I grew up summering at my family's home in Montenegro, and it's no exaggeration that I teared up with nostalgia and joy when I walked in to the smell of real čevape and the warm welcome from all the staff. The menu, from grilled meats to salads to desserts, maintains authentic dishes, and the prep and freshness are I immediately took photos of our meals and the dessert display to send to family, and was replied to with a resounding (translated) "wow they're not kidding around, looks like home! Bravo!" Bravo indeed! Hvala for an amazing experience and taste of "home". xxx read more

My friend was the one who suggested this place. When we arrived, it was packed. I think it was one big group with adults and kids. Thankfully, we managed to get a table. I went with something new- cevapi. It's considered a national dish of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia. It consists of ground beef skinless sausage served on homemade pita bread and is served with ajvar (roasted bell pepper spread), kajmak (Balkan cream cheese), and chopped onions. The meat was flavorful. The pita bread was different from what I'm used to. It was crispy which I liked, and greasy which I didn't like. I also tried some of my friend's fries and they were nice and crispy. Overall, I enjoyed the meal. The staff were great too! read more

Cafe Balkan - Cevapi - Modern European Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

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This is a super cute and clean café located in the Rose Garden Center plaza. . Staff are very sweet , friendly and extremely helpful. After reviewing the menu, we decided to get the Balkan kebab aka cevapi & chicken skewers, aka souvlaki. The kebab is a beef skinless sausage. The food arrived on metal trays with wax paper to protect the meal. There were small containers of onions, tzatziki & roasted pepper spread. We returned the onions. The meals were pretty good. The chicken was a tad dry yet still good flavoring. Loved the large pita bread it came with. The tzatziki and spread help moisten the chicken. The kebab was very plain tasting even though it was moist. Some spices and the spread would have helped. The bread that came with it looked homemade. It looked similar to a hamburger bun only fluffy and tasty. There is a small bakery up front and a tiny market in the rear. 4 stars for the chicken meal 3.5 stars for the beef kebab 5 for staff & cleanliness Shared parking. read more

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Amazing food!! A little on the pricy side but worth an experience. Not sure I would race back, but if I was in the area might try something else. read more

If you can't tell by my name, I have Eastern European roots. While I was born in New York, my parents are from Romania. Upon moving to Phoenix in January, I was excited to find out that there are several Eastern European restaurants in town. Including Cafe Balkan. Eastern European food shouldn't be slept on as it's underrated (I'm not biased at all ;)). I stopped by for dinner with my mom on a Tuesday evening. Ambiance (3/5): Pretty much a no-frills, casual restaurant. Elegance isn't the name of the game here, but hey, I came for the food. Cafe Balkan is part restaurant, part grocery store. In one corner of the establishment, you'll find a small selection of Eastern European goods. And overall, it's a relatively small restaurant that can seat 20 people or so. Service (4.5/5): You order at the counter and then they bring your food out to you. We were missing a set of utensils and we could have used an extra small plate (which we asked for), but everything else was excellent. While service is not a large part of the experience, the owner and chef was kind enough to stop by and chat with us. I found out that she is from Montenegro and has been cooking for decades. Super sweet lady. Drinks (3/5): No alcohol so I went with an Eastern European soft drink I had never had before. It was so-so, but I was happy to try something new. It would be nice to have had some Eastern European beer or wine options. Food (4/5): My mom and I split the goulash and the cevapi (large order) with fries. The cuisine here is Hungarian and Serbian for the most part. In addition to hot food, they also have a nice selection of pastries and desserts to choose from. Cevapi, or minced sausage, is one of the most popular Serbian dishes. Pretty much every Eastern European country has their own version of it. These grilled minced sausages are absolutely delicious. Served with Eastern European bread, a white sauce, and fries, I was a happy camper. The fries were crisp and provided good balance to the sausage. The Hungarian goulash, another popular dish, was similarly tasty. The braised meat in a stew of sorts was flavorful and paired nicely with the mashed potatoes. The portion size of this dish was a little small, but outside of that, no complaints. If you've never had Eastern European food, add it to your list. Cafe Balkan is one of the best places to try this cuisine in Phoenix. And with an owner from Montenegro, the authenticity is there. Looking forward to my next visit! read more

Cafe Balkan - Balkan Kebab 10 Pieces with Fries - Modern European Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

