I came here to try out some food. I have to say that the plaza this place is located in is quite decrepit and divey. Lo and behold, the inside of the restaurant is a barren mess and looks as divey as the parking lot. There was just a worker organizing some dead meat in the middle of the restaurant and listening to very loud music. I stood around expecting someone would service me. After awhile, someone came out and I told them I wanted to order to-go since it was clear they didn't bother setting up any tables. It was then she told me that they don't do to-go and that they can cater. I looked at the menu and it's a normal sit-down type of restaurant menu. Overall, a very peculiar and horrible experience. With how shanty and extremely shady this place is, I came out alive so I guess that's good. read more

Samarkand Restaurant - the dining area with tables and chairs - Russian Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

I walked in here once as there are not many options for Russian food in the valley. Was greeted by a couple of women in banquet server outfits who said they don't serve food there but instead directed me to the Mexican restaurant in the same plaza. Not sure how this place stays open. read more

I came here for a party in their spare space. They really go all out in terms of presentation, sparklers, amount of food, and service. I had a great time, and the waiters are very present and working hard to bring in all the dishes. The tables are really big and comfortable, too. The food was plenty, but it was unfortunately disappointing. I didn't like the sushi, the meat, the rice, or the eggs. I tried a bit of everything and didn't really want to continue eating anything. The only thing I did like was the beef samsas they make. I did have a lot of the Russian bread and the fruit they brought out. They also brought out little sour apples, but a few of them were rotten! So overall, I enjoyed the place and the party, but the food fell short for me. read more

Not good. Horrible taste, bad quality, shady place. Pretty sure things were made with expired (if not rotten) meat. I wish I never went there. I ordered a to-go dinner for myself and my friends, and we all got food poisoning. Disgusting. read more

Just terrific food !! I remembered my mother's special dishes and they have captured all the sytle and flavors. My friend is from Russia and said it was the best food she has eaten since leaving her country. The service and food are wonderful . Absoutely 5 stars for the quality. read more

This five star review is very personal. If I wasn't me, it would get a 3 or 4. But let me convey my feelings. It might make you want to go check it out. I'm a Ukrainian Jew. I used to be a Russian Jew, because when my parents came to the US as refugees, it was ALL just one big, happy, Russia dominated prison camp. Er, did I say prison camp? I meant happy smiley camp. But I digress. So imagine my surprise upon moving to Arizona when I drove past Samarkand Restaurant a block away from my apartment. I came back. I saw that it was Glat Kosher (the the highest level of kosher). Bukhara Jews from Uzbekistan. Wow! So what you get is pretty much as authentic as, Uzbeki food gets. With a Soviet twist... they have borsch. You can't eat there. Unless you're having a party. This is what local Russians - there I go again! People from the former Soviet Union - use it for. It's basically a take away place. I got the ploff and the Uzbek version of piroshki, samos which come with a delicious roast eggplant-based salsa which was probably my favorite of the dishes. All amounting to comfort food for an old soviet refugee like me. The food was good. Not spectacular but good, and the portion was large. The ploff was super traditional, except made with beef instead of lamb. The easily fixed problem? It wasn't spicy enough for me. Anyway, it was a wonderful stroll down memory lane. I'll try the borsch next time. read more

If you're looking for a laid-back dining experience, Samarkand Restaurant will be the place! I walked in on a Thursday afternoon and noticed no one was working the dining area...a man had set up 4-5 chairs together to create a makeshift bed and was dozing away! There was another family dining there at the time and we exchanged bewildered looks. Sensing the restaurant may be closed for a private event--the tables and chairs looked like they were prepped for a wedding banquet--I stuck my head into the kitchen to see of anyone was working on the back. There was a lady working and she said the restaurant was open and to have a seat! After I was seated she came out with the menu and I ordered a pitcher of compote, samosas, and grilled lamb chops. The compote was ice cold and appeared to be freshly made earlier in the day. The meal came with a salad, which was also quite fresh, with lots of tomatoes, cucumbers, and rosemary in a dressing. It was quite tasty and the serving is generous. The samosas came out hot and fresh with a tomato-based dip. The pastry is crisp and the filling is flavorful. The main course, however, was less than my expectations. While the lamb was grilled well, came on a platter with sliced onions and mashed potatoes, the meat did not taste as fresh as I expected. It tasted more like something from a "reduced for quick sale" section of a Safeway meat department! Nevertheless it was edible and I did consume the entire course. It seemed as if I came to Samarkand on a wrong day and I am convinced I should give it another chance the next time I am in town! read more

