My wife and I visited Durham for a convention and stumbled upon Cafe Ferdosi. It was tucked away in an area of business offices, where you wouldn't expect to find a restaurant. Despite its small size, the place was clean and comfortable, making it a great spot to relax. We ordered the Ghormeh Sabzi, which was absolutely incredible. The flavors were rich and authentic, and the dish was cooked to perfection. The chicken koobideh wrap was equally delicious, with tender chicken, fresh lettuce and tomato, and a flavorful sauce. The food was of exceptional quality and reasonably priced, making it a great value for money. It was the best Iranian food I've ever had in a restaurant. The servers at Cafe Ferdosi were incredibly courteous and polite, making our dining experience even more enjoyable. We had a fantastic time and highly recommend this restaurant to anyone looking for a great food experience. read more

Cafe Ferdosi - Ghormeh Sabzi - Persian/Iranian Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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First time here. Friendly staff and great service. Authentic Persian food. One of the best in North Carolina. Open a cafe in Charlotte! read more

"Delicious Persian food in North Durham" Came here on a Friday at 5:45pm-- note they close at 6:30pm, so come early! It's a bit "off the beaten path", so be sure to use navigation to get there. The space inside had maybe 7 tables and was brightly lit with soft Persian music playing. You can order takeout at the counter or be seated to dine in. My partner and I dined in. We ordered the borani (eggplant/ yogurt/ garlic) appetizer. I got the vaziri combo, which came with koobideh (beef + lamb) and joojeh (chicken on a skewer) and tomato rice. My partner got the Kookoo Sabzi wrap-- veggie frittata with other bits. We each got drinks too-- she got the fancy lemonade and I got the ginger soda. Food came out in maybe just over 10 minutes. ABSOLUTELY SCRUMPTIOUS. The borani was good especially if you like garlic-- kind of like a combo of baba ghanouj and tzatziki sauce in a way. My vaziri combo was CRAZY good. The beef + lamb tasted like super soft gyros meat that was thick and melted in your mouth (or under your fork). The chicken joojeh flavor was perfect with saffron and yogurt mixed into it. Even the tomato rice was amazing-- super flavorful and spicy, with some "crispy bits" in it, reminiscent of the edges of a great paella. It also came with a small side of torshi that was yummy (cabbage, olive, and onions). My partner was also happy with her frittata, and the drinks were good, though I think the lemonade was the better of the two. What also impressed me was how kind the server was. He asked our names, and I noticed him greeting other customers as they came in by name, as though he remembered them from past visits. He was very kind and welcomed us warmly, checked on us as we ate, and gave advice on dishes as we asked. Definitely a "small family restaurant" feel. Cost-- it's not cheap, but the quality is EXCELLENT, so I say worth every penny. Overall, we loved this place. As we finished, we both said "We'll definitely be coming back." Fully plan to, and I recommend it to anyone to try. read more

Cafe Ferdosi - Vaziri combo, which came with koobideh (beef + lamb) and joojeh (chicken on a skewer) and tomato rice. - Persian/Iranian Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

The food is amazing. You can tell it's "all" home made. I can share so many positive comments about all the delicious food but the hospitality was even more impressive. It seemed like we had been longstanding friends opposed to customers. So impressive! read more

Cafe Ferdosi - Did we just become best friends! - Persian/Iranian Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

We happened to be in North Durham on an errand and decided to give this spot a try. It's tucked at the back of an office park, inside a shared meeting center, and we arrived right as they were opening for lunch on a Saturday. Parking was easy. The space itself is small but welcoming and nicely decorated. We ordered: 1 salted yogurt drink 1 Persian teapot 1 Borani dip 1 Joojeh (double) 1 Vaziri Total was $62 plus tax and tip. The Borani dip was the standout of the meal, roasted, smoked eggplant with garlic and yogurt. If you know baba ghanooj, it's in that family but with its own flavor profile. I had the double Joojeh, grilled boneless chicken breast in a lovely marinade, served with Persian rice. It was delicious. The Vaziri included a single Joojeh along with a single beef-and-lamb Koobideh, also with Persian rice. That was delicious as well. Everything is made in house including the delicious desserts. This is a family-run place with the parents cooking and their sons handling service. The boys were sweet, the service was warm and personable, and overall the experience was excellent. read more

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Though It's off the beaten track, great food, great service. Neighborhood feel. I will definitely be back!