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UPDATE: One of the owners and/or managers called me and we had a very nice chat. She apologized for the breakdown in service, explained why things happened as they did and talked about a plan to fix the out-of-stock item issue. The folks at the restaurant seem very committed to giving their customers a positive experience and fixing problems as they arise. I'm impressed that they followed up so quickly, and since I loved the food so much, I'm changing my review to five stars. First things first: The food at Cafe Balkan is fantastic. But the service is not. I ordered three items online. When I got to the restaurant, they were sold out of one. Why does the website not list when things are sold out? Why does the payment system let you order things that are sold out? Why does a restaurant that has my phone number and email address not contact me immediately to tell me that something is sold out? I get to the restaurant and I'm told that the item I selected was sold out, and since the process for refunds is "tricky" or "complicated" (I forget which word was used), I would have to choose something else. Now, I didn't press the issue. But it's not my fault that you let me order something that was sold out, and it's not my fault that your system makes it difficult to refund money. But I foolishly thought that choosing something else would be easier. I chose a bowl of soup and a pastry. I believe that the woman at the register applied an employee discount to that would-be order. Then I realized that I had misjudged the cost of the soup (my fault) and asked for the pastry to be taken off. The soup was $1 more than the out-of-stock item, but instead of again applying the employee discount or doing a manual discount, I owed $.98. Now, I admit, I had the gall to order something $1 more than the out-of-stock item. But since they were willing to give an employee discount on a slightly more expensive total, I'm not sure why they didn't do it on this. I didn't say anything (although my tone was getting grumpy--sorry) but I went to the car to get my wallet. (I foolishly thought that I could leave my purse in the car since I, you know, ordered and paid online.) To top it all off, there were no napkins or plasticware in the packages, nor was I asked if I wanted any. This place has great reviews. I was really excited to try it, and I was looking forward to a great experience. Instead, I have no desire to return. I'm giving it three stars based on the strength of the food. But if you want to try it, maybe don't order online. read more

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FANTASTIC!!! The place itself is cute, the food was AMAZING!!! Like so crazy flavorful! I also really appreciated the guy working the cash register because he had great recommendations! Highly recommend! We will be back!! read more

Really delicious food! Staff if friendly, i suggest just going in and try something new and expand your pallet. What was recommended to me was great! read more

Exceptional! Food was great. I love Bulgarian/Serbian cuisine so when I saw this place I knew I had to stop by. Wasn't disappointed. Will definitely be back! read more

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This is only four stars because I haven't had a whole meal here. I popped in for a treat on a hot afternoon and it was great! The owner was sweet and explained all the pastries to me since I wasn't familiar. She called one ingredient, "Plasma," which she then explained is "Plazma," which is hazelnut cream mixed with ground cookie bits. It was used in the Bajadera I had and I really enjoyed it. All the pastries were quite large, and looked delicious! The restaurant is tucked in a corner and very unassuming outside, but bright and well-layed out inside. I can't wait to go try a meal here! read more

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We had a great experience at Cafe Balkan today. Jaime was superb! My friend and shared a few different things so we could try various dishes. I did like all of it. The bread that comes with the meals is absolutely delicious. The portion of soup is small in the pic because we did split to try it. Jaime was so friendly and accommodating. The dessert was fantastic. Fluffy, crispy and not overly sweet. Definitely a lovely place to become a regular and be treated like family. We loved the experience and we'll be back. read more

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Amazing pastries!!! They offer savory and sweet pastries, but my favorite are the savory. It was a bit overwhelming to order initially as we weren't familiar with the different types of pastries, but we asked the staff what to order and were pleased with everything suggested. Every pastry was so flavorful. Will definitely be back to try some entrees! read more

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Great authentic food! I have eaten here a couple of times and it's always been great! read more

Cafe Balkan - Modern European Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

This is a light and bright restaurant with a counter order format. Cashier was less than enthusiastic, and I struggled with the prices before ordering. Sorry not a fan! Found the house salad to be plain and the field greens completely wilted and overwhelmed by the light dressing. The $5 single chicken skewer is tiny and overpriced, no wonder the cashier tried to get me to add two. But that would make this $10 side salad go up to $20 which is just too steep. Food was delivered to the table without silverware and napkins, the service was virtually non-existent. Friend had the pork gyro sandwich with fries ($15), which was fine and a big portion, but not something she desired to repeat. I have had dozens of good Med style meals in the valley and I guess Balkan is just not my thing. Perhaps the entrees are what is earning them five stars, but my lunch did not. Wishing you many successes with your established clientele, clearly a popular place. read more

