This place is being repainted inside & out right now, in a gorgeous, bright, light vanilla cream color. It Looks Fantastic! So I decided to give it a whirl... I can't believe I been driving past this place for over a year & haven't stopped! The new paint job looks so beautiful, it's so inviting now... Inside, they have a nice salad bar/hot food bar for lunch! Looks amazing! Next time I'm going to try it! OuiOui :)... First thing I notice is, every table has a shaker of Sumac on it! Every single one! I'm thinking right away, this is the place for moi. I get some hummus, shake shake shake, some sumac, all over it... I'm already in heaven :)... My waiter was a very kind man that told me he would customize my order for me if I wanted to do the combo for two as my hubby wanted me to bring him some. So I got the combo for two with lamb instead of Filet mignon. It came with one chicken Shish kabob, one lamb & two ground beef, grilled veggies & a ton of rice. WOZA! :).... Shake shake shake some more sumac & moi makes a huge dent in the combo by myself. I ate all the chicken, accidentally. (whistling sounds) LOOK at the char on that chicken WOZA! :).... The lamb, superb. The ground beef Shish I usually don't care for. Not this place. The ground beef Shish is fabulous! :)... Shake shake shake some more sumac... I'm in heaven.... So as I'm packing up some to go for hubby, moi super sweet waiter comes by with packets of SUMAC for me to take with me! WOZA!!!! (Mic drop) I'm completely in heaven OuiOui. Added to moi fave restaurants in the Tampa/St Pete areas. Cannot wait to return! Highest Recommendations. read more

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First time here for dinner. Half of us went for the buffet and the other half ordered entrées from the menu Nobody was unhappy with their choices The buffet has something for everyone Different meats, mainly, chicken, and beef, stews, and vegetable dishes I had a lamb kebab entrée which was exquisite. Between the lamb, rice, and grilled vegetables it was a feast The other two entrées that were ordered was a filet mignon and a chicken kebab. They were both enjoyed tremendously Not a lot of wine and beer options, but it was perfect for what we ordered. It is run by a husband and wife and they make sure that the service is exceptional If you like mideastern Mediterranean food, this is a definite go to read more

The Best Persian Restaurant in The Tampa Bay Area. I'm so lucky it's so close to me. Their Kebobs are phenomenal. We went with The Sultani Platter with 3 Kebobs. Steak, Kofta, and Koobideh ( chopped chicken). Absolutely phenomenal. Their food here at Mirage is so Authentic and Delicious. Everyone should check Mirage. BTW. They have a lunch buffet where you can taste a lot of different dishes. Love This Place. read more

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The Mirage is a favorite of mine. I love the weekend buffet. Everything is very tasty and fresh. The staff keep the items well filled and hot. The owner, his wife and the staff are very friendly. They treat you like guests in their homes. I love the fact that they have a belly dancer again. They're was a group celebrating a birthday and a few of the women got up and danced with the belly dancer as well. It was a lot of fun seeing them on the dance floor. Looking forward to going back again soon! read more

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I am not an expert on Mediterranean foods but, ...this food was good! Mirage came highly recommended by a friend, so I gave them a try. The exterior of the building was nothing to brag about, but the interior was neat, well laid out, and clean. The owners of the restaurant were up front to greet dinners. The waitress was prompt and attentive. Mirage features a lunch buffet, so I was able to sample small portions of a lot of offerrings. My first plate was filled with selections from the cold salad station (hummas, pita, Persan picket, baba ganosh, etc.). The entree station had four different rice (balas) preparations. There was Basmati rice, a savory rice and two of the balas were sweetened with fruit and spices. All were tasty. The proteins were primarily chicken selections, but there was a beef koobideh that was also delicious. There were a broad selection of lentil and vegetable stews, so I made multiple trips to the station eating them as a side dish to a protein, over basmati rice and savory rice preparations. It may have been a cultural fax paux, but I treated the falafel like a cornbread muffin as I enjoyed the stewed vegetables and lentils. It was a good meal polished off with a serving of baklava. read more

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We stopped by for the weekend buffet. It's a bit pricey but I feel that we always get our money's worth. The food is always freshly made and delicious. The service is always friendly and speedy. The restaurant is spotless. If you haven't tried the Mirage, I highly recommend trying their buffet. read more

