Do you miss eating at home but hate listing to your own family?? This restaurant will soothe that nostalgia with their yummy yummy oversized dishes. The chef, his wife and his son run the restaurant, which isn't fancy, but makes up for it with authenticity. The food is wholesome, not greasy, and blends together so well. Their tzatziki is the best I have ever had. I dream of tzatziki like this. Also, get the lamb. It doesn't matter what dish it's in, just get it. You can't go wrong. read more

Love their lamb dishes. Soups are also yummy. Nice to taste foods from Bosnia. Nice cozy atmosphere.

Amazing food and great service. Owner is always there to add something special to your party. Highly recommended!

If you want real homemade Eastern European/Bosnian food, this is the place. Owner/chef and his wife are very friendly. Food is plenty and delicious. Very fulfilling stuff. Not greasy. Bread is hearty and homemade. The only complain I had was too much cabbage. Seriously can one person eat that much cabbage in his/her salad? The date/dry fruit balls are to die for! It's a bit out of the way for us, but we enjoyed it very much and will definitely come back! BTW: We didn't have any desserts, but we stopped by Frost which is just a couple of blocks away. read more

I really enjoyed this restaurant. I am visiting Tucson for my father's memorial. His father came over from this region, so when I came across it, I knew I would have to find a chance to try it. I'm glad I did. The chef / owners are very friendly. He took my order, and I asked for his recommendation. He immediately suggested the goulash. I ordered that and a Cockta soda, which is made in Slovenia. She brought out a vinegar-based coleslaw and bread while he prepared the goulash. I also ordered the Cevapi to take back to my mom. The goulash was nicely seasoned. It came with butter rice, which was also very good. The Cevapi sausages were good and were served as a sandwich on homemade soft flatbread with tzatziki and onions. There were 5 tables in use while I was there and plenty of open options. The chef would check with each table as they were finishing, and after the diners commented that the food was very good, he would say, "Good chef! Good chef" every time. It was a very nice experience. read more

Chef Alisah's - Goulash, recommended by the chef and quite good - Mediterranean Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

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You get what you pay for at this restaurant. They have a paprika chicken that is very flavorful, a mushroom and beef plate where the beef just falls apart and a vegetarian plate that is to die for (not literally, of course). The chef comes out to greet us most of the time. One of my favorite places for sure! read more

Food is fantastic. I absolutely love this place. Owner came over to give us some soup his family made on special occasions. It was outstanding. The sausage was unlike any sausage I have ever had. It instantly became my favorite food group (that's what I consider sausage). I'm all in on this place. It's Bosnian European type food and a little different tastes from what I'm used to. We are now regulars. Bring your own wine as they don't sell alcohol. read more

It's really a gem of the place! So much good food. I don't know what people are smoking that say the food is bland. It has lots of flavor. The waiters were really nice. They do smile,they just don't constantly have one on their face, which is fine. They ask if the food is good, if you need anything, and it's easy to get their attention if you do. The apple dessert is amazing. The chief suprise is great with tons of variety. You can only slip the tray for the number of people you ordered for. I really liked the eggplant and sausage. Would recommend calling for a reservation for dinner since they seem to get busy. If you live here or are just visiting, you should really check out this place. read more

We went here today and saw something wonderful. Diners, Drive-ins and Dives filmed at Chef Alisah's. I don't want to take credit but if you look at my posts from September 2012 I said that everyone should go to Food Network TV and nominate Chef Alisah's. I also wrote in and expressed how great this place is and how wonderful the owners are. When we went in I saw the DDD poster and asked about it. Hopefully they will air the episode. As always, today the food was great, service was top notch and Chef Alisah gave my wife 2 candy bars and told her not to share with me!...lol read more

Chef Alisah's - Congrats to Chef Alisah's. - Mediterranean Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

Asked at the hotel lobby for dinner recommendations. Got the typical steak and Mexican food recommendations you'd expect in Tucson. I turned to yelp and noted that this place was a hard 5-star rated affair and was just across the street. I've never had Bosnian food, but I love an adventure. I was blown out of the water. I had tzatziki and ajvar--killer first course of spreads served with fresh house made bread. For the main course, I had the Bosnian style sausages. You have to love it when the waiter asks "10 sausages or 15?" I shouldn't have eaten all 10, but i savored every bite. I live in Alabama, but I'm now looking for reasons to visit Tucson. read more

This is probably my best authentic resturant in Tucson. The service was very good and the food was very tasty and delicious. read more

Chef Alisah's - Mediterranean Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