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How many Uzbeki Jewish restaurants have you been to recently? Yeah, I thought so. Well, if you're ever curious, here's your chance, right here in Phoenix. Samarkand is in a nondescript strip mall (isn't this how I describe every other restaurant in Phoenix?) on 19th Ave just south of Northern. Curious about this joint the countless times I've driven by it, I finally decided to head there for lunch one day. The family that runs the place is speaking in Russian in the back and all of a sudden stops and looks at me. No other customer is in here besides myself, which is fine. The wife comes forwards, greets me warmly, and hands me the menu. I survey the surroundings. Photos of the blue domed mosques that Samarkand is famous for. A disco ball hanging from the ceiling, because sometimes you just have to put down your peroshki and party. A television set is on, tuned into (from what I can tell) the Russian equivalent of the Home Shopping Network. At this current moment, Svetlana is hawking a cyclonic vacuum cleaner. I try my best to make sense of the Cyrillic captions, but I give up. And then there, on the far wall, a grand painting of Moses parting the Red Sea. It all comes together. The wife comes back. I ask her that I want to try traditional Uzbeki food. She looks at me as if I have a learning disability, but in a motherly way. "It is all traditional food." Yeah, ok. I knew that. I haven't had borscht in ages, so I order a bowl of it. I also order a lipioshka, which is traditional Uzbek bread. It looks like a giant danish in a way: it's round, with a thick fluffy outer ring and and thinner center, sprinkled with toasted sesame seeds. And to round out the meal, a couple skewers of marinated beef sheesh kebabs. While my hostess goes back to the kitchen, I play Mystery Science Theater 3000 with the Russian soap opera which has just begun. I get into it. Sergei: "Natasha, I knew you were lying the moment you said you were going to go to the Gorky Park concert. Because, really, who goes to a Gorky Park concert in 2007 Moscow? They only play 'Bang! Bang!' in gypsy carnivals in Vladivostok." Natasha: "Nyet, Sergei. I did go to the Gorky Park concert. In front of the Red Square McDonalds. I am the president of their fan club. We have 3 members. But Sergei, my name is not Natasha. I'm Ludmilla. Who is this Natasha? TELL ME, WHO IS THIS NATASHA?! Answer me!" *slap* Before I get too carried off in my head, the food arrives. The borscht is a lot more brothy than I was expecting. Don't get me wrong, it's still good, but I was expecting a thick, deep purple soup. I'll chalk that up to mostly eating Russian food cooked by Russian friends of mine. The soup still has ample shreds of beets and carrots though. And even though sour cream and I aren't the best of friends these days, I would have taken one for the team and put some in my soup to bring out the flavor. But there was no sour cream brought to my table. However, the bread, this lipioshka, was awesome. The various tastes and textures between the outer ring and the center was great, and perfect for dunking a bit of it into my soup. I could have ordered a few of these and that could have been my entire lunch, no complaints. About 10 minutes later, the skewers arrived. Very unadorned - they were exactly as advertised: two skewers of beef. And that's it. I was expecting great things, but somehow I was a little underwhelmed. The beef tasted a little gamy to me, but maybe it's how it should be and I haven't acquired the taste yet. I don't know. On the plus side, it was really juicy and cooked just right. All in all, though, I'd say it was worth the trip. The lipioshka alone merits a few more visits. Service is friendly, and I'm guessing the main crowd comes in for dinner and subsequent partying under the disco ball, because I was the only customer they had at lunchtime. Which is a good thing, I guess, because A) you have their undivided attention and B) when you don't, you have Sergei and Ludmilla (not Natasha) to entertain you. 3 stars. May increase with future trips. read more

Samarkand Restaurant - a sign for a restaurant - Russian Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

The sign outside proclaims that the place is Russian. But if you consider that the city of Samarkand is one of the largest cities of Uzbekistan, you won't be surprised to note that the restaurant has strong Middle Eastern influences, and these influences are reflected in the murals and the menu. My friend and I came in mid-afternoon so we were pretty much the only people there. We ordered eggplant salad, cabbage salad, and kababs; all were quite tasty and filling, especially with the samples of the dense Uzbek lepeshka bread the friendly hostess gave us. A really nice Russian lager complemented the fine meal. I'll definitely be back; I need to try the more mainstream-Russian dishes next time. read more

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Sunday dinner never tasted so good. We drive by all the time and eat next door at Las Glorias but had never tried Russian. Lamb rib kabobs....need I say more. Wow. The Borscht was amazing, served with mayo on the side. The tomato salad was refreshing and Peroshky, filled with lamb and a tomato relish topped the chart. Check out Russian in Phoenix. read more

This is my first experience with Kosher Uzbekistan food and it was not disappointing at all. The owner was very nice and helped us order and I was pleased with it all. There were 3 of us so we ordered a few different things to try out. We got a pitcher of Kompot which is a refreshing fruit drink, its pretty much a hodgepodge of fruit (cherries, berries, prunes, apricots...) and it has a very light taste, not sweet like most juices, I'm looking into making some myself, we all liked it. We also got a fresh salad( just tomatoes and cucumber which seems like a bland boring salad but it wasn't) it had some really nice flavors, Lepeshka Bread (hot dense bread) and Samsa (meat filled pie) which were very good as well. And then there were the kabobs... oh my were they tasty. We ordered a lamb, chicken, and beef kabob and they were all delicious. They food is very filling but much worth it and am looking forward to eating there again. read more

This place is very off-the-beaten-track, I'm sure most people overlook it....I only came across it whilst searching online for somewhere 'different' to eat...and when I came across the review on the Phoenix New Times website(http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/2005-02-10/dining/sultans-of-shish/), I knew this was it... I only docked a star for the (extremely) sparse decor and atmosphere...this place could have been any other type of business with just a change of sign and omission of tables... anyway, the food was great! my fiance ordered skewers of beef and lamb(I'm not too keen on lamb, but the beef was tender and succulent...very well spiced!)...I had a cucumber salad(diced, along with onions and parsley, and soaked in vinegar-lemon juice), which enchanted me so much that I created my own version at home and make it every time I feel like doing a bit of dicing(msg me for the recipe--it's a bit death-breathy and labor-intensive but delicious!)... and, during dessert, I could see why Samarkand was voted 'Best Tea in Phoenix'...the black tea was easily the best I've ever had(besides a special brand of blue ginger tea I make a point to keep my cabinet stocked with)...it was strong and rich...absolutely incredible! definitely make it a point to search this place out--it's worth the effort! read more

This is my first review on Yelp and Samarkand is the restaurant that inspired me to register and write my first review. Unfortunately, this is not a good thing. This restaurant was utterly disappointing and has set a new low point in my culinary experience. I went in for lunch on a Monday with a friend. We walked in to the restaurant to find it empty and decorated with "Happy 1st Birthday" banners. We thought that they were closed for a private party and my friend suggested we should go somewhere else.. I should have listened. After spending a minute or two shouting "hello", we were greeted with a nice lady who assured us they were open and sat us down on one of the many empty tables. The place was clean, but had a "funky" smell to it. Since we had never had Russian food we decided to be adventurous. We ordered some home made fruit drink that did not agree with our palates, and sumsa (which is bread, filled with ground beef and onions) to start with. We also ordered some bread (can't remember the name) to eat with our marinated lamb and marinated beef sheesh kabobs. Fruit drink: Did not finish. Not for us, not sweet, had an odd aftertaste. Sumsa: Did not finish: Tasted and smelled like the meat filling had gone rancid before cooking. Bread: Majority consumed. Tasteless, but edible. Marinated Beef: Did not finish. Tough, chewy and tasteless. Marinated Lamb: Did not finish. Chunks of fat on bone. No meat to be seen. Absolutely disgusting. Needless to say, I will not be returning, or recommending this place to anyone. I wish I could rate this place to zero stars, but Yelp does not allow for it. NOTE: No one else came in to eat at the restaurant the entire time we were in it (peak lunch hour time). read more

I'm going to echo some of the other reviews on here. This restaurant is close by my office so I tried it for lunch, recently. Upon entering, the place looked deserted. The dining room is attractive, but seemed to be set up for a birthday party. It looks like it was remodeled recently. After making a bit of noise for about 3-4 minutes, a lady came out and seated us. The woman was very friendly and did a good job making recommendations. The food took a while to arrive. The soups we had were great and so was the salad. We had some shish kabbabs (lamb, beef and sea-bass). The beef and sea bass was good, but the lamb had bits of bone and was fairly gristly. The rice was good for the first few bites and then I got a mouthful of slimey wierdness once I got through the top layer. If you ask for water, you get a bottle of Aquafina, which is fine, but unexpected. While we were eating, another party showed up (that makes 2 groups total). Even though the place was almost empty, it took almost 10 minutes to get our check and another 5 to pay. This wait would have been expected in most parts of Eastern and Western Europe, unfortunately it can be a deal-breaker someone who has a limited time for lunch. I hate to sound overly negative about Samarkand, because the people working there are actually quite nice and some of the food was good. I will keep it in my lunch rotation and see what happens in future visits. read more

A friend of mine has been going on and on about this place! So finally, he and I went to lunch there! Like Mr. K, we were the only ones there for lunch. The same thing happened, walked in and staff stopped talking, looked at us quizzically, smiled and ushered us to take a table. My only other experience with "Russian" food was in Berkeley, and it was run by sophisticated Muscovites. So having a family style Russian meal simply intrigued me in wondrous ways. It was obvious from the buzz and the extra elaborate decor that there was a party planned for later that evening. The disco ball was adorned with navy blue satinized ribbons matched with silver Mylar. I had to ask my friend if this was usual, and he said no...it's extraordinary. Our suspicions were confirmed when we started ordering, "No we don't have. no we don't have. no we don't have. We have big party." Okay...so she suggested alternatives to what we initially wanted. We ended up with cabbage salad, bean salad, borscht, bread, beef kebab, lamb kebab...oh the eggplant salad also. We had a lot of food for two people! The food was definitely home-y. I would put this restaurant on my quarterly circulation, but I can't see myself visiting more frequently. It's too out of the way for me. My rec...go for lunch and have the lamb kebab and borscht, you'll be full for hours! read more