Oh, how I LOVE this restaurant. The only thing that would make it better is if it were closer to Tampa. I'm Persian and love the cuisine, but this is the only real Persian restaurant in the Bay Area! There's one other fast-casual place near Busch Gardens, but they're not on the same level as Mirage. And so every once in a while, we make the trek to Clearwater for this amazing buffet. I first tried Mirage not long after I moved to Tampa in 2019. I was a bit homesick for South Florida (where there are a number of Persian restaurants), and really enjoyed the food. They do offer an a la carte menu, but the buffet is definitely the way to go. There are multiple dips (the must o'khiar is my favorite -- it's basically a Persian tzatziki), veggies, salads, types of rice, kabobs, and stews. The chicken and beef kabobs are delicious. In particular, the chicken kabob's marinade is so flavorful. The beef (koobideh) is great too, but I prefer it to be more well-done than they usually make it for the buffet. I've brought my in-laws here twice now and they've loved it. On our most recent visit, my dad (who is 100% Persian) joined us as well, and he raved about the food. Even my toddler loved almost everything we gave him (and we gave him a lot!). Our server was attentive and made sure our glasses were always filled. Overall, it was a wonderful family meal, and we're already talking about when we'll make the 40-minute drive to go again :) read more

Fresh, Wonderful Persian food and service. We come here regularly and it's always been consistent. The owner and his wife are very sweet and polite - they truly enjoy taking care of others. The meats and produce quality are great, the lunch hot & cold buffets have plenty of lean and heavier options and the service is fast and helpful. Highly recommend. read more

Mirage Restaurant - Kebabs, spinach stew, split pea stew with beef, Salad assortment - Middle Eastern Near Me - Clearwater, Florida

A friend of mine who has been dining at Mirage for almost 20 years brought us there when we tagged along for his birthday celebration recently. We came away understanding completely his loyalty and affection for this place -- friendly, flavorful food, and beautiful presentation all around. A few things to note. Except if you're there on a Saturday evening for dinner and belly dancing, it's not a formal place. Their decor is simple -- where the artfulness and style comes is with the cuisine. Also, we were there on a Wednesday night, so it was very quiet. Weeknights could be a good opportunity to experience their kitchen and service at their most attentive. We started with a hummus appetizer, which was delicious -- rich, creamy texture and served with a drizzle of olive oil, pita wedges, and savory feta cheese. Things just got better with dinner. I ordered their Barg -- a cut of filet mignon seasoned with saffron and grilled, served with their basmati rice. It came at just the temperature I expected and was so good I resisted finishing it so I could have some the next day! But the best dish at the table was the boneless lamb kabob my fiancee ordered. Best flavor, best presentation, best sides -- our server recommended it and it did not disappoint. Finally, the staff surprised the birthday boy with some of the most delicious vanilla bean ice cream any of us have tasted. It was the perfect end to a perfect dining experience. Can't wait to go back! read more

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Mirage is such a hidden gem! I stumbled upon it while visiting Clearwater, and it ended up being the best Persian food I've ever had. I'm still dreaming about everything I ate that day, and I honestly can't wait to go back! read more

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The food was authentic Persian food. The lamb/eggplant stew was the best! The service was great and the owner kept checking up on us several times. read more

Mirage Restaurant - Their dessert! The falooda/ice cream mix! - Middle Eastern Near Me - Clearwater, Florida

This was the first time I've ever visited the Mirage Restaurant and I have to say, it was an amazing experience!! Upon entering, we were greeted by friendly staff that was very hospitable to us!! We were sat at a table immediately. Our server, Ilona, was also extremely friendly, helpful as well with menu selections. The food was served efficiently and was plated beautifully!! Food was hot and had amazing flavor!! The restaurant was very simple which was fine and had an exciting live belly dancing performance!!! I look forward to visiting again soon!!! Excellent work from everyone to make a great experience!!! Highly recommend!!! read more

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Wonderful! Variety and Delicious food. Nice design and clean. Great mix. Fresh. Feeling good. read more

Mirage in Clearwater is a true gem. The food here is absolutely amazing. If you're craving Persian food, this is hands down the spot to visit. read more

Mirage Restaurant - Middle Eastern Near Me - Clearwater, Florida

I don't usually give 5 star reviews unless it's a very good restaurant. This is one of them. I came here with my family. The waiter is friendly and nice. The restaurant is clean, parking is spacious and there is ground deck which I really like. We chose Buffet option cuz you can choose menu or buffet. The food is delicious and spectacular. The beef ground kebab is tender and chewy. There are various rice dishes and I love it the one with cashews and carrots. The dish I enjoyed the most is some green bean and noodle soup. That's one of the best soup I tried recently. Highly recommend this place. read more

Mirage Restaurant - Restaurant logo - Middle Eastern Near Me - Clearwater, Florida

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The food is delicious! My fiancé and I did the buffet for lunch and tried pretty much everything out. The service was very nice and attentive. Will definitely get some more friends and family to come out. read more

Nice food nice buffet with great choices constantly replenished service was good and even a belly dancer on Saturday night read more