Cafe Balkan - Pork gyro sandwich with fries - Modern European Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

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What a hidden gem!! Got a chicken wrap and a krepita (?) and both were delicious! The staff is so friendly and told me their recommendations. Lunch time was busy but the food came out quickly and was fresh! read more

They are busy on the weekend but the food came out fast. The service is great. Stuffed cabbage rolls are delicious and super tender. I felt like it melted in my mouse. The rolls went really well with creamy mashed potato. They have the juiciest and tastiest baklava. I am still dreaming about it. Cherry pita is also tasty, fruity juicy inside and crunchy outside. read more

Cafe Balkan - Baklava, and cherry pita - Modern European Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

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The food at Cafe Balkan is very good :) We enjoyed our dishes. The price is a little high for the amount you get, we were both still hungry after eating our entire plate. The one GF dessert option is unique and had great flavor but was reallllyyyy sweet. The owner was chatting with other diners and was so sweet to engage with customers and request feedback. The young lady behind the register was really sweet and happy to answer all my questions about ingredients. read more

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The Cevapi (Cevapcici) was 1+ delicious!! 10/10. The home made pita bread is really really good. It was toasted with the cevapi dish and not toasted or less toasted with the cabbage rolls- and I liked it much better not toasted (seemed way less greasy, but that's personal preference only). The stuffed cabbage rolls where delicious too. We tried a couple different baked goods and they were all excellent, I'd think you can't go wrong with any of them. I'll be back for sure to try more of the menu- the lamb shank at the neighbors table looked tempting. Sidebar- there is a good coffee machine and the espresso tasted nice as well. read more

Stuffed cabbage rolls and mashed potatoes absolutely delicious. Crempita dessert was fantastic. Will be back to try something else on the menu for sure. read more

If I could give it a 10, I would. I took my visiting family there for a morning snack of pastries. Everything was even better than they expected. I love their pastries and now so does my out of state family. We tried so many things and then their rotating spinach and cheese snacks. Jamie even gave us more to try. What a lovely place, atmosphere, and treatment by incredible people. Rada bakes such tasty creations. Can't wait to go again. read more

A cute family owned restaurant. Very nice people. Explains about their menu and recommends when you're there for the first time. Being a vegetarian, I have limited choices. Tried their bean soup, pita bread and krempita. Bean soup tasted like a curry and it's delicious. Pita bread is super soft and krempita is very light and loved it. Soup quantity is a bit less for the price. But given the quality, can't complain much. Ambiance is extremely clean and calm. Will definitely be back read more

Cafe Balkan - Modern European Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

This was my second experience at Balkan. I live 1400miles away and this visit, wasn't the same as the first. I understand restaurant closed @5, and I drove 45 mnts to make it in time for the delicious food I'd remembered and is also reminiscent of my lineage. I arrived 4:40pm. The owner, told me she had to get to church, reminded me 3x Balkan closes @5. Her energy was frustration with my visit, I asked should I come back another day.... I wanted to order sarma and she said not available...which I thought meant they'd sold out for the day but then instead she sold it to me cold and told me to warm it up myself. The poppyseed pastry was extremely dry, nearly stale. The walnut cake was delicious. The sarma had very little meat. The kabobs are just 3small pieces of chicken. The portions aren't generous for the price, but the traditional flavors/ cooking was tasty. Sadly, the cashiers embarrassment of her boss' behavior was enough for me to realize I probably won't return. Bummer... read more

Cafe Balkan - Sarma comes with mash potato's - Modern European Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

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Small little Cafe on Cave Creek Rd. A little hard to find but worth it. Love the burek