For years I heard about borscht and pirozhki amongst other Russian and East European favorites. I always wondered what the hype was about borscht. The problem is that there aren't many Russian eateries in Phoenix (just this place and another up north, that I know of) so I never had the chance to try out this cuisine. Then a Russian friend told me about a Russian-Uzbeki place he heard about called Samarkand Restaurant and naturally I went, and he came along with me. We've actually been there twice already. Like Mr. K's review said, it's in a strip mall which sits directly across the street from another strip mall in which the Russian Market resides (I have reviewed the Russian Market too). We walked in and immediately got a whiff of some sort of soup (it was pelmeni soup, more on that later) and got an eye full of the nice decor (they did some decorating since Gina W's earlier review); mirrored walls with pictures of domed mosques, a chandelier, gold inlay adorned tile floors, fancy dishware set out on each table, and of course, traditional Uzbeki-Russian music playing overhead. Behind the counter there's a framed picture of Mike Tyson himself posing with with Svetlana and her husband at the restaurant. Apparantly Mike has a taste for more than just mutulated ears and he has stopped by a few times for a bite (no cheesy pun intended). We stepped forward and Svetlana greeted us, told us to take a seat, and handed us menus. The food is actually pretty good. This is what we ordered on our first and second visits: ------------------------------ First visit: We weren't fully familiar with the menu, so Svetlana sat down and walked us through the menu. I got: **Borscht - The infamous borscht that I had heard so much about. It was pretty good; tasted similar to what I thought it would taste like. **Pirozhki - Small meat filled pies approximately the size of a dinner roll. You'll find these under the appetizer section as "Samsa", the Uzbek alternate name, but they'll know what you mean by pirozhki. My friend and myself loved these. We ate a couple of them. l recommend you get a couple of these, you won't regret it. Our second visit was mainly inspired by the pirozhki and lipioshka alone. **Lipioshka - A danish-like round bread served hot and fresh. We shared it, and much like Mr. K, we also really liked it and it's very filling. This bread comes with a tasty sauce that you dip the lipioshka into. It's much like salsa but with a greener/leafier taste. I recommend also getting the lipioshka along with the pirozhki. **My friend also got pelmeni soup and two marinated beef kebabs with a complimentary side of rice. ----------------------------- Second visit: Like the first time, we asked for pirozhki and a lipioshka again. This time I decided to try the pelmeni soup and I came to find out that the whiff that you first get as you walk in is that of this soup. I really don't know why it smells like pelmeni, seeing as to how it's obviously not the only thing that's prepared there. Anyhow, the soup itself is simple but good. It's basically ravioli squares stuffed with beef in a broth with a sort of grass. Very filling. Again, my friend ordered some kebabs with rice and onions. ----------------------------- Just like another reviewer said, you will be full for hours. We will be going back to Samarkand later on. (If you are wondering about price, my friend and myself spent $15-$17 each, both times there.) I recommend it because the food is good and filling and besides, how many other Russian-Uzbeki joints have you seen around town? None right? Then here you have the opportunity to experience a culinary rarity. And If a tough nail like Mike Tyson likes it, then you know it must be good. And besides, you wouldn't want to disagree with Mike's choice; we know what happens when someone has a disagreement with him. Just watch the news. It's not pretty. read more

Samarkand Restaurant - Zoom into the menu on Internet Explorer by clicking the magnifying glass and "100%" on the bottom right corner of the browser. - Russian Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

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Loved this place!! Food excellent. Personal service. Make sure to call first to be sure they are open and serving (they also cater events). We loved it!! And not too expensive either read more

Ok to start with I know it is advertised as Russian dining. It is not. It is Uzbeck and the service and food is representative of this former Soviet region. Service is Soviet minimal. Also it is advertised as Kosher. I read many come in and are upset they have no sour cream with their Borsh. Kosher does not allow mixing meat and dairy, so sour cream cannot be mixed with meat in Borsh. I have ate here several times and each time I hope the food is better than the last time. Never achieved. The Borsh has only a passing acquaintance with a beet. Thin and watery thus the pink not deep red color. The meat once passed for beef. Now I must admit the second time I was there the Lamb kabob was flavorful and juicy, not like the first time when it was fatty and contained very little actual meat. I do not feel the need to continue with berating this establishment. It's food is edible if you are not expecting much. The price is cheap and if you are there the day the bread is delivered it is fresh and tasty. Maybe the Kashrut inspecting Rabbi could evaluate food quality a little more. read more

Ate here for the first time tonight and It was great. Everything we ordered was fresh, hot and delicious. Owners are very accommodating and extremely welcoming. We were treated and welcomed as a family member. Highly recommend it. read more