How silly is it that I am already getting excited simply by reading their menu for the first time? Highly recommemded! No need to read the rest of my review. Save time by skipping my review and go there!! So I see you're not easily convinved... ok. Follow me. The menu is diverse, filled with Mediterranean and other items for both meat eaters and vegetarians. There are about 40 items on the menu with well known Mediterranean dishes like gyros and little known (to me) Bosnian dishes. The menu also included schnitzel (go figure!). First time, I ordered the Traditional Bosnian dish #2 (special beef dish with mushroom sause) which the staff (Chef's wife ) said was her favorite. The meat, covered in mushroom and white creamy sauce, was delicious. Mushroom was cooked right, not too done. Get Bosnian coffee after the meal. Coffee was thick and gritty... in a very tasty way. I'm so glad I tried Alisah's. On the second visit, I ordered the surprise dinner for 2. I had read before that the amount of food was insanely large. And it was. If my friend were a 6' 17" (no one should be over 7' tall) marathon runner, perhaps we could have finished it. But no! She was only 5' 8". Desipte our concerted effort we made very little progress, and I had leftovers for three meals. The food was excellent. The service was great until we unknowingly made them stay late... The server, in a baritone disgruntled tone, made it clear that they closed 45 minutes before (we ... sorry!!). Evidently it was a night of fantastic food and great conversation. This is a kind of place I've been looking for in Tucson, an escape from the same -o-same-o. Go try it! read more

Chef Alisah's - My first time at Alisah's - Mediterranean Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

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My husband and I think this is one of the best restaurants in Tucson. The food is fresh and delicious, and the service is excellent. Chef Alisah and his wife are delightful people, and they are always bringing little extras to the table for us to try. I particularly love the cabbage rolls. They are the best I have ever had.We plan to use Alisah's to cater our next big party.It is excellent! read more

It's time to get out and try something different. Perhaps you've never asked yourself what do Bosnians eat, but now that it's asked go find out. Small, quaint restaurant. Halfway up Oracle from River to Ina. All right , you know where it is, now you have no excuse not to try this place out. We had: the tzatziki/ajvar roasted pepper spread for the appetizer, the large sausage sis cevap and the sithi cevap, but were dismayed that the apple dessert was not available but sated by the vocne kuglice fruit balls. Also, they had soft drinks from the old country, Jupi and cockta. Jupi is like orange fanta, cockta was as the waiter charmingly put it, a bootleg copy of coca cola, except sweetened by honey. All were delicious but I really recommend the sithi cevap over the sis cevap. The sis cevap was a little too much like just fried hamburger. A good staple (perhaps for kids), but the sithi was rather different, not too disimilar from my wife's pot roast. The waiter we had was very nice and attentive. For example, I never had to work to catch his eye. Don't you hate when you can never get their attention, especially when they are walking by. Now, I have to sleep it off. read more

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Nice clean and friendly service. I had the lamb shank and grape leaves and it was delicious. Even order more food to go. Will be coming here again next time I'm in town. read more

Perhaps I'm just not too fond of Bosnian food. The coffee was gritty and the meal lacking any spice. Service was a little slow. We finally went up to the cash register to get our bill. Portions were more than ample read more

We got takeout and it was delicious! The Bosnian meatballs were so tender and the sauce is so creamy. The buttered rice is a great side. My partner loved the sausages, he couldn't stop talking about them and wanted to get the same thing again the next night! read more

My wife and I saw Chef Alisah's resturant featured on DDD. I was in Bosnia in 2000 and loved Cevapi back then. I decided to try his Bosnian goulash instead and it was out of this world delicious. I actually plan to squeeze in one more trip for the cevapi before I leave Tucson this week. I actually met the chef and he was very friendly. I am glad to see that he is acheiving success. He deserves it as his food was marvelous and his love of his customers shows. read more

I got invited to this restaurant to celebrate a friend's birthday. They told me the dishes were originals and amazing. I have to say the food was very good the owner came to our table, talked to us and gave us a candy. But the customer service by the waitress was horrible, this guy was rude, I had to wait 30 minutes to be asked if I wanted something to drink while I was waiting for my friends. I had to get up from my table to find the waitress, almost had to enter to the kitchen to find the waitress, and he was rude. When I went to pay my bill the guy throw away my check. I had to tell the owner this guy needs customer service or is going to ruin his business. read more

