Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    Ali Baba's Cafe

    4.5 (932 reviews)
    ModerateMediterranean
    Closed 11:00 am - 8:00 pm
    Updated 2 months ago

    Order Ali Baba's Cafe Takeout or Delivery

    Ali Baba's Cafe Photos

    ALI BABA'S CAFE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Good for kids
    Outdoor seating

    You might also consider

    More like Ali Baba's Cafe

    Recommended Reviews - Ali Baba's Cafe

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    Chicken Shawarma Plate
    Andres O.

    Food was good, but if you're working don't come. I lost my entire Lunch time waiting for my food. Had to tell the server to just box it up because I had to return to work, so I got to eat it cold. He did tell me that they were sorry but they only had 1 cook that day. But I feel it's something you should tell customers if you're backed up. You don't know if customers need to head back to work. But yea the food was good.

    Menu
    Peter M.

    There is no question that the SFV is a superb dining destination. Nice, eclectic and vibrant choices, without the madness of driving into LA and being frustrated and clogged by endless traffic. Hence, once in a way, I like to head west on the 118, over the mountain, into the calm and beautiful neighborhood of Simi Valley. This time, I decided to try Ali Baba Cafe and came here to have their Kufte (their name for the minced kabob). When I gleaned the menu, I was surprised to see that you could actually order falafel, by the pieces at $1 each. Never seen that anywhere. I do not want you to think I am cheap, but it is so nice to have this option, instead of having to order 6 at a time and what happens, if they are no good? So, I opted for just two falafels to start with, while I attended to personal business on my phone. When the falafels arrived, I was blown away. The outside crispiness was unique (and I have had falafels at numerous other outlets). Freshness and taste complimented. Came with Tahini. Superb. Excellent service. After that, I decided to go with the Baba salad. Here too, no pressure down the throat, there is a smaller size, you can order. At $6, that was my selection. I requested no lemon (in my opinion, citrus can destroy a dish if it is not controlled. So I avoid). The salad was moist, refreshing, colorful, crunchy and satisfying. At this point, I had forgotten about the kufte, and still desired more of the falafel. So I ordered 4 more pieces. Once again, every bite was divine. On exiting, I had the privilege of meeting Omar, the owner, who was sitting outside. I took this opportunity to compliment him on his restaurant ....and the falafel. Which in my evaluation, is clearly, one of the best falafels, I have had, in both these lovely, attractive and magnetic valleys of Simi and San Fernando.

    Patrick W.

    Nice and friendly service and ambience. My order included a Chicken Shawarma Salad which was a good portion although I couldn't really taste the meat so much because it was cut quite small. The Baba Ganoush with Pita was good, although more garlicky than smoky Eggplant tinged like other places. The Chicken Kebab Plate was also a good portion. The Chicken was juicy and tender although not really flavorsome. Overall, a good place for lunch.

    Cali W.

    No color, no flavor kind of a rip off for close to 14 bucks for three small pieces of ground chicken kabob

    Chicken Kebab Plate
    Sarah T.

    My absolute favorite Mediterranean spot. Definitely a hole in the wall kind of place - you can easily miss it as you're driving on Madera. But once you try their food, you will be thinking about it for days! You cannot go wrong with the chicken kebab plate and the hummus. The rice is seriously to die for. I think about this rice in my sleep! The hummus is definitely on the more garlic side but I absolutely love garlic so it's perfect for me. Most restaurants you can tell the difference between eating in and ordering takeout (usually takeout food quality sucks) but here the takeout is just as good as if you were to eat in. The service is great and the takeout is usually pretty quick.

    Outdoor patio with plants for privacy

    See all

    2 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 month ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Sam S.
    11
    30
    16

    2 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 month ago

    The best Middle Eastern food, and probably all of Ventura County, great service great quality we usually bring it in

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    11 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1
    Photo of Barb J.
    22
    80
    9

    4 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 months ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Allyse C.
    17
    32
    11

    8 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    9 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 2
    Photo of Cali W.
    19
    242
    12

    1 year ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 3

    4 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Al K.
    190
    68
    9

    2 years ago

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 5

    1 year ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1
    Photo of J K.
    1
    31
    3

    10 months ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 2
    Photo of Steve B.
    265
    22
    17

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    5 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    10 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    10 months ago

    Horrible service!! Food is good but got totally ignored very disappointed. Owner needs to get better staff

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Maria A.
    26
    36
    17

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 3
    Photo of Kevin K.
    71
    21
    13

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    Page 1 of 24

    Ask the Community - Ali Baba's Cafe

    Is the food here halal/zabiha?

    Yes

    Whom is the owner/operator of Ali Baba Café in Simi Valley Ca.?

