Looks can be deceiving. I found this place on Yelp, but I would have missed it if I wasn't intentionally looking for it. This small, hole in the wall spot is tucked into the corner of an international strip mall that's a few blocks past ASU's campus. Definitely an unassuming spot. No glitz or glam here. But that's not needed or necessary. You come here because you want a delicious, authentic, and stacked meal. Like goat? Or down to try it? Do yourself a favor and get the Goat Mandi. Fall off the bone tenderness, with incredible, bold flavor. Service is also great. Friendly, knowledgeable, and eager to please. If you're down to try some mouth watering Yemeni based dishes with Somalian flare, then you should come to YS Mandi Restaurant. read more

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One of my friends who loves good food brought us here. I'm all about eating at a hole in the wall but I was a little stressed as this wasn't the usual taco hole in wall but a new cuisine. YEMEN. Don't be discouraged with the building. It's a diamond in the rough. I'm obsessed it's delicious. First came the jalapeño hummus and pita Mandi chicken - fire. - this was a great dish and I was very happy. The spicy sauce (it's basically salsa is what all middle eastern restaurants need) Any time I'm in Tempe I try to make it here to eat. And every time I come - I think we need more yemen food in Arizona. read more

this is one of those International spots that you're not sure what to expect. We almost went to a different restaurant because we could not find the location and it's located back in the corner by a Indian market as you walk in it is very unassuming and similar to eating in a foreign country. There is not much decor, and I woukd not classify the dining area as elegant. I was here with five others and I was a bit apprehensive. The prices are fair and the menu items had standard Mediterranean cuisine with a few varieties. We ordered at the counter and then sat down. And then I tried the food. If you ever remember the raging Cajun chef from Louisiana named Emeril Lagasse, BAM!!!!!!!! The flavors and cooking style was incredible. Even the simple french fries were crisp and flavorful. The green sauce was phenomenal, and the rice was fragrant and flavorful. This food is cooked with love. This is a Mother's cooking from Ethiopia/Somalia and you can taste the difference. Imagine going over to your friends house to enjoy a home cooked meal. That is the inexplainable way the food tastes. I apologize because usually I take lots of pictures of the food but when I went to try a french fry and the next thing I know they were all gone. My Shawarma sandwich had soft and tender chicken meat and was flavored well, and that also disappeared and was gone. The other dishes disappeared faster than a new iPhone 14 left on the street on ASU campus. I can gladly say I did not eat the soda pop can so I have a picture of it and if you've never tried it, it tastes similar to red cream soda. I will be back, I'll bring reinforcements, and I'll take more pictures! read more

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I had majboos chicken and Biryani chicken long time ago but I still remember a huge portion for spiced rice and juicy chicken. Delicious! Recently I got tilapia fish rice plate. The fish is perfectly seasoned and cooked. Rice is always tasty. I enjoy them with falafels and some chicken shawarma. read more

YS Mandi Restaurant - Chicken Shawarma Dish, Tilapia Fillet Platter, and Falafel Salad - Middle Eastern Near Me - Tempe, Arizona

The food at this Yemenite restaurant is so good! I got the lamb shank plate and my husband got the gyro plate. Both were absolutely delicious and tasted homemade. The meat portions are going to be smaller than other Middle Eastern places nearby, but the quality of the food is better. Their lamb was so moist and literally fell off the bone as I picked it up. And the yogurt and green sauces they provide was a great complement. Their gyro meat was also flavorful and delicious - I just wish it included more than three strips of meat. If you're having trouble finding them, they will be in the corner of the two walls. They don't have a sign up, so they are quite hidden. read more

easily one of my favorite spots in AZ, whenever we have family in town we make it a point to visit YS Mandi. the food is always sublime, I've never had Yemeni food before but i'm not convinced it's one of my favorite cuisines. the owners are incredibly gracious people-- if you are in/near Tempe, please support this incredible restaurant!!! read more

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One of the best mandi s I ever had. The food is delicious. I ordered a chicken mandi and a goat mandi, the meat just melted in my mouth. Everything is good about the food but the place is a little dirty. Kinda scared by the way it looked from outside and the interior is ok ok (Had to make a to go because of that). Can't forget how good the food was. read more

