The food at Mijana is very good. But what made this an outstanding experience was the owner's attention to his guests. He personally served us after I had to move away from the speakers for the belly dancing (I have hearing loss and didn't want more of that). My wife and I were impressed that he's that attentive. And the food was very good. We met a party there, and they were seated at a very good table for the show (right near the corner, and the speakers). So even before we arrived, the owner's attention to his guests paid off for our party. They all said they wanted to return, though it's about a 20-to-25 mile drive for them. We'll be back. read more

The food was AMAZING!!!! THE ATMOSPHERE WAS GREAT! They have belly dancer that comes on about 730 on weekends which is a plus. Great for sharing for two, it was 65. The belly dancer was covered which was odd and the waitress wasn't that attentive but still had a great time! read more

I was recently here with my mom and my aunt. My aunt is into all these exotic food places so me and my mom thought we would try it out with here this time. It isn't to far from my house. Also it is not to terribly priced. The portions are huge and can feed a lot of people. I enjoyed the experience I had. The food we ate was pretty good. I loved the hummus and the cheese filled tortillas. They were almost like cheese sticks but not. I was not a fan of the meat though. They offered it cooked and uncooked and either way it wasn't to appetizing to me. My mom and my aunt though both loved it. The mixed salad was very good as well. All and all I think the overall experience of the trip was great. I got to spend some quality time with my family and try new food. I enjoyed the atmosphere and the friendly service that was offered that this restaurant. An added bonus was the belly dancing it was very cool to watch and a unique part of the restaurant. Not many places offer that. I think it was a great way to tie in the culture of the food as well. I would recommend this place to a friend read more

Mijana - Mediterranean Near Me - Tempe, Arizona

My husband and I decided that we wanted to expand our culinary horizons so we purchased a Groupon for this place. We started with the hallami (fried cheese) appetizer. After waiting FOREVER, the plate arrived....stone cold. Our pita bread was cold and crunchy. My husband's overpriced lamb shank had very little meat on it, but our dog got a great, expensive bone. My chicken biryani was cold and dry. After waiting 30 minutes for our waiter to make an appearance, I asked for my meal to be warmed. Didn't see my food for another 15 minutes. This place has potential, but after reading the other reviews, they need a serious attitude adjustment, better service and a plate warmer! We sat outside because it was freezing inside. Once the music started, I knew we had made the right choice. Way too loud for a restaurant. Someone fancied himself a drummer as he played along with the piped in music. He should not quit his day job! We will never go back and anyone reading this review should spend their time and money somewhere else. Wish I could give zero stars! Someone call Restaurant 911! read more

Came here because I found a groupon for it and we already knew we loved middle eastern food. We ordered the Lebanese quesadillas, which taste a lot like White Castle cheeseburgers (good). We split the mixed grill for two; it was really good. They also bring out pita bread with some kind of sesame sauce on the side. I got a fig mojito which was good too. Apparently they have belly dancing on Friday and Saturday nights starting at 730 but we got there too early. Lots of food, had to take a box home. The interior is a lot nicer than I expected. This is an expensive sit-down place FYI. read more

We've been here 4 times because of the Groupon and the past two times were subpar. Not sure if the waiter has 7 tables or if he just needs to find a new career! Tall blonde guy, the wings, were taken of the bill because they were so dang dry! Next they ran out of Hennessy, seriously Hennessy is a common drink! Next the wAters were empty for over a half hour, said he'd get a new cup with new ice and NEVER brought it and took over 10 minutes to bring the third round of drinks and that's when we were informed the Hennessy ran out, but he still brought the vodka drink, why would we want that if 2 of the 3 people weren't getting their drinks! Also the coal for the hookah took more than 20 minutes to replace! Serious improvements need to happen to say the least. Oh and lastly automatic gratuity was added and in our opinion he didn't deserve more than 5%. Very sad, I'll happily change this review if the owner would like to personally speak to me and make things right! read more

Great friendly service. The best fresh pita bread I've ever had! The food is very tasty

All the food I have had has been great, I especially like the lenitl soup. They serve a nice "house" Cabernet for only $5. Absoultly love the Argentine Tango dancingon Tuesdays. Sorry to say the service could be better. But none the less I will be back. read more

I genuinely love this place. Very good food and nice staff. Very vegetarian friendly. I recommend the sangria.