    I don't know the name of the owner, but it's the brother of the owner of the other location (I think maybe they are in the San Fernando Valley). I heard that the two brothers don't exactly get along. The owner of the Simi Valley location seemed… 

    View All 3 Questions

    You might also consider

    Verify this business for free

    People searched for Mediterranean 11,117 times last month within 15 miles of this business.

    Verify this business

    Caffé Noor

    Caffé Noor

    4.5
    (379 reviews)
    4.7 mi
    $$
    Outdoor seating
    Catering service

    Came in tonight for dinner to-go giving a 2nd chance after a mediocre delivery experience during…read moreCovid. After talking with the owner and staff I was pleased to learn they made their menu more traditional and much more to my tastes. I went with the Beef Lule Kebab, and added a small Tabbouleh Salad, and a large order of pickled Veggies. The staff were friendly and happy to help. Prices were more than fair considering the quality and portions. The restaurant was clean, welcoming and the open kitchen is always a good thing in my book. It's good seeing the team putting your meal together! Getting home and opening my meal I was pleased to see two juicy Kebabs atop basmati rice, as well as hummus and a grilled pepper and tomato. Upon digging in I got a high quality tasting meal. I do wish I had gotten the garlic sauces I ordered, because it would have been a great addition to the meal. Overall I would recommend trying them out, and if you're like me and haven't tried recently, they are definitely worthy of a second chance! Thanks for the great meal! You'll be seeing me more!

    My family and I frequently get food here. There is always plenty of parking, and the place offers…read moreoutdoor seating. However, I have only picked up food from the restaurant so far. The place is kept well maintained and clean. Customer service is always fantastic. The menu offers a nice variety of items including pizzas and wraps. I love their hummus. However, they charge extra for sauces. Also, I am not a fan of the house sauce. Ordering online from their website is always easy, and my orders are always ready on time! My family and I will definitely keep coming here for food.

    Photos
    Inside
    Inside
    Falafel bowl
    Falafel bowl
    Combo Kabob

    See all

    Combo Kabob
    Sadaf Restaurant

    Sadaf Restaurant

    4.5
    (571 reviews)
    7.1 mi
    $$

    A+++++ Sadaf has a beautiful new look, and as always, the food was absolutely amazing. Our waiter,…read moreAli Reza, provided excellent service -- he was knowledgeable, attentive, and made wonderful recommendations throughout our meal. I highly recommend trying Sadaf, especially the Thousand Oaks location. It was a fantastic dining experience from start to finish.

    I'm a big fan of Persian food, and I've eaten in many a restaurants. Some good, some not so good,…read moreand in case of Sadaf, some amazing ones. This food is so good, it is the standard to be compared with. The only other time I had Persian food this good, was twice. My mom's cooking and another Persian restaurant in San Jose. If you are here you're in good, nay great hands. I know I get too poetic sometimes. But bear with me. Order any of the appetizers, and you will be superbly satisfied. The Naderi Kabob, done medium rare and Albaloo Polo (cherry rice), we're literally delectable. I didn't get a chance to take a picture. Sorry! My bad. The restaurant is at the site of N old Persian restaurant, but completely redone, and redecorated. Staff are professionally trained and service is just excellent. Can't wait to visit this place again. Come for a date, come with family. Update! Update...my second visit in just as many months, and the service and quality remain excellent. This time I tried the combination filet mignon and ground beef kabobs. In a word, Delish! Wait! Is that word? Desert was fresh

    Photos
    Interior
    Interior
    Beef Koobideh
    Beef Koobideh
    Saffron Martini

    See all

    Saffron Martini
    Mediterranean Pita Grill

    Mediterranean Pita Grill

    4.3
    (896 reviews)
    7.6 mi
    $$

    The food is Fantastic, The rest is a mess. Did I mention the food is fantastic !!…read moreBut, The tables are always a mess, inside and outside tables and floor are a mess. the trash can's are always full and sometimes overflowing. the trashcan's themselves are dis·gust·ing with food. and yes as reported, "the service is slow", areas to improve, Police the tables and floors and make it fresh and clean. You don't want people to question weather the kitchen is clean. again, the food is great ! Good food in Thousand Oaks is hard to find, I would like these folks to stay and thrive.

    This is a decent place to get fresh and healthy Mediterranean food. It is located in the Albertsons…read moreshopping center right next to Sharkey's. I ordered the salmon plate, and it was flavorful and fresh. The hummus was yummy, the side salad was lightly dressed, and the salmon and rice were well flavored and filling. It also comes with a large piece of pita bread. The pricing is comparable to other places serving similarly healthy food. This is close to where my client works and it was a good place to have a casual meeting and get some lunch. There is indoor seating, but it is a tiny space so eating outdoors is more comfortable. There's a Boba spot next-door and Starbucks is right across the parking lot in case the meeting runs long and we need our sugar/caffeine fix!

