This place was great! They've cultivated a very friendly and casual environment. We had lunch for about $20. I'd strongly recommend the beef + lamb shawarma and the chicken curry. We look forward to going back for the weekend buffet! read more

I really like this store when I need supplies to make baba ganooj and hummus. They have a huge can of roasted eggplant, it is 6 pounds!!! read more

Ali Baba - International Grocery Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

Ali Baba is an absolutely fabulous middle eastern market! Of course they have all the middle eastern pantry items you could ever want, from rose flower water, dates, to different types of couscous and pomegranate molasses. In addition , though, they also have a butcher's counter where you can buy halal meats, some of which is local. We went once looking for lamb shoulder-- the owner brought us all the way to the back of the shop and into the walk-in, to show us an entire lamb strung up. "Which shoulder do you want?" he asked. (We grilled it- and it turned out fabulous!) On my most recent visit, there were crates of fresh produce at the front of the store: fava beans and fresh almonds in their fuzzy shells, among other things. They also make their own pita, and have a diary case of labneh, yogurt and some different cheeses. Even if you're not planning a particularly arabesque meal, this place is a great source for fresh meat! It's located beside the Morris Book Shop, so next time you're picking up a good read, venture next door. They're closed on Tuesdays. read more

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To start off with....This place isn't just a middle eastern store. There is a restaurant nestled in the back of it and a butcher if I am not mistaken. Impressive. The staff were friendly and greeted us when we walked in the door. They were very helpful as well. The store section carries all kinds of spices and foods native to the middle east. They even sell goat meat to boot. YUM. The day I stumbled into here I had to try the goat curry. It was so good. It contained the right amount of heat and was so tinder. It came served with a couple pieces of flat bread. Loved it. They have a couple of tables in the front of the store if you can't wait to dig into the food you just ordered. I know I couldn't. I will go back to this place often to eat. If you are in the area and want to have authentic Mediterranean food, stop on in. You will not regret it for a minute. read more

Went their during lunch hours and tried their chicken kabob and it was good . Served with a small portion of rice and hummus . Very reasonably priced. It's grocery store but they have kitchen on the back and serve food as well . Will definitively go back again . read more

Ali Baba - International Grocery Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

More a market/butcher, there are few tables at the front, but it's not exactly an attractive place to eat. I suggest you take your order home. It's served in a Styrofoam container anyway. I ordered the lamb biryani. Unless you're ravenous, the regular portion is plenty. It came with a small arugula salad with tomato and raw onion and a side of dressing. I asked for hot sauce and was given a small container of a light green creamy something. It added more heat, which is always good for me. Personally, I would have preferred boneless lamb. I should mention here that this is under the same friendly ownership as The Mill, the Middle Eastern bakery on Southland. read more

Listen, this food was delicious! I live right down the street and got a flyer on my door. I was skeptical about the VERY reasonable prices because I generally have a "you get what you pay for attitude". In my head, It was just too cheap to be true. But it wasn't! We ordered: Lamb Tikka Platter: also came with rice, salad, and hummus. This rice, y'all. It's the best I've ever had. Lamb was delicious. Hummus was delicious. Salad was...well, a small salad. Shish Kabob platter: came with the same as above. The shish kebab was incredibly good. Will DEFINITELY get this again. Geek gyro sandwich: the pita was great. The gyro meat was phenomenal. Only drawback (and reason for 4 instead of 5 stars) is it was just pita, meat and tzatziki, no cucumber, tomato, etc. as pictured. Will definitely get this again though as a platter. Okay....the sauces...we got a white garlic sauce (that I asked for...I think it's a Lebanese garlic sauce but not sure). Very tasty. We also got a cilantro green sauce (I think yogurt based) that was soooooo good. I will definitely be putting this place in my weekly rotation. Only drawback was lack of ingredients on gyro and we didn't get pita bread with our platters. Please give them a try! read more