My husband and I had lunch at Mijana's today. We have eaten at a number of middle eastern restaurants over the years, and this one is unusually good. The spices are interesting and complex, the presentation thoughtful, and the amount of food ample. We especially enjoyed the baba ganoush and the moussaka. An additional plus for us was being able to have a meal that was both dairy-free and wheat-free. If we are in the are again, we will return for another great meal. read more

Well I've travelled in the Middle East and am quite familiar with good, fresh, homemade middle eastern food. I'm usually disappointed with what passes for middle eastern fare. I can honestly say that Mijana is the real deal. We had take out so if your bothered by the question of what others have written regarding the service don't overlook the fact that the food is fantastic. The quality and quantity were overwhelming, fresh oven baked pitas, kibbeh, Falafel, baba ganoush, humus and koftah kebab a refreshing reminder of how good it can be. I would highly recommend it! read more

super bad service! totally ruined our night, and to top it off, management was no help either! big mistake

Very good! Menessa, the owner was sitting outside and personally invited me in. The lunch buffet was fresh, with lots of rich and delicious flavors. I tried about 10 items, the worst I would rate at 8/10. I was in a bit of a hurry but will be back. I was planning on replacing a trip to starbucks with some Mijana Turkish Coffee, I did not try theirs today but have tried other Turkish Coffee and it is usually a delicious pick me up! read more

The food is absolutely horrible. The owner is not a nice person!!! service is awful, don't even bother going, what a waste of time!!! Not to mention it's only getting worse read more

We tried this place on a Saturday night. They had belly dancing which was fun to see. I had a veggie dish with eggplant and chickpeas. It had too much oil in it. It would of been much better with less oil. We also had the grilled chicken schwarma. The chicken dish was better than my dish. There was bread with our dinner and the bread had a olive oil and herb dip with it that was very good. read more

Absolutely excellent. Food is authentic--like Siti made! Thoughtfully prepared. Extensive menu. Beautifully presented. Service is skilled and friendly. Crowd was mixed--date night, families, single diners--all made to feel welcome. We had a mix--lovely dolmas, lemony hummus, babaganoush (best ever--smokey and flavorful), grilled chicken kabobs--tender inside and crispy outside--fresh bread with sesame spread and pickles--oh my. Brought home leftovers and they were gone this morning by 9 am. Called for reservations mid afternoon and left a message that was returned by owner within an hour. He made rounds of all the tables, checking on food and service--friendly and welcoming. The best. read more

We've eaten at Mijana a few times. Saturday was clearly the worst. Only got service after we stopped a server and asked for service. Not enough staff. They must have a new cook because the plating was very sloppy and the chicken was undercooked in the mixed grill. Hope they get it straightened out. read more

We celebrated a birthday with our extended family of 16 on a Friday evening. Great choice. We ordered the family style option and it was absolutely delicious. The entertainment was fun (belly dancing). Great place for kids as well. The only downside was that the waiter was not fully attentive and we had to chase him down for water refills and the kids meals. All in - a fantastic choice. read more

This rating is based on having the buffet and a sangria. Wanted to get the buffet in order to sample a little bit of several things the restaurant offers. Wasn't sure what everything was, but nearly everything was delicious. This was an impromptu dinner out with the girls, and one of us ordered the grill chicken kebab (I think)....this was some of the juciest, most delicious chicken ever! They were starting free salsa lessons as we were finishing up, and we're thinking about going returning just for the drinks and the salsa lessons. Oh, and not to forget the pita bread. It is so fresh and delicious! If you barely like sangrias, make sure to order theirs. This is how a sangria should be made. Wonderful and will definitely return! read more

I bought a Groupon, as I wanted to try Falafel. Was very disappointed, they were rock hard and served on a plate of vegetables with a side of tahini sauce, not much flavor to anything. Ordered a Greek salad, that was good. Everything was very expensive. Next time will go to Haji Baba's, Falafel peta for $3.89 read more

This place is delicious and a family favorite now that our favorite Lebanese food place closed. The food is delicious, I definitely recommended vegetarian platter. The service is very very slow though. They only had one server working, forgot our drinks and brought out our yogurt dip about 20 minutes after our courses. The food makes it worth it but don't come if you are in a hurry. read more