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As distance runners, Mirage is definitely one of our go to places to eat after long runs! We love to load up on the different proteins, rice, and salads. And of course, plenty of baklava! The servers are friendly and the restaurant is pretty spacious and clean. Come hungry! You won't regret checking this place out! read more

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Just went last week! I have gone more than several times since my original review and I still stand by my words. One of the best restaurants in the Bay. The food, service and atmosphere continue to exceed my expectations... everytime! read more

Went to Mirage in Clearwater for Lunch buffet. Pros. Best Lebanese & Persian food in town Cons. Expensive. 25$ for lunch without a drink weekdays. I still would recommend this place if you like Mediterranean / Middle Eastern food. I wish it costs a bit less because I would go more often. At the current price, I only go once a month read more

Excellent buffet. So many choices. Best chicken kabob ever! Friendly servers. Beautiful soft music in background. I recommend this restaurant to everyone. Thanks so much from owner of restaurant offering such a great restaurant. Reminds me of home cooking! read more

Khelly khub All delicious Flavors like I remember in Iran Only thing missing was the smell of orange blossoms in bloom!! read more

This place is incredibly welcoming, with excellent staff who make you feel right at home. The buffet includes a wide variety of Persian cuisine, offering authentic flavors. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in experiencing delicious Middle Eastern food. read more

Mirage Restaurant - Delicious basmati rice - Middle Eastern Near Me - Clearwater, Florida

First time we tried Mirage. The food was wonderful. I've been learning about cooking Mediterranean food and wanted to go to this because it was a buffet. The food was delicious and very fresh, and the staff accommodating and willing to share what was in the meal. Try the tea it was great! I learned more about the food. The staff and clientele were welcoming. We ran into a family who had been going there for 26 years :). read more

We tried the dinner buffet! They had all the good persian options and the best thing was everything was fresh!!! Because in my experience most of the time the buffets have like old and not fresh food The qorme sabzi and kabab was perfect. Also get the saffron pistachio fallodeh as your dessert!! read more

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I can't believe I never wrote a review for Mirage before now. This has been my go to restaurant for 20 years. I bring all my foodie friends here. Everything I have ever ordered has been excellent but my favorite time to go is for the lunch buffet. There are a lot of choices and everything is incredible and fresh from the in house made pita to the best feta you've ever eaten. I love the eggplant stew, the rice options, the freshness of all the food. You can't go wrong here. Enjoy! read more

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Whenever I travel, the first thing I look for when eating in an unfamiliar place is the Mediterranean options. And while I usually pass on restaurants that feature a buffet, I'm glad I didn't pass on Mirage as their offerings did not disappoint. There were so many options to choose from that would even please a vegetarian. Everything I tasted from the buffet was delicious. A long-established friendly family run Persian restaurant had many patrons of middle-eastern descent, which I deemed a good sign of authenticity and flavor. My only criticism was the beef koobideh--usually grilled, this appeared oven baked and lacked the flame grilled finish, but still very tasty. Highly recommended. read more

The food was absolutely fantastic!! Authentic food, wonderful and kind owners. Highly recommend trying this restaurant

Great buffet, very welcoming staff! The decor is pretty dated, but the food and service more than make up for it

Dined here last month. and will never return. Chose the buffet. If you know what Persian food tastes like, it's not found here. People who don't know would assume this restaurant is authentic, it is not. The Ghormeh Sabzi was tasteless as Weill as Baghali Polo, simply awful. No Tahdig either, but it probably wouldn't matter. They had ice cream for desert , probably from a carton at Publix, not even the authentic prepared with rose Water...Disgusting. dining experience. Either they don't know how to cook or they dumb it down for the naive clientelle. read more

Phenomenal food with absolutely the kindest staff. They were able to accommodate our company of 14 with ease. THE best person food.

The only place near Tampa (maybe all of Florida) to get real Persian cuisine. I grew up outside DC where there were countless kebob shops. They were all so amazing and I took it for granted once I realized you can't find good Persian food most places. This shop is more of a sit down restaurant than the fast casual shops in the DC/Northern Virginia area. I'm not a "buffet" kind of person but we arrived while they were putting everything out fresh and it was great. If I didn't get there at that time, personally I would have probably ordered off the menu, but that's just because I'm used to it being made to order. Considering there isn't the same demand for great kebabs in Florida, I'm grateful there is at least one place that can give me close to the same experience as the shops I used to frequent so often. read more