Fantastic! I was staying across the street and walked across to discover a gem. Had fresh goulash, rice, cabbage salad and hearty bread. Along with the great meal, I felt like I was in Bosnia with the owners' decorations on the wall. Give this place a try whether you live in town or just visiting. You won't be disappointed. read more

I've travelled to Tucson for many years and was looking for a new experience. I saw the restaurant's episode on Food Network's Diners, Drive In's and Dives and decided to try it on my next visit. I have travelled to Hungary, Romania and Ukraine and wondered how Bosnian food compared. I wanted to try the sausages but they only come in 10-12 sizes portions and I knew I couldn't eat that many so settled for the daily special, lamb shank. I agree with a previous review that the entree, lamb shank with egg noodles and ajvar, appeared dry as there was no butter or gravy, or sour cream like some other Eastern European cuisine. it was not however bland or too dry to eat, just different. I love lamb and this was cooked perfectly. It was best to eat the meal with a little bit of each item on the fork rather than eat each item separately The ajvar served was similar to an ikra (roasted vegetable purée) but less greasy and fresher in my mind. I loved the cabbage salad and dressing so much, I used the extra dressing to dip my bread. The highlight, however, was the Tufahia-stuffed Apple. I asked my server what he recommended and he said it was his favorite so I thought I'd try it despite not being a baked apple fan. It is nothing like a baked apple! The apple was cooked but marinated in a sweet caramel type sauce so it did not taste like an apple. The owner came out to each table to check on the customers and the staff was friendly and able to make recommendations. I hate dining alone but the staff made me feel welcome. There is a variety of food so if you are unsure of what to try, ask the staff. I will certainly come again, and next time I will bring friends so we can get a variety of entrees to share and sample. read more

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We ordered the Chef's Special for two. It was ready as specified and carefully packaged. There was enough food for 4! We got an assortment of sausages, chicken, gyro meat, kabob and meatballs, plus delicious fresh bread, butter rice, vegetables and cabbage salad. The food was delicious and certainly plentiful so we have at least another meal (although we certainly filled up!) We want to support local family restaurants, and would highly recommend. read more

The service and food at this restaurant is so amazing. Restaurants should visit this place and take notes. When you eat the food you instantly get this notion of homemade with soul. They stick to their roots and serve just plain good tasting dishes. HIGHLY recommend the #3 on their appetizer which is a tzatsiki and some type of veggie sauce side by side. If you are a group of 2 or 4 don't even hesitate to order Chef Alisahs surprise. Its unreal. We will always come back to this place while we are living in Tucson. read more

Chef Alisah's - Chefs Surprise for two! - Mediterranean Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

The restaurant is very clean and the owner is the chef and wife is the waitress. The menu is somewhat varied, home cooked food. The portions are huge and we always end up with take-away. The food is Croatian and it is tasty but not anything unusual. Served with the meal is homemade bread, which is good. We enjoy the country variety, not gourmet or anything special but home cooked. The pricing is not inexpensive but not overly expensive. read more

Spectacular food. Spectacular service. I cannot think of a better restaurant in Tucson or Phoenix. A huge bonus is that you can bring your own wine which is a wonderful money saver. Without question they have the best stuffed grape leaves I have ever had. Unbelievably terrific grape leaves. And the soup is the best I have ever had in any restaurant world wide. Going back next week. Worth it to drive completely across town. Love this place. The bread is home made. If this restaurant was on the east side, I would go 4 times a week. read more

My family and I decided to try this place because it was on the TV Show, "Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives." Overall, it wasn't bad though there has to be a specific reason for me to go there again. This is a nice Bosnian restaurant that has OK to decent service, well made food, but nothing that overly popped. Just a heads up to everyone, this place is BYOB. They will provide the glassware and a corkscrew, but if you want to drink, bring your favorite. This premise is starting to become more popular in Tucson and is not a bad idea for a lot of these small places. Since my brother is not really adventurous at all so he decided to get the Cevapi - Bosnian Style Sausages. It was a decent choice for him. The bread (the Lepina) was good, had a nice brown on the inside, soft bread, would be nice if there was a little more of a crust, but overall good. They also served the dish with tzatziki and chopped yellow onions. Since they did not cook the onions, it probably would have been better with purple onion - thus not have as much of a harsh bite, but still have the acidic, crunch. Overall it would make a good sandwich. I did not discuss the Cevapi earlier, because the rest of my family and I got the Mjesano Meso - the Mixed Grill. This had Beef Steak, Pijeskavica (hamburger patty), Cevapi, Chicken Breast, two flavors of rice, ajvar sauce (a vegetable sauce that was reminiscent of a Romesco sauce, but no bread), and tzatziki sauce. To start off with, everything was cooked perfectly. Everything was tender and seasoned very well. The hamburger and sausages tasted basically the same just in different forms. All of the meat had the same seasoning base, which made everything have one note. The rice was dry and a little overcooked. Ajvar was interesting, and brought a nice acidic break to a lot of bites. The tzatziki was not strong enough to really hold up to the meat. I will say though, my favorite bite, was when I got the bread, the tzatziki, my brother's onions (because he would never eat them) and some of the steak. The mixture of the fatty meat, the cook tzatziki, and the crisp onion made the best flavor and texture combination of the night. If I am in the area, there is absolutely no reason to not come to this establishment again, but it is not really worth an hour drive to come to more often than once or twice. If I lived closer to this establishment, I would be making this a more regular stop. read more