Decided to drive out to Tempe to try Mijana after getting a coupon and that we all love Lebanese/Greek food. Went there on a Friday night with our toddler son. It was quite busy and they let us know food was 45 minutes out. Not a problem. We ordered apps which came timely along with their hot bread. Then we see things happening...there is belly dancing on the weekends that we didn't know about. It went on until well after we got our food and our son was mesmerized by it. Didn't complain once about being in the high chair for almost an hour but kept his focus on the dancer. And he ate a lot! All the food we had was amazing (we shared a platter for 2) along with the Tzaiki app (best I've had and it was so fresh) and the hummus app (amazing). When we were leaving they were moving tables as they have Salsa dancing too! We will definitely return for the food and entertainment. The only downside was the wait for the check and to go boxes after finishing. read more

I'd never tried Lebanese food, so I was excited about this place. I had a kebab sampler and it all seemed very Greek -- the pita, the hummus, the Taziki, etc. I felt it was a bit overpriced as well; and the belly dancing was a bit loud and annoying. read more

This place was delicious! On Friday nights they have a live belly dancer and later they do Salsa lessons. Super fun and very friendly waitstaff read more

FILTH, FILTH, FILTH My wife and I arrived at exactly 5pm on a Saturday. That is the time they open for dinner. We were the second customers to arrive. My wife went to use the restroom, and she came out wanting to vomit. She states there was urine all over the toilet seat, that had been there for weeks. So she asks me to check out the men's restroom to see if it was in the same condition. Sure enough, it was disgusting! There was urine all over the urinal, urine all over the floor, it stunk like a backed up sewer, and most of all there was urine all in the sink with pubic hairs. WTH! My wife makes mention of their current restroom situation to our waitress. The waitress tells who we assume is the owner/manager of the restaurant of the restrooms condition. He then makes her (our waitress) clean the lady's restroom. Then we see the gentleman who makes the pita bread, go and clean the men's restroom. To top it all off! Our waitress when finished with cleaning the lady's restroom, proceeds to the kitchen area, and places the dirty towel, and cleaning formula, next to the coffee maker. Some mild mentions. The beverages taste horrible. They taste like they come from unfiltered dirty tap water. The beverages ordered were a diet coke, and an iced-t. We asked for our bill, paid and left the restaurant. Mijana! You need to hire a cleaning crew! To have filthy restrooms that look like they haven't been cleaned in weeks, is highly unacceptable. I highly recommend a water filtration system for your beverages. read more

I have been to Mijana for lunch and dinner -I originally tried it on a whim using Groupon. The food is fresh, authentic, excellent. The venue is very large, spacious, and tastefully decorated. The server was friendly and knowledgeable and also let us know about their Friday/Saturday music and dance lessons. I have tried about 6-7 dishes by now and you really cannot go wrong -these are homemade recipes made fresh. Do not pass-up the homemade pita bread and baklava (to die for). I am from Tempe and this is the best Middle Eastern food here! read more

The food is very good. I ordered the lamb shank, and the meat was falling off the bone. The taste was a bit bland, but the rice underneath it was very tasty. They confused our reservation time, wrote it as 6 p.m., when it was actually confirmed as 6:30 p.m. They also tried to seat us at two tables rather than the long table in the center, because they thought we were a reservation of 6 rather than the confirmed reservation of 13. They also confused my order and gave me a yogurt cucumber salad, even though I ordered the cucumber tomato. They told us that they were expecting a wedding party at 8 p.m., and wanted us to vacate the table by then, which we politely did, but it did anger me. I'm not accustomed to being pushed around and hurried out of a restaurant. My family owns restaurants, and we do not treat people so rudely. They need to become better organized and need better customer service. We left at about 8:10 and the wedding party had yet to arrive! read more

Food is OK, but pricey. Service stinks. Way too long to place order and even longer to get food. Will not return.