YS Mandi Restaurant - Chicken Mandi - Middle Eastern Near Me - Tempe, Arizona

OMGOODNESS!!! This cuisine is to die for!!! Definitely My Number One Favorite Of Favorites! The staff is incredibly friendly & personable, and the food is flavored with "home made love" read more

Amazing!!!! Delicious food and huge portions. Prices are awesome too. Staff is very friendly. read more

YS Mandi Restaurant - Goat Meat Kabsah (goat) - Middle Eastern Near Me - Tempe, Arizona

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For something different, try Yemeni food. That's what they have here. It's familiar if you've had other African and Mediterranean cuisines, but still is uniquely different. (Yes, I know Yemen is not on the Mediterranean, but they do have hummus and shwarma and falafel, and I think the spice palette is similar. The decor is non-existent. Nothing hanging on the walls. But they do have tables, and also an area that appears to be more traditional seating (remove your shoes, sit on the floor with pillows). We didn't see anyone using the traditional area, so we weren't brave enough to go there (and perhaps violate some custom or tradition). Maybe that area is for private parties?? Don't know. But it is there. As others have commented, traditional music streams out of the kitchen area. I didn't understand a word of it, but it does help create the atmosphere of an African or Middle Eastern cafe. I liked it for that reason. American top 40 would have clashed, as it always done when one is in an ethnic restaurant, in my opinion. Kudos to them for keeping it authentic. We ordered chicken mandi and chicken kabob. Both were very nice. Full flavor. Each was served with a seasoned rice. The flavors were very good. Familiar if you've had Middle Eastern cuisine before, yet distinctly different. The portion size was sufficient. read more

YS Mandi Restaurant - Traditional dining available - Middle Eastern Near Me - Tempe, Arizona

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The food here is AMAZING!!! I don't really know how to describe it but the food here is made with love. The chef was someone who makes home cooked meals and brings it to your table! You MUST try this place !! Service was also quick and he was very kind. read more

I was not familiar with Yemini food and had never tried it before but after eating at YS Mandi, I am a fan! Family owned and serving very delicious dishes! They have tables and chairs in one area and a nice low seating area with cushions in another area. The food can be ordered individually or family style. We ordered Mandi lamb and boneless thigh chicken over rice and it was served family style in a large platter, with a side of yogurt and a side of chutney. The lamb was finger licking good as was the chicken!! Service was very good and the wait time after ordering was not that bad - under 20 min. Everyone in our party of 16 (kids and young adults and us adults) all enjoyed it! Definitely will be back again read more

YS Mandi Restaurant - Mandi Lamb and boneless Chicken Mandi - Middle Eastern Near Me - Tempe, Arizona

This is so sad.... I came back to Tempe to relive when I used to go to this place while they were on other side of east university drive. I felt so disappointed going to this place now , absolutely no hygiene and added to that food looked old.. after few bites we ask for Togo box out of respect to the lady in front... absolutely sad to see one of my favorite places from 5 years ago at ASU be so bad... read more

First, I have to mention that their food is delicious. I noticed in other reviews that people mentioned the food from this restaurant reminding them of a home-cooked meal, and I agree with this sentiment. The food was good, and while the service was not outstanding or terrible, it was decent. The ambiance is not very fancy. However, the food is worth the price, which is fair. I tried their chicken biryani and goat mandi; both of these items were very tasty. read more

YS Mandi Restaurant - Picture of goat mandi and chicken biryani - Middle Eastern Near Me - Tempe, Arizona

Very good food, so good that my picky eater (toddler) who eats less than 10 types of food ask for their rice everyday. Highly recommended.