One of the best Persian restaurants in the Triangle. I had the Koobideh with tomato and Saffron rice. The Koobideh was delicious, but the rice was amazing. Greatly enjoyed the rice. I also ordered the Ghormeh Sabzi which was amazing as well. I did purchase the baklava and baklava cake. The baklava but made more on the honey vs buttery side for my taste and the baklava cake was delicious and the rose water really brought out the flavor, but not something I'd order again. The service was awesome! Felt well taken care of. The shop is a quaint environment with great lighting. Highly recommend! read more

The super delicious and tucked away Cafe Ferdosi. Gorgeous Persian food and a very informative server, Omid (Hope in Farsi). We had the borani with pita chips (smoky eggplant dip with yogurt and sumac), followed by Koobideh (lamb kebab and saffron rice) and Joojeh (chicken breast and lamb kebab with barberry rice), washed down with Persian fizz, lemonade with a touch of rose water. I wish we could have stayed for the saffron and pistachio ice cream! read more

Cafe Ferdosi - Koobideh with saffron rice - Persian/Iranian Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

If you're looking for lunch or dinner, just go here. Really. Any other option will be fine but Cafe Ferdosi is friendlier, more fun (the music is straight bangers), and the food is better than anything that you'll have anywhere else. Get the Persian Fizz (a lemonade with rosewater) and literally ANYTHING on the menu. Everything I tried was excellent--kebabs, stew, appetizers, and desserts. If there's anything with the pomegranate molasses, make sure you get that, too. read more

Omid will show you the best time at this event hall/Persian restaurant. It's some of the best Persian food. If not the best Persian food I've ever had. This hidden gem is the perfect place to come get a meal for the right price read more

As soon as I found out that NC finally has a Persian restaurant I was thrilled! It's hard to find Persian restaurants that serve more than kebabs. I tried the fesenjan and it comes with rice and it's authentic and very tasty. Looking forward to trying the Ghormeh sabzi next time. The service was excellent and really nice ambiance. Highly recommend. read more

A hidden gem! Great authentic Persian food with friendly service. Both the beef/lamb and chicken kebabs were juicy & delicious. A family-owned little place with a comfortable casual vibe in the middle of an office complex. Look for it --the food is worth it!! read more

Drove 2.5 hours to try this place and it was well worth that drive! I know that sounds crazy but my husband and his family are from Iran and this place had amazing reviews so we had to check it out. I can honestly say that this is the BEST and most authentic Persian food I have had so far. It's family owned and they are incredibly kind and friendly. You can tell they put a lot of love into this place. It's super clean and a very beautiful building. The food is seasoned to perfection. The desserts were all made from scratch and the best one was the baklava cake but you can't go wrong with whatever you decide on. I can't say enough nice things about Cafe Ferdosi. If I could, I'd eat it every day lol read more

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Delicious food with friendly service. I highly recommend the baklava cake. Let's support the local Persian community!

Excellent food and service - it felt like being welcomed into someone's home for a meal. The restaurant is a little hard to find since it's tucked away in a shared building. Inside, the space has a fairly simple cafe feel, but the art and music add warmth and a personal touch. read more

Cafe Ferdosi - Persian/Iranian Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Amazing customer service and great foood. Their saffron ice cream was homemade and tasted very good.

Excellent food and service. It was nice to see more traffic coming because the place is really special. I got my usual joojeh and the tomato rice. amazing! I also had their cardamom tea and a baklava as well as bastani. Delicious! read more

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This place is amazing and a wonderful spot to dine with friends. Will come again every time I'm in Durham!

Most delicious Persian food! We are so lucky to have cafe Ferdosi in the neighborhood!