I knew I was in for a treat when I walked in to Cafe Balkan having heard so much about it from my Bosnian and Surbian friends. The menu is not huge but has a good selection of some of the most popular dishes in that area of Europe. I ordered a beef burek with home-made yogurt on the side to eat at the restaurant and ordered stuffed cabbage and goulash. Both the cabbage and the goulash are entrees so they were served with a side of mashed potatoes and traditional bread. The food here is 10/10! Delicious flavors and so hearty, you could tell it was cooked by pros! I have only one comment. The goulash could have used some more meat. We got maybe 5 small pieces of meat stew and all sauce. We had to fish the meat out of the sauce. This said however, the flavor was fantastic! The yogurt was so creamy and delicious, I had to have it despite being on a dairy free diet. I dipped my burek in it and it just tasted amazing! The burek had just the right amount of meat. I am not big on meat so the ratio of dough to meat worked for me. The restaurant is not too big. It is popular and many people showed up at an odd time on. Saturday to eat like I did. It was also super clean and the bathroom was spotless! We cannot wait to return and try more dishes. Next time, we will eat at the restaurant instead of having take out to try the dishes as soon as they come out of the kitchen! This is a must try restaurant/cafe. read more

Cafe Balkan - Balkan Pie "BUREK" - Ground Beef - Modern European Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

Stopped in for lunch a few days ago. First, you can get to the bottom of the Phoenix area Balkan restaurant scene pretty quick, so in that regard this place is very unique. We ordered the Cevapi, Gurman Pljeskavica, and Burek Meso. The first two items were good, but I was far more impressed with the bread they came on. As for the Burek, it was easily the best dish. If you ordered nothing but that dish it would be plenty for one person. If it weren't so far away I would routinely go there for this item alone. read more

Delicious home-cooked meals with uninviting and kind Owner! We love everything on the menu, especially the lamb entrée and the beautiful variety of desserts. So glad this restaurant is here making meals that many know and love! We look forward to visiting every time we're in the area. read more

I had my first visit last week & boy, I've been missing out! I was immediately excited for the cabbage rolls & goulash. I haven't had good Balkan food in a very long time so I was quite excited upon fining Cafe Balkan. On this visit I opted for the cabbage rolls. They were perfect & came with a scoop of homemade mashed potatoes. The sauce was well balanced, not too sweet, not too salty but flavorful. The stuffing was also balanced & you could just tell that this dish was made with LOVE. Presentation isn't the priority but everything was plated with care. The bread was unbelievably delicious & FRESH! We left with a large chunk of baklava for only $5... definitely coming back for the food & baked goods. Bonus points for being close to my house! read more

Cafe Balkan - Modern European Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

What a wonderful find. Very casual, extremely clean, and exceptionally good food. Order at counter. We had stuffed cabbage with mashed potatoes and their homemade bread. Everything else looked terrific too. Cave Creek in shopping plaza just north of Rose Garden read more

I've been wanting to try this place since I returned from a trip to Slovenia and Croatia last fall. I was craving ćevapi. Yesterday I picked up the large size of the ćevapi. It was a very generous serving of the sausages and the lepinja bread. Both were so delicious and I enjoyed the food for two meals because there was so much! I will be back! Hvala! read more

Oh my goodness, the food here is absolutely amazing! I'm a huge fan of how everything is made fresh in-house, and their pastries are lovingly handmade every morning. If you're craving a taste of the Balkan region or just want to explore something new, this is the perfect spot. The service is fantastic, and they really prioritize quality when you're dining here. Plus, the store has such a chic vibe, and they even have a market in the restaurant, which is pretty cool. I had the Suvlaki (Chicken Skewers), and it was absolutely delicious. For dessert, I got the Vanilice (Qty 1 per order). My order reminded me of Greek street food with a Serbian grandmother's cookie jar. read more

Cafe Balkan - Chicken Skewers - Modern European Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

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Cafe Balkan is a gift to the Phoenix area. If you're thinking of going to give it a try, stop doing what you're doing and just go! It's that good! This cafe is the real deal and will transport you to the Balkans. From its simple ambiance to being greeted with genuine hospitality, and then came the most delicious meal we've had in a very long time. I could write about everything we ate, the authenticity and freshness of each dish with perfectly seasoned flavors will leave you planning your next visit! These are the items my family fought over: the Veal Soup - perhaps the highlight of the meal, trust me, try it! I woke up the next day thinking about it. The Lamb Shank - literally brought tears to my eyes just like that moment in Ratatouille, and the Goulash & Burger - both incredible! My entire family loved our meal and we made a new friend with the beautiful Chef/Owner Rada, Every time we visit AZ we will be back! read more