Aww YS! I love how Tempe is growing to be a community of different backgrounds and cultures, and no greater manifestation of this can be shown by the food that is offered here. I had never had cuisine from Yemen before so I was excited to go on a food journey and try some dishes. The restaurant itself is very nondescript and the overhead signage simply says "Restaurant". The name of the restaurant is plastered on the front glass walls and on a sidewalk sign though. The interior is similarly nondescript, with tables and booths in the front although there does look to be a nice area in the back where people can sit on cushions and eat on a low table. The menu offers various Middle Eastern dishes you will find at other restaurants such as falafel and shawarma but also has a few unique offerings you won't find elsewhere in Tempe. After finding out that fahsa/salteh (Lamb stew) was the national dish of Yemen, I knew I needed to try it out! It arrived scorchingly​ hot, so I needed to wait a bit for it to cool down before trying any. I ended up trying a few bites of falafel, hummus and rice from my husband's plate while I waited. I found the to be hummus smooth and creamy, the falafel crisp on the outside with a good texture and flavor on the inside, and the rice to be soft and well seasoned. The stew was so good; I can see why it would be called the national dish! It was bold and spicy, yet had a comforting homey feel to it from the slow cooked, soft lamb to the thick rustic broth. It was served with some pieces of pita. Note that they don't seem to offer any glasses of water. All the water is by the bottle in 2 drink cases to each side of the counter. There is also a selection of American and Middle Eastern sodas to choose from. When I asked if they offered cups of water the cashier said they did but when the server dropped off our food and I asked for a cup of water he brought me a bottle of water. Our server also neglected to give us any silverware for our meal which I had to remind him to provide to us. Service in general was genial though and we were checked up on as needed. That lamb stew was so good I'd definitely be back to try more Yemen style cuisine. In my opinion, definitely say Yes to YS! read more

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Authentic mandi! The goat Mandi was great. Even their shawarma was pretty good. Would definitely visit again if I came to Phoenix. read more

The Mandi and Kabsa was super super yummy! The staff and service are excellent. The portions are big and the sauce that comes with the rice is so delicious. Can't wait to come back read more

A quick update after about 2 years of my first review. The smell of great food hits you as soon as you walk in. You can order at the cashier or at the table. The food came out super fresh and super delicious. Traditional music was playing the whole time which was cool. I love going to ME places especially Mandi restaurants; they remind me so much of Dubai! This was a great experience. I'm glad we came here for lunch today! So yummy! Isn't it great when you find food from Yemen all the way in the valley? I sure felt glad! Having lived in Dubai all my life, I grew up fond of this kind of food, Mandi, Mathbi, Madfoon, Bukhari, etc. Yemeni and Saudi food in Dubai was and still is very popular and is known for delicious taste, huge portions, and very reasonable (sometimes even cheap) prices. We were referred to this restaurant by a family member. Not sure how she found out about it bcz she never tried it so far but we, my husband and I, decided to give it a shot and head there. We arrived at around 12:45pm. We expected to find some people when we walked in but it was empty. Not a problem. The first thing that I would say is probably the only major negative in this place is the smell. My husband was about to take me some where else bcz I was getting uncomfortable. As you walk in, you are hit with a strong smell of cleaning chemicals that do not smell good at all. I am not sure what the reason is but I decided to just ignore the smell and order and go in as soon as possible bcz the smell was mostly only at the entrance. I ordered the goat mandi and my husband ordered the lamb with rice dish. We were asked to pick a seat either on the table or in the traditional Arabic section and they would bring out the food. We also were offered to get our drinks from the fridge. We decided to sit in the Arabic Jalsa area since there was no one there. The food came out in a reasonable time - about 10 min and it looked great. The meat was in the center of the dish with some browned onions on top, both dishes looked very inviting. The food was served with a lime wedge, some cucumber yogurt and a green chili sauce on the side. We dug in and the food was delicious! I was so glad at that point that my husband did not insist on making us leave and that I was able to survive the entrance and try this good food. The meat was delicious and very tender and the rice was cooked to perfection. Portion size as always in these restaurants was just right. Having not had breakfast, I finished my dish and of course my husband did too. After eating this great meal we left feeling drowsy lool, a typical feeling after you have such a good big rice meal We paid at the entrance just before we left and the price was $39 for 2 dishes and 2 drinks. Slightly on the expensive side but not too bad. I hope they will find a solution for the smell in this place because the food and the service are so good, it would be a shame if ppl decide not to come in because of that. read more

YS Mandi Restaurant - Goat Mandi - Middle Eastern Near Me - Tempe, Arizona

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Amazing authentic food. I ordered the lamb dish with salad instead of rice and it was tasting so good. The staff are very kind and nice. read more

YS Mandi Restaurant