Lovely little cafe tucked away off Duke St. Hummus was among the best I've ever had. Falafel too. Relaxed but attentive old-school-style service which means he took our order at the table and brought our food to us too. Seems rare these days, and appreciated. They have outdoor tables under a roof so I can't wait to go back when it's warm. read more

Great food and a warm atmosphere. Everything we tried was fresh, flavorful, and clearly made with care. The environment is comfortable and welcoming, making it a great place to relax and enjoy a quality meal. Definitely worth visiting. read more

Received small portions of very mediocre food. Did not taste fresh at all. I ordered Gormei Sabsi. It wasn't terrible but, again, not fresh. If I had to guess, I'd say it was a frozen entree. Many restaurants serve frozen food. They think people can't tell. If I want frozen I can just open my freezer. When food is cooked on the same day that it is eaten it has distinctive quality of taste and aroma that fade over time. Why don't some restaurant owners get that? What they do ultimately get is a spiral of mediocrity that leads to lost revenue. read more

Phenomenal food and service. They also have frozen dishes to go. Vegan/ vegetarian-friendly read more

Food is amazing. They were quick. Everything was fresh and flavorful. Amazing. We had 4 dishes and a dessert and 3 drinks. I think everything came up to about $88. read more

A nice menu, wonderful staff and such a warm vibe. Cafe Ferdosi is a hidden gem! Check it out!

Fantastic Persian food! Order in advance! Great service! Super professional! They have a regular menu but they offer specials too! read more

Amazing authentic food and drinks! Highly recommend this place! Great ambience and service as well! Would come back here again! read more

Cafe Ferdosi - Persian/Iranian Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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Tasty, fresh food and nice staff! Falafel was terrific! Second time there! Will go again. read more

This delightful cafe was a little difficult to find, but it was very worth looking for. It is tucked within the Aria Events and Catering Venue. It is smallish, but that gives it the charm of a family run restaurant with the promise of good home cooked Persian food. Our party ordered a variety of dishes that we all shared and sampled. The kabobs were all great: Barg, Koobideh, Jooneh (chicken) and ground chicken. The rice was the good non sticky basmati pilaf with a little saffron dusting. We also had bother the Ghaymeh Bademjun (eggplant and split pea) and the Ghormeh Sabzi (mixed green herbs) Khoreshes (stew like toppings on rice). Everything was delicious. The doogh (yogurt drink) was refreshing. We had homemade saffron rose water ice cream to top it off. If you are already familiar with Persian cooking you won't be disappointed, and if you are new to it, this cafe is an excellent place to start. Enjoy. The owners are the chefs and wait staff and work hard to make your meal superb. read more

Great food and excellent service! Such a gem and will definitely be back. A cute family owned place

Great food! We were pleasantly surprised! The chicken and kabobs were excellent. The service was great! read more

We had the beef with lamb and chicken with rice and salad. The flavors were amazing! This was true homemade cooking and made to order. They have a great selection and also premade meals to go. The service was excellent. Very friendly and explained each meal to us. We were very impressed with this cute little place! read more

Absolute gem of a restaurant, hidden away in a professional park on N Duke street. If you're not familiar with Persian food, think kabobs and rice. The chicken kabobs, grape leaves, and rice were excellent. Other family members had red meat options and raved about those as well. We ordered takeout both of the times we've gone, and will certainly be back. read more

Great food, wonderful service & authentic Persian dishes. Both indoor and outdoors seating. Family run business. We'll definitely be back !

The food here was AMAZING, and the employees were so lovely. Our party tried the koobideh kabob and jojeh kabob platters with tomato rice and veggies as well as the trio platter -- all of which were delicious. The falafel in particular was some of the best I've ever had! And I'd definitely recommend getting the yogurt eggplant dip on the side because it tastes great on everything. We'll definitely be back for more. :) read more

We ordered delivery through an app. The selection was minimal but they had our favorites. We ordered the chicken platter, vegetable medley, falafel wrap, and side of rice. Everything was delicious, especially the vegetables. The food was fresh, perfectly cooked and presented well. Only complaint is tzatziki did not come with our meal, and there was no option to add it to the order through the app. read more

Excellent food and amazing service! The moment we step in, we felt welcome as if a family inviting us into their home. The place is cozy with a family-oriented atmosphere. The food is authentic, tasty and exceeded our expectations. We would definetly come back to try more of their dishes. Shout out to Omid and Aria. read more

We ordered food for a business lunch. Our team moved from California and is used to Persian food. Cafe Ferdosi did not disappoint and exceeded all our expectations! We loved the combination of koobideh, joojeh, rice and mixed vegetables. We also had the Mezze Appetizer and a side of Kookoo; plenty of options also for vegetarians. It came with a side of tahdig which was amazing. read more

What a gem! Hard to find but very much worth the search. The food, the atmosphere, the service were all outstanding!

A real hidden gem, with great food, very friendly service! Can't wait to go back and try the ice cream!