Cafe Balkan - My oldest and youngest sharing a moment together! Now that's a burger! - Modern European Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

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Southernmost in the Balkans is Greece. On the North East side is Moldova. On the Northwest is Croatia. The rough terrain makes for distinct cultures. The literature describes all Balkan cuisine as spicy. Parking is easy. Look for the sign high up on the exterior wall. The entrance is easy to find on the side of the building. A sign tells you so when you approach the front. The restaurant is open and is clean. On a Thursday afternoon at about 12:00 PM, there were about six other diners aside from a group of eleven. The menus are on the table. You choose from nearly forty items. You then order at the register. About Thirteen people, ordered at once. In less than fifteen minutes the cashier/waitress, served them. The menu had three variations of Burek, Spinach and Leek, Feta Cheese plus meat pie. Café Balkan ran out of the first two. The meat pie was delicious, delicately seasoned with herbs. The buttery crust ran from light and flakey to hearty. Others at the table said that they enjoyed what they ate. Some especially liked the bread, which appeared to have a varied texture. The meat pie was not spicy. No one in my party of eleven, commented that the food was spicy, as the web described. There is a glass case of pastries. No one indulged, so I cannot offer an opinion. They all looked so good. Café Balkan offerings are diverse. It is easy on the pallet. Not strongly flavored, the food is rich and subtle. Had Café Balkan been fully stocked this would be a five start review. I wish it had. read more

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I am visiting Arizona from San Francisco and was craving some Mediterranean food. I found Cafe Balkan on yelp. I didn't check the reviews I just came because it was close and I was hungry. This is an amazing family owned restaurant and all the food and ingredients are fresh. I was blown away. I got the salmon salad and it was incredible. The salad had fruit and veggies and was packed with flavor. I can't recommend Cafe Balkan enough. Next time I am in AZ I will be back! read more

Cafe Balkan - The salmon salad special. - Modern European Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

The flatbread on the Cevapi was incredibly delicious and the staff were great at giving recommendations.

Just what I was looking for - after attending a service at the National Cemetary which is just up the road a bit from the Cafe. I hoped for some great coffee and something interesting to eat. I found both. Strawberry crepe and freshly brewed coffee Americano stye was just what I hoped. I broused the goods on the shelves of the store area and found special cookies to purchase to take home. So very glad I stopped in today. Thank you, all. read more

What a find, scratch cooking, great representation of culture in a warm environment. No nonsense efficiency. We will be back and often. So happy to have access to this kind of food. read more

We had an eye appointment in the area so to make it more exciting to be in this area we decided to find a new place to eat. My husband had Goulash and enjoyed his meal. I just had a salad and to be honest it was boring and I don't believe there was even dressing. It was ok because I wanted just a little something. We bought a few grocery items and a dessert to take home. It's a simple place but it was an ok find. read more

Great experience! Balkan food is one of my favorites and this Cafe did not dissapoint from the Cevappi to the desserts! read more

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Found this local gem while trying to find a place between a friend and I. We ordered the cevapi (Balkan kebab) and the sarma (stuffed cabbage rolls). We also got dessert - the krempita and dunja torta. The stuffed cabbage rolls were great - it's like a meal you would want when you need a warm hug in cold weather. It came with some creamy mashed potatoes and pita bread. We both thought the Balkan kebab was paired nicely with the fresh pita and sauces on the side. Definitely interested in trying more food next time. Everyone inside the establishment seemed like they were regulars. We were so full but managed to get bites of the desserts down. Wasn't much left but we still took the rest to go. The dunja torta would pair nicely with a coffee. The krempita was definitely up my alley - I love custard desserts. I'm regretting that I didn't get some baklava to take home but I will have to do so next time! read more

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My wife is from Belgrade. Our family vacations in Croatia in August where we have a summer house. The food here was fantastic. We enjoyed everything we ordered. The owner was playing Oliver Dragojevic music which reminded our family of Dalmatia. If you like fresh food from the Balkans you will love this place. We left with warm burek and it was the best. My kids have Croatian grandparents and they were happy to find Kinder chocolates and their favorate Cedevita drinks at Cafe Balkan. Food was fresh and high quality. Will definitely come back here next time we visit Phoenix. read more

Cafe Balkan - Modern European Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona