I had an amazing dining experience at Safta!…read more The wine list is well curated, both thw BTG and bottle list was impressive. We chose an Areni wine, the Yacobian Hobbs. I was excited to try after watching a documentary on the Somm channel about that specific winemaker. The wine was delicious. I was so happy to see small boutique wine from the Santa Barbara area like Amevive and A Tribute to Grace. Our server Yvonne guided our menu choices thoughtfully and enhanced our experience with excellent service. We started with watermelon feta salad with baby cilantro, walnuts, and harissa oil. The watermelon was cool, sweet, and crisp and the flavors balanced perfectly. If you are a pickle lover you must get the pickles. I think i will be dreaming of them. The pickled cabbage, okra, califlower and snap peas were just the best! The pitas were puffy but not hollow and warm. There was also an olive oil dipping sauce that complemented everything. Star of the show for me was the forgaged mushrooms and hummus. These were the most delicious mushrooms and snoothest hummus I have ever experienced, and i think there might be magicians in the kitchen. Our other dishes were cabbage and eggplant. Both taste explosions, done masterfully with a sauce, color and texture. This food is truly incredible, highly recommend. I am in Denver for work, anytime I travel back to Denver I will for sure return to Safta.

Great food, but the policies left a bad taste at the end…read more We came for brunch as a group of four and genuinely loved the food. Everything was flavorful and well prepared, the cocktails were excellent, and the atmosphere was great for catching up and having a conversation. From a food standpoint, Safta absolutely delivered. Unfortunately, the experience went downhill when the bill arrived. Our $282 subtotal included a mandatory 5% "Employee Benefits Charge" ($14.10), which the receipt specifically states is not gratuity and is used to support employee wages, benefits and paid leave. I would much rather restaurants simply price their menu to reflect the cost of compensating their employees than add another mandatory fee to the bill while guests are still expected to tip. More frustrating was the restaurant's unwillingness to split our check appropriately. There were four of us, only three drank alcohol, and we were told they would only split the bill in half. Of course four adults can do the math ourselves--and we did--but with modern POS systems, this feels like an unnecessarily customer-unfriendly policy, especially at this price point. Parking was another $16 with no validation, bringing the cost of the experience up even further. Finally, brunch is $50 per person and served buffet-style. The food was excellent, but I personally don't enjoy all-you-can-eat dining. I'd much rather order a fantastic entrée and perhaps share a couple of things and take home what we didn't finish. Bottom line: Excellent food, cocktails and atmosphere, but between the $50 buffet, 5% employee benefits fee, restrictive check-splitting policy and $16 unvalidated parking, the overall experience didn't match the hospitality I expect at this price point. We really enjoyed the meal, but unfortunately these policies are enough that we wouldn't return.

Delicious authentic food! The staff is friendly and prices are reasonable, especially for an…read moreamazing meal. We love the chicken shawarma and hummus plate.

Amira is located on a strip mall next to several other places. There is parking right out front…read more You order at the counter and then seat yourself. We got the grape leaves, baba ghanoush, and meat combo plate. The grape leaves were (3/5) because i liked how vinegary they were but the rice was a tad overcooked and I found a hair rolled in one of mine....... Baba (4.5/5) because it had a great flavor! Meat combo (3.8/5) because the chicken was a bit hard and dry but the lamb kebab was good and so were all the sides it comes with. The chicken just didn't quite have the charcoal flavor that i love. Overall, I'd consider coming back because i love supporting small, local, businesses. But our total was quite pricey to find a hair in the food and for hard chicken.

Such a phenomenal restaurant. We've been twice in the last 2 weeks. Everyone is SO friendly and…read moreattentive. We had Issac as our server on our most recent visit, he was fantastic- great recommendations, knowledgeable on menu, attentive, and just enjoyable to interact with. 10/10 food and service; will continue coming back, love love this restaurant.

Ash'Kara is always at the top of my list when I'm craving incredible Mediterranean food. The food…read moreand service is truly top notch, and every dish is packed with amazing flavor. To start, the hummus, pita, and htipiti are a must, obviously! And the za'atar-spiced fries are seriously addicting -- I could eat an entire order myself. Both salads are fantastic and are the perfect addition to the meal. But for the main course... DO NOT leave without ordering the za'atar roasted chicken, bavette steak, and wood-fired carrots. You will be missing out if you do! Every single time we've gone, everything has been cooked to absolute perfection, and the flavors are immaculate. Honestly, I'd lick my plate clean.

The food here is delicious! I got to try the beef shawarma plate which had perfect bite sized…read morepieces of shawarma that I didn't even need to cut further. It came with a side of plenty of rice and onions with sumac. They also brought out some fresh flat bread, dips and a few sides. My husband ordered the chicken shawarma sandwich that came with crispy fries, tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, hummus and a dip which paired perfectly with the sandwich and fries. We also ordered the lahmacun pizza which is a fun take on one of my favorite dishes. I recommend trying this restaurant out plus there is a delicious bakery next door with lots of middle eastern pastries and ice cream. I have no pictures sadly as everything was devoured so quickly. It was fairly cold in the restaurant but it was very clean with lots of open space. The server was super nice and very attentive.