    Photos
    Interior
    Interior
    Kabob Combo Plate (DINNER) (chicken and beef)
    Kabob Combo Plate (DINNER) (chicken and beef)
    Mediterranean Pita Grill

    See all

    Maral Cuisine

    Maral Cuisine

    4.3
    (467 reviews)
    7.9 mi
    $$

    This is our family's favorite restaurant in the area. We have been coming here for countless years…read more The food is not only incredibly fresh. The prices are beyond reasonable for the amount you get and the taste is right out of a Persian grandmother's kitchen. Their lunch specials you can't beat the price. I feel that this is a hidden gem

    My husband and I have gotten takeout from here for a big events twice. Usually when you do…read moretakeout, it's $23 per person which includes beef or chicken, garden salad, two appetizers, bread. It is definitely a good deal when you do takeout however, if you go to the restaurant, it would cost about $40 per person, including a drink. We really enjoy their food, we had spoken to alex multiple times regarding ordering. We usually get the beef koobideh and chicken shish kebab. With rice, must o khiar which is the yogurt dip, mushk badenjan as well as garden salad salad The eggplant dip is usually really good however, when we went to the restaurant, it was mediocre. However, the food the salad were really good. We had gotten lunch menu, which comes with soup or salad and a dish of chicken or beef. We had the lentil soup and it was outstanding. The restaurant looks nice and fancy, they have plenty of parking lots. Overall, the service was wonderful, if I am not mistaken, the server name was Jennifer and she was amazing. I would return to the restaurant, however I hope next time the eggplant dip would be better

    Photos
    The main Dinning Room.
    The main Dinning Room.
    Chicken Shish Kabob
    Chicken Shish Kabob
    Fancy atmosphere!

    See all

    Fancy atmosphere!
    Casalena

    Casalena

    4.1
    (1.9k reviews)
    12.5 mi
    Family-owned & operated
    Women-owned & operated

    We came back for a late dinner at this beautiful Mediterranean restaurant after an event nearby. We…read moreappreciate that they always gave us a table we requested. This time was at the relaxing back patio upstairs. They have a big menu with a lot of good items. We decided on vodka pasta, charred octopus and beet salad as appetizers. For mains we had chef's special prime rib and whole branzino, also truffle fries as side. For desserts we had tiramisu and sorbet. They make very good Vesper martinis here, the mocktail I tried wasn't great though. The service was excellent and very fast. Keep in mind that the food is more of Middle East Mediterranean flavor than Mediterranean European flavor. This place has become our go-to restaurant whenever we are in this area!

    Casa of horrors a more acurate name... Coming first time…read morehere, you have the option of picking your poison on a hot summer afternoon either go deaf sitting inside with human jackhammers packed and loud AF, or swelter in the patio. Opted for the latter to celebrate my sister's birthday. They had some giant fans but they weren't doing much help. We put some drinks in and got 2 ridiculously expensive tiny hamachi crudo plates. Then all of a sudden the fans stopped working. Our waiter informed us that there was no power in the entire restaurant inside or out. Correct me if I'm wrong but shouldnt places like these have back-up generators just in case? Shortly thereafter he came and told us LADWP would arrive in 1 hour which literally means 2 to 3 hours minimum so instead of having our dinner for breakfast we asked to close out our bill (which should have been comped but they did not even deduct anything for the tremendous inconvenience), after just two plates of Hamachi Crudo and four drinks. The bill was presented to me and I figured there's no way all of this costs $240 I said I want to see an itemized receipt they came back with a $160 bill so more shady shit thrown to the shade. Very grudgingly paid but just wanted to get the fuck out of there we went to Il Fornaio nearby and had a lovely meal and service, to salvage my poor sister's birthday. Needless to say but I will, the easiest one and done in my life and I've had quite a bit if you read my reviews. Inexcusable ridiculousness and zero compensation. It was complete chaos as people were canceling left and right and more people were flooding in as the reservations backed up I hope God helped them through the night. It's one thing to lose power unfortunate yes, but to not have a backup generator and then not even take care/compensate your customers is an abysmal excuse for management and a restaurant, not to mention the blatant theft attempt.

    Photos
    34 oz Wagyu Tomahawk Steak
    34 oz Wagyu Tomahawk Steak
    VODKA LUMACONI
 
 Spicy vodka sauce, ricotta, pesto spice
    VODKA LUMACONI Spicy vodka sauce, ricotta, pesto spice
    Yuzu & Lychee Martini

    See all

    Yuzu & Lychee Martini

    Ali Baba's Cafe - mediterranean - Updated August 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...