This was possible the most laughably obscure dining experiences of my life. I wanted to like this place so much. If there was one food I could eat for the rest of my life, I would probaly choose borscht, and maybe lamb kebabs. This place has both, and desperate to flex my Russian language and culture muscles in Phoenix, I went into this restaurant on a Saturday afternoon to grab a menu to find the place completely empty. We left to go shopping and returned over two hours later to find this place still empty, but we sat down after the great reviews, and my over-powering love for Russian and Middle Eastern food. No one greeted us, and we stood in the doorway calling, "Hello?" at an increasing volume. After several minutes I wandered into the kitchen and asked if they are open, to the disgruntled and seemingly annoyed owners that said yes. The lady that I assume was the owner was very nice, she helped us navigate around the bread menu and recommended the Kompot, which was a little sweeter than I have experienced before, but was still decent. Her husband in the kitchen was yelling at her the entire time not fifteen feet from our table, and I never complain about ambience, but even this bothered me. The borscht came, which was large chunks of beets cut into thirds, and carots nearly whole boiled in water. I know I am used to the creamy Saint Petersburg borscht and this is more of an Uzbek restaurant, but it was so flavorless and disappointing I had to add table salt to the clear pink broth (and I really hate salt). The lamb was all gristle and fat, and the chicken was very dry. I asked the owner/our server if she had any sour cream for the borscht. She looked at me with a blank stare without saying anything, so I asked the same question in Russian, to which she stared at me as if I was a moron that asked her for a golden pony. She said no, and disappeared into the kitchen without a word. Halfway through the meal a young woman came into the restaurant and started speaking frantically to me, in a language that was neither English or Russian. She grabs my arm and starts to corral me towards the kitchen (as I am still mid bite, chewing) and places what I think was a business card in my hand and yells at me pointing, to what I assume was a command to give it to the owner. After I swallow and get past my initial moment of absolute puzzlement of why I have to do this, I notify the owner that someone is looking for her, and walk back to my table, very confused. The owner screams at the girl until she runs out the door, and without pause or apology, refills our water glasses with a smile. I will break from my story to address the decor in which everyone seems to be upset about. It was probably on of my favorite aspects of the dining experience. Blue ocean wallpapers and mirrors gave this small restaurant a unique and more open feel, and it felt distinctly like Uzbekistan. It was certaintly not a 5 star dining experience, so who expects the decor to match? So after we paid and left, we mumbled with a confused laugh that the dining experience was...well, an experience, but I will probably not return. I reviewed this a few months late, so perhaps they have gotten their act together, or maybe just came on a very peculiar day? Nevertheless, I will probably not return and just make my own Russian food at home. read more

Funny they speak Russian, but named and serve Uyghur Style food which is Western China.

I do like exploring different Kosher restaurants around the country and they're usually okay. I went with a party of ten, so I expected the service to be a bit slower, which is fine. Our waitress was very nice and helpful. She let us taste all of the appetizers. I have to point out, the hummus was very good. The food was good, I had the lamb chops. The french fries were excellent. The entire menu was very reasonably priced. Overall, I'd give it four stars. read more

Staying in downtown Phoenix for work conference. Drove out here (25-30 minute drive from downtown) only to find the place locked at 6:30 pm on a Wed. night. Hours clearly state open Sun-Thurs 10 am-9 pm. No answer when I called. Not cool. read more

Samarkand Restaurant - two different views of a restaurant - Russian Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

I am Russian so I love having a little bit of home right here in Arizona. Food and service are excellent!

I went with a group. It's surprising how few Russian choices are on the menu for a restaurant that labels itself as Russian. Menu definitely leans towards Middle-eastern fare. Two of us ordered the beef stroganoff, while two ordered kabobs. The diners with kabobs said they were fine, but the two of us who ordered stroganoff received a bowl of frozen vegetables with watery broth and hard little pellets of some kind of meat that still had the fat on it. It was nothing like stroganoff and the waitress took away full bowls without comment. The lepeshka bread was very good, except for the underside of about a third of it being burned black. How do you serve burned bread to a paying customer? But I guess they're passing off frozen vegetable soup as beef stroganoff, so that's where the standards are here. On the plus side, the dining area was spotless. read more

I've stopped in twice during normal hours and was told they were currently not serving?!?! If third try is a charm, we may never know.