Wanted some middle eastern food and Baghdad came highly recommended. Food was great, service was…read moreexceptional (Thanks Aransa) and the price per portion size was amazing. You get a TON of food with an entree. We took home half of what we ordered. So...in reality - if you order 2 entrees you get enough for that meal and another one. Rating it 4 starts as the chicken could have been a little moister, but it was awesome as it was. We will be back.

This is a real find along Arapahoe Road, which finally has a good number of local and ethnic places…read moreand not just chains. It's Persian food, so not exactly the same as the menu at your standard Middle Eastern places, but don't be afraid to try something new. They do their takes on kabobs, stews and marinated meats, and they are very good at all of them. They want you to have a different experience than the typical hummus and shawarma places so let them take you to a new part of the world. There is a liquor license, which might be a little surprising, but don't forget to try their black tea as well. We've had good friendly service when we've gone, and this will continue to be one of our preferred places when in this part of town.

This place is a hidden gem! We were wowed by the quality of the meats, especially the lamb, steak,…read moreand saffron chicken. Everything was juicy, flavorful, and cooked perfectly. We ordered a side of grilled veggies expecting maybe one skewer, but it came as a full plate. The char on the vegetables added a delicious, authentic touch. We also tried all three desserts: the baklava, the funnel cake with donuts, and most especially the rose ice cream with crushed pistachios. The ice cream had a soft, homemade texture and a delicate floral flavor that really stood out. Portions were huge, which we love because we enjoy having leftovers. The place is clean, walk-in friendly, and the staff was helpful and attentive. We'll definitely be back!

Good food, good service, calm environment, extremely nice servers. Would eat here again.read more

I have to start out my review by mentioning that I was in University Hills the other week for the…read morefirst time in a long time and was excited to try one of the middle eastern restaurants down there (in lieu of Damascus, my former go-to in the area). I won't say which, but boy, was it a letdown. The falafel were like little hockey pucks and the pita were like cardboard, flat and stale-tasting. I didn't think you could screw up pita. Only the hummus was passable. All this to say that I have been SPOILED by moving within walking distance of the Byblos in Alamo Placita, which is where a little taco place used to be. It's in a sweet little spot with patio seating on the corner of 4th and Corona, but the draw is really the food. I can't vouch for the meat dishes as a vegan, but WOW is their pita soft, fresh and flavorful, and they replenish it readily. Their hummus is excellent, their baba ghanoush is the best I've had since leaving the greater Boston area (with its abundance of outstanding ethnic restaurants) and the eggplant moussaka is fantastic. Plus they put this fully vegan cream dressing on the garden salad that is out of this world. Byblos has completely ruined me for a lot of other restaurants. As I'm writing this I think I've talked myself into going there for lunch!

I look forward to any meal involving Mediterranean or Middle Eastern cuisine. My friends and I were…read morehanging out near Yemen Grill and each placed an online order for pickup. The first few orders were ready so quickly! We realized we really backed up the kitchen and should have done it as a group... but everything was so delicious! I got a Shawarma Plate. Fresh and balanced flavors. Someone got Dolmas as a side, and those were tasty as well. I wish they had more photos of dishes on their website, but it really seemed like you couldn't go wrong. I'd be interested in checking out the actual restaurant since I wasn't the one who did the pickup. Next time!

On a hot day, we needed something that was refreshing and easy to eat…read more Gryo wrap 8.5/10 - Had a good amount of seasoned meat married with the sauce and vegetables. Gyro plate 9/10 - It's always my favorite dish when I see on a menu. The meat was crispy and when you dip it in the hummus and rice, wow! The salad and greens added the lightness to balance everything out. We each also got a drink to cool off. She got the fresh mango juice and I got the lemon with mint. Both were 10/10. Freshly made and tasted amazing.

One of my co-workers says this is his favorite restaurant. I can see why. Outstanding turkish food…read more Super tiny restaurant with only like 4 or 5 tables. Super tiny parking lot that only has a few spots, but plenty of street parking nearby. Inside is clean enough, but definitely doesn't sparkle. You can see the kitchen with the giant gyro rotating on the roaster. They do tons of takeout business. If you want to dine in for dinner, then I suggest arriving around or before 5 because the place fills up fast. Otherwise, be prepared to wait for a table. My co-worker tells me that the best thing to get is the special. So that's what I always get, and I never ever regret it. Special is the way to go. You get a nice variety of meats, garnished with onion and tomato, and a side of rice and flat bread. It comes out sizzling on a hot, shallow wok-like tray. It always comes with chicken breast chunks, shavings of gyro meat, and then whatever else he's made for the day. One on occasion, it was chicken quarters, lamb, and a sort of stewed beef. On another occasion, it was filet mignon, strip steak, and something else I can't recall. Generous portions, as it feeds 2-3 people. Great value. The chef/owner really cares too. One time, we were pressed for time, so we only ate a bit and asked for to-go boxes and a check. He had a very concerned expression on his face and asked if the food was alright. I assured him that it was great, but we needed to go to an appointment. Sometimes there's only 1 person working there (chef/server/cashier/busser). When that happens, don't be shocked if things aren't blazing fast. Be understanding, and support small businesses. This easily qualifies as a hidden gem.

Love this spot! The staff was so nice and I love how it feels like you just stepped into somebody's…read morehome and they're making you a meal. They offered us the special which I can't remember the name of but had to try it just in case they didn't have it next time we come in. Everything was delicious from the fried eggplant to the entree. Would and have come back many times. They also have bigger portions which is nice for leftovers!