Middle Eastern store, but they do carry Polish, Turkish, Yugoslavian, and some German sweets, spices, and food. It was such a great surprise to find some things that taste like home!!!! This is the only place where I can find Labneh, Milka (german one tastes different from the american made one), and pate! You can find fresh meat, fresh goat that has not been frozen for a long time. If you call ahead they can accommodate meat orders and let you know when they get their provisions (or request them for you). read more

We ordered the Chicken schwarma, chicken tikka, Beef kabab, and Ali Baba platter through GrubHub. We are happy stuffed pigs! Definitely ordering again soon! read more

I accidentally found about this place one day while trying to buy mutton from another place. The discussion was around the best biryani in town and someone happened to mention Ali Baba. At that point, I had no idea of this place and it didn't sound like a place that had a fully functional kitchen that dishes out food. I just assumed it to be another halal meat shop until I turned up at this shop one fine day. Though I was partially correct - they are a halal meat shop with complete Asian spices and grocery items available. All of their meats are very fresh and tender, I get all my meats from here every week. But let's come to the most important part - the BIRYANIS! They make absolutely delicious Chicken and Goat Biryanis. I cannot survive more than a week without their brilliant biryanis. They are very much in demand and get over by 6pm most of the days until you have called and asked them to reserve some for you. Same goes for the meats, call them up if you plan to visit them late in the evening. They also make very good curries like the Paya and the Nihari over the weekends and I try and get some in I happen to vist them over a Saturday or Sunday. I recently even tried their Paratha Roll and it was very tasty too. I highly recommend this place to all my friends who are craving for authentic biryanis in Lexington. No other restaurant even comes close to making the high quality of biryanis these folks dish out. Hope you enjoy! read more

Great place to find middle eastern food. I recently bought rice and tea here, and was impressed by the selection on bulk items, like dried whole milk and rice. Lots of quality and specialty middle eastern foods and a great place for finding halal meat. read more

Just went for the first time and had the chicken tikka! So good and everyone was very friendly. They even offered to help me carry my boxes out to my car. I can't wait to go back! read more

We had their Schwarma sandwhich today and it was amazing!!! They were so friendly and nice!! We will be back for the platters!!!!

I liked this store; I used to shop fresh meat and other goodies there, but not anymore. I had such a bad experience today and although I hate to write negative reviews, I am writing this to help other future Ali Baba customers. Yesterday after I bought some fresh lamb meat and other stuff, I started a conversation with the lady that works there, I think she may be is the owner of the store, but not sure. Sweet and friendly talk about food, gyros that I love so much and all ended with the offer from the lady to buy for myself a box of frozen halal meat cooked gyros. She brought me the box from the freezer, I happily paid for the entire purchase and left. Today, I decided to make gyros for the family, opened the box and what a surprise! Yes, there were slices of cooked meat, freezer burned and covered with ice crystals. I looked at the package for date of expiration, it was 2/27/12 (today is 4/14/13). The meat was sure old, they sold me expired meat. So, I grab the box and went to the store to return the gyros...the box cost me $11.99. Well, here is the story: the same lady showed up, I smiled, explained and ask for refund. She looked at the expiration date and the meat and told me that the meat is just fine, and the expiration date is actually the date the meat is cooked. I told her even if she is right, the meat is made 14 mounts ago and even frozen, still it is not good and safe for consumption. The lady got so furious, did not said a word, opened the register, and tossed $11, then grabbed the box and walked away...I was shocked; I should be angry, I was cheated, not her. No apology, nothing. And for not giving me the rest of my money - even $.99 - she showed me the mistake and my stupidity to trust and shop in this store. Poor business, lady. With 99 cents and this attitude you will lose today one customer, but for sure more in the future. read more

This place is great for fresh halal meat, which I love. The owners are so helpful too. Especially when trying to get tips on tricks of the trade (helped me look like a BIRAYANI MASTER!) Great hours and easy parking- I'm thinking it's going to be my go-to place for all things Arabic & halal. read more