I'm pretty mad at myself for not stopping here sooner because this is by far one of the best deals for buffet in the area. The outside doesn't look too appealing and the interior is pretty similar in that it's just plain !! However The food is nothing of the sort , I'm talking super flavorful juicy meats that have that fresh grilled flavor and all the sides you could ask for. I was frantically looking for a spot on Christmas to eat and this happened to be one of the few. The buffet was about 25$ per person and there was kibbeh, lamb and eggplant stew, grilled chicken skewers, chicken kibbeh, hummus, baklava ,pita , lentil rice, falafel, pita, dill rice, dolmeh, taboulei salad don't know if I spelled that right lol and so much more. Oh!! I forgot there is this white yogurt sauce that is a must for the kibbeh. Since there was so much I'm going to list my standouts everything was great except the falafel which was too dry , minimal flavors and definitely needed to be dipped in a sauce of some sorts to make it edible. Kibbeh these brown chunks of grilled meat are spiced and grilled to perfection, this is a must try and pro tip use the white yogurt sauce with this !! You will be in heaven Lamb eggplant stew , I wish I knew the name of this but I was starving at the time and wanted to stuff my face :) anyways this is a slightly acidic dish due to the tomatoes used and the lamb is tender and savory. The eggplant just soaks up the juices and gives a nice texture to the lamb . Very good The baklava was decent because it didn't have much crisp I like a flaky crunchy baklava but flavor wise this was pretty standard. I also noticed there wasn't too much butter flavor or maybe my tastebuds were exhausted from the 3 plates i ate lol. This is truly great food that I will be coming back for soon read more

Mirage Restaurant - Baklava - Middle Eastern Near Me - Clearwater, Florida

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My boyfriends beef dish was phenomenal in every bite. The beef was juicy and rich in flavor. The rice was salty and soft. Possible that butter was added because it had an extra taste that was familiar. The veggies were grilled to perfection - juicy in the center with a fresh crunch still around the edges. We also got coffee and it was some of the best coffee I've had in a while and would stop in just for a cup. The bread was warm when served to us with butter and what I think feta cheese. It was delicious!! My dish was chicken with jeweled rice. The chicken was delicious to taste but I will say that it had a very off smell when it came out. I'm unsure how to describe the smell but the texture and taste wasn't off. It was off putting at first and I grew nose blind to it as I ate. The rice I was not a fan off. Someone else might enjoy the taste if you've ever had baklava since it has that same sweet nutty taste, it's just not for my tastebuds. I didn't get sick from the meal so I'll just take the smell as my nose acting up. It was clean and very busy when we attended with lots of large parties and people coming in. They were kind and accommodating. Parking in the back and accessible. Would come again and try something new. read more

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The place has been here for 21 years. As one of only two Persian restaurants in Tampa, kudos to this family ran restaurant. I tried the weekend buffet and the overall variety of food was good. I liked the high quality rice which is big part of Persian cuisine. My favorite was the Eggplant stew, Khojesteh Badmjune and the plain cucumber Yogurt. Of course I tried the Beef Kabobs, chicken kabobs, and the Shirazi salad. Overall good food, excellent service, and very clean and simple sitting area. The freshly brewed Persian tea was also very much appreciated. If I go back to the area, I'd go back again. The dinner buffet was $24! Not bad! read more

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the food was amazing and the people at the restaurant are very nice! Very good buffet as well.

The greatest friendliest staff/ owners, very welcoming Food is beyond FRESH , great for the soul!! Food is filling without being bloated and feeling sick, always feel great after a meal. If you haven't tried it, definitely stop in and give some new food a try!! I should of too picture of my food but I ate it all already lol read more

This place is an old time favorite of mine. They have amazing food. The best buffet with great options including vegetarian options but not limited too. The food is fresh and has stayed consistent since I could remember. On weekends they have performances from a belly dancer and it gets pretty crowded. During the week they have the lunch buffet till 3pm and it's a great atmosphere, also great for lunch meetings. I highly recommend this place. read more

Mirage Restaurant - Middle Eastern Near Me - Clearwater, Florida

My family and I wanted Middle Eastern Food while on vacation in Clearwater, Florida in Nov 2017. We had a heck of a time trying to find a place near where we were staying and Mirage is a place we kept driving by. We weren't sure about the place I'm glad we decided to stop by. Food was cooked fresh and tasty. The service was okay since they were busy but we did get everything we needed after a short wait. The ambiance not what felt like a middle eastern place much other than music and A few photos but the belly dancer came out, so that was fun. I'd recommend this place to anyone looking for some middle eastern food in the area. read more

I was invited there to meet a friend of mine for dinner... It was my first visit and I was pleasantly surprised with the buffet as well as the belly dancer that came out. I've never had that experience before... she was very kind and even coaxed me into dancing, which I'm not good doing anymore... lol I had a great time! I will definitely return and highly recommend! read more