It only took 10 minutes at lunch and already we had the sneaking suspicion that this was a great place. Clean, neat, friendly and oh, the food! Like so many places in Phoenix Samarkand is not a treat from the outside, but the food is out of this world. The 4 of us had the lunch special at the recommendation of the one of us who had been there before (Oksana) - and that was a great decision. The main entree was lamb chops cooked in a unique and special way with wonderful spicing, on a bed of precious sweet rice and vegetables, plus dumplings and Russian beer - we were in heaven. We'll be back and report more, but this is a keeper - highly recommended and worth the drive, near 19th Ave and Dunlap. read more

A super weird place... I called to make a reservation for the next day for a group of 6 at 6:30-7. A woman that picked up the phone said that there was no reason to reserve and to call back the next day around 4 to pre-order appetizers so they would be ready when we come in. I confirmed that they will be open, will be able to accommodate 6 people for dinner and that calling tomorrow will be fine. I got affirmative answers to all three questions. I call back the next day at 4, the same woman answers, and... I'm told that they have a private party and the restaurant is fully booked. To my astonished reminder of our prior conversation I was told: we close at 5, you can't come at 6:30. Totally confused I ask again if they are closed or have a private party. To this I was told that it should not matter to me since I can't come any way and, after saying a curt bye, the woman hung up. One might try to write this off to a language barrier, but I won't since I spoke to her in Russian... read more

The food is authentic Russian with quite a few Uzbek dishes. All were well prepared. The prices are reasonable and the service is average, but the food made up for it, read more

I love this restaurant and it's the best place I have ever been strongly Recomend to go there. I travel and I eat at all types of restaurants but this one is very special. This is a middle easter Asian Jewish Russian Arabic food owned by Jewish owner by name Mira and Motik. Glat kosher and food is amazing and like home made always fresh you just need to know what to order. read more

I want to actually rate this restaurant. I have tried to come here two times now but they do a great business in private parties and shut down for regular business. This may be my last week in Phoenix so I might not get a chance to sample what sounds like a phenomenal Kosher Uzbeki dining experience. I look forward to being able to change my review to one where I've actually eaten there. My advice CALL AHEAD CALL AHEAD CALL AHEAD read more

Drove all the way from PHX airport and they were closed, although their listing said they were open :( :( :(

We went there for lunch. The food was so so. When we were finished the waiter said that his credit card machine was broken and we had to pay cash. No warning before we ordered. I think he pocketed the cash I gave him. I was lucky to have enough cash to pay the bill since i normally don't carry much cash. I was very angry. I strongly suggest you stay clear of this place. read more

The food here was good when we went about 2:00 pm. We were only customers there. The Samarkand is a mom and pop place. The wife tried to be helpful but her English was very limited. Fortunately there was a young man, Jonathon, who was there from the Rabinite whose job it is to make sure everything is kosher. He was a great help to us in ordering. We got a pickled salad of whole pickled tomatoes, and egg plant. Then came some bread which cried for butter. Little meat pies came next and were quite good with a tomato-based sauce, thicker than salsa but without the mexican pepper spice taste. Next we had a skewer apiece of lamb and beef shishkabob on a base of wonderful rice w/ slices of raw onion. Of course we had hot tea to go with it all. Inside the restaurant, it was clean and nice. Much better than you would think it would be from outside. Would have liked to see some sort of sauce to go on the shishkabob and rice. Was good but a bit pricey but not terribly so. Jonathon wound up sitting at our table and talking to us during the meal (at our invitation). We really enjoyed his company. Thank you Jonathon for making our lunch into something special. We'd go back again and try more and varied dishes. Perhaps we'll find a saschlik (which they seem to call shihkabob) with a sauce. All in all a very enjoyable meal. read more

Unfortunately, I didn't actually get to eat here. I called about a week ago to make reservations for a big group. The pleasant lady I talked to set us up for Saturday evening at 7 pm and asked me to call the day before to confirm with a final headcount. When I called, I was told by the man who answered the phone that they are closed on Saturdays. I tried to explain that I had spoken to a woman who said they would serve us, he hung up on me. Bottom line, don't count on this place for reservations!! read more