Purchased a Groupon for this restaurant! Great offer, no exclusions fabulous food & entertainment on Saturday night! You won't be disappointed read more

Mijana, authentic Lebanese at its best, advertising good times and great food. Travel abroad with the tastes and sounds of the Mediterranean, located at 1290 N Scottsdale Rd in Tempe Arizona and tucked away in a strip shopping mall with an upscale Hookah lounge partnership featuring outside dining and social events. Not just a restaurant but a dining and entertainment experience. The inspiration of Mirjana is to dine while relaxing and listening to Mediterranean and Lebanese native songs. On Friday and Saturday evening, entertainment is provided during the meal, such as beautiful belly dancers and musicians. They also offer weekly Cooking Classes with Chef Vivianne. In addition, Mijana offers other enticing entertainment such as Salsa dancing and instruction and on occasion cater to parties, anniversaries, group events and fundraising. Getting to the restaurant was easy to find however, I had to make several U-turns to get to the shopping center. There was ample parking when we arrived at 6:30 p.m. but lighting and the surplus of broken trees made getting into the shopping center difficult. Once arriving, I had to stand in the entrance for several minutes before being greeted by the owner who was less than friendly. I ordered appetizers both a cold and hot Mezza. We ordered the Beirut Special which offered Hummus, Babaghanouj, Falafel, Kibbe and cheese borek. This sampler was presented beautifully on a colorful platter featuring a variety of ethnic specialties. I also ordered the Mirjana Mezza which had a combination of Kibbe, borek, spinach pies, chicken wings and falafel. Overall the appetizers created great conversation, were presented artistically and provided the dinners a sampling of ethnic offerings. Deciding to make an entrée order was a bit more difficult so I enlisted both the wait staff and fellow patrons to guide my selections. From the recommendations, several of our group elected to try the Lamb Shank which was prepared slowly braised, fall off the bone tender with rice and salad. The Lamb shank held up to its promises and was tender and succulent, however, the rest of the group tried the grilled Mashawi which was overcooked, and extremely dry. Selections of both chicken, and beef thinly sliced and heavily spiced accompanied by two dipping condiments of hummus and a garlic and onion based sauce. Overall the dinners experience was underappreciated but the ambiance was nice once the entertainment started. Once the entertainment got underway, the restaurant light up like a firework and displayed color strobe lights, Disco balls and loud ethnic music. The dancer which I assumed would be first of many was beautifully dressed and very engaging. She was friendly and on each dance would go out into the dining area, fetch a patron and entice them in her mystery and rhythmic dancing. She was fun to watch and the entire group was invited to share time on the brightly colored dance floor to show off some utterly astonishing dancing skills. I was, however, a bit disappointed that the belly dancer was short lived offering only momentary entertainment. The dessert selection was limited to a variety of ice creams, not authentic I might add and as well as Tirasamu, Baklava and Kenafe which I hoped would be decoratively presented but instead sadly not ordered or suggested by the lack of Waite staff. When opted for the check it came at an extremely timely delay Overall, the experience was deflating. The owner appeared arrogant and less than accommodating or friendly. The food was dry and over seasoned but the minimal entertainment was engaging and fun to watch. read more

If you eat their meat you will get food poisoning. A bunch of us including kids ate there and we all got diarrhea, bone and body aches. We called him the next day and told him and he said we were the first ones that complained of getting sick. Our friends went there couple of months later and got food poisoning too. They called them and told them and he said he has been opened for 8 years and no one complained. Big liar!! I think health inspectors should check out this place. You don't feel it in their food but you feel ill later from eating their meet. read more

My friend took me out here and we had both heard some good things about it. At the end of the night, he was apologizing to me for how awful the food and service was. We're both Middle Eastern and about the only thing we liked about this place is the atmosphere, which is the only reason I'm giving them 2 stars, I'm being generous! The Food was too expensive, and we had to flag down what seemed to be the only waiter there twice to get our food after waiting over 45 minutes. The food tasted awful and old. Tasted like it was just thawed out and cooked which made it really dry. The entertainment; the belly dancer looked tired and danced like it was a chore that she couldn't wait to finish and only went to tables where most of the drunk guys who were throwing the money at her. Music was way too loud so we had to scream at each other. Never going back there again. read more

Consistently my favorite authentic Lebanese restaurant in Phoenix area! Don't miss out on the good and ambiance, and an always welcoming host! The chicken kabobs and garlic spread are a must, tabbouli never disappoints and you should keep room for kennafeh. Honestly if you love Lebanese food, you found the right place to get your fix! read more