This place is a hidden gem in the middle of Tucson. The chef/owner greets every guest as they come in. He always takes some time to speak with you and recommend dishes based on your tastes. The best part of this place is the food - melt in your mouth beef, perfectly seasoned chicken, and the fluffiest rice. I highly recommend visiting this place. read more

After trying chef Ali I had to write a review. Food is okay if you're interested in Sausage links as a main course meal. Her is where they lack in service the son is extremely rude and should not be dealing with customers. You pay 3 dollars for a can of soda what ...... no refills. If you're a soda drinker make sure to stop by a grocery store on the way to this restaurant and grab a 12 pack soda for 3 bucks read more

Real stick to your ribs food. Friendly staff and the owner makes you feels like family. Home cooking at its best! Owner brought us a couple samples and explained each dish, we will be back next time we're in Tucson. read more

Excellent sausage and bread plate. Bread was moist and felt a bit like fry bread. Sausage felt like fried and flavorful. The veggie plate was also excellent. A mix of peppers, carrots, and eggplant in spicy oil stir fry. The baklava is nice, sweet, and flaky read more

Delicious homemade cooking. Needs an update on the restaurant decor but overall amazing fresh cared for dishes. A must try

Most excellent homemade Bosnian cuisine! The service has always been spot on and the food is to die for!

Everyone drives by, but now I'm part of those who know the delicious food prepared at this understated Bosnian-European restaurant. Don't drive by! We ordered a meat platter for two. It came with sausages, a hamburger patty, some flank steak, and some chicken. The meat was the most flavorful I've had in a long time. So delicious, the spices and fat of the meat create a delicious mouthful when paired with the fluffy bread - like focaccia, but moist. And crisp. The cabbage salad was the perfect tangy compliment to the means. The dip samples were also full of flavor. Lots of leftovers, but the meat will be great in wraps. I can't wait to return. Restaurant was clean and employees were masked. Don't skip this place! read more

Feast for the eyes & the mouth!! Delicious food, very generous portions, owner/chef very personable & sincere. Wow!

I dined here eight years ago and it was the best place I have ever had. It was a unique experience but the food was out of this world amazing. The chef provided a complementary dish that was meat with a white cream sauce that I drool over, to this day. I don't see it on their menu but would love to know what this is called. You will not go wrong eating here. read more

How lovely to get to meet a chef who makes your food. This Restaurant is a family business. They will take care of you and give you the best service. And as for Halal restaurants that is the best place to get a steak in Tucson Arizona. They are completely honest and helpful when you try ordering anything. read more

Saw this place on the Tucson Foodie web site and decided to give it a try. Home run! Tucked away on the side of San Marco's Plaza, smaller place brightly lit inside. Family owned and operated by folks who obviously take a lot of pride in what they serve. We started off with a delicious cabbage salad dressed with cucumber, green and red pepper and white wine vinegar. I had the goulash which was served with fresh bread and rice. My spouse had the special beef with mushroom sauce, both dishes were wonderful. We split the stuffed apple for dessert which was yummy. We'll be back! read more

What a warm reception! Chef and his family are caring, talented people serving true homemade, amazing food. We're looking forward to our next visit. read more

We come here EVERY time we visit our kids at UofA. Food is great...and family owned/operated.

Not a bad place but not the best either. I've had similar quality food for much cheaper at other places. Their beef sausage was a little on the salty side. I wish they wouldn't serve the bread underneath the meats - I suppose it's for absorbing the grease (?) - because I ended up just leaving it because it became soggy from the grease and meat juices. Service was excellent though. No complaints about that. Overall, it was a mediocre experience. I did not have an amazing time as most people did. read more