We normally eat at the restaurant, so this was our 1st catering experience at Mijana. We ordered dinner for 120 people. Manesa, the owner, helped make the process so easy. He made food recommendations & accommodated our vegetarian guests by making special dishes not on the menu. Then the day of party, he called early in the day to confirm the order. His son, Trevor, arrived on time and delivered all the food. He set everything on the table. The food was brought in foil pans, so he left some serving platters in case we wanted to use them instead of the pans. He also included serving spoons & tongs. Trevor was so professional & made sure everything was exactly as I wanted before leaving. Our guests kept asking where we ordered from. Everyone absolutely loved the food!!! They were so excited to know we have a restaurant in town that makes authentic middle eastern food. Lots of our guests went back for seconds and we still had enough leftovers to feed another 50 people! Manesa is very generous with his portions. Mijana is definitely my #1 goto from now on!! Thanks Manesa & Trevor! read more

We've always had a good experience in the past at Mijana, but, our last visit was a terrible. Upon our arrival, Netta, a very pleasant server, promptly seated us at a table on the outside patio. No other customers were seated on the patio, and roughly 12-15 people were seated inside the restaurant. We ordered the four piece Kibbe and the Mediterranean Chicken salad. The Kibbe and the fresh out of the oven home made pita bread arrived at our table in about 30 minutes. The Kibbe was delicious and the home made pita bread was addictive. However, the chicken salad didn't get delivered, and after waiting more than an hour, I, then, scouted the restaurant looking for a server; but, none where to be found. After that, I inquired about our remaining order with the bartender. Minutes later, the apologetic bartender delivered the chicken salad to our table. After only consuming a small portion of the chicken salad, we needed to exit the restaurant due to their audio system being cranked up so loud, it was over driving the speakers and clipping the music. Still, no server. I, then, walked into the kitchen and asked the two cooks for a to-go tray. They were clueless. Because of the language barrier, I asked the bartender for a to-go tray. I paid the bill in cash at the bar. Although the food at Mijana is consistently tasty and delicious, the service is beyond terrible, and we cannot recommend Mijana, nor, will we ever visit their restaurant in the future. read more

The food is fresh and tasty! The owner is welcoming and extremely knowledgeable and will talk with you about the cuisine and culture of Lebanon. We found this place through a Groupon that allowed us to take a Saturday cooking class. It was well organized and a lot of fun plus we left extremely full and happy! We plan on coming back to visit for sure. read more

Where should I start from? Let's see. Food is overpriced and average, and I mean average. Service is horrible. Went there last night with my husband, called an hr in advance to confirm that they would take our voucher, and that there is no smoking inside. Well we were told they don't accept groupons after 930. Their staff is extremely disorganized, everyone is eithrr moving tables around, or just standing there not sure what to do. I even saw a few crickets inside, which was a big turn off. They also had hookahs for a large party inside the restaurant, again contradictory to what we were told. Bottom line- not worth it. read more

OK so the service is slow... But it's totally worth it! The food here is amazing. We get the Mixed Grill and always have leftovers. Go for the garlic sauce on your meat- so good. read more

I'm excited for leftovers tonight! - Backstory: My fiance loves Lebanese cuisine, I've never had it before (in the true sense) - I happened upon a Groupon and figured we would try it. Any doubt I had I am kicking myself for. First, the atmosphere is wonderful and our server was super friendly as were the other employees we encountered when we were leaving. We ordered the beirut mezza, a beef kabob and a kofta kabob. Again, cannot wait for leftovers tonight - the beirut mezza was a great sample of wonderful, flavorful items; the babaghonouj was the standout if I had to pick an item off of the plate. AMAZING. The kabobs were wonderful and served with a side of rice that was prefect as it wasn't overly seasoned and a fresh salad of cucumbers and tomatoes. Again, wonderful. As we were eating we were planning our next visit and decided we definitely need to bring a group of friends, the amount of food you get (and for a great price) is great for sharing with a table so you can sample different things. Mijana is now on our go-to list for dinners out. read more

Loved the food! Great happy hour specials and our waitress was terrific! Their homemade pitas are the best in town! The vegetarian platter...yum! I hear they have evening entertainment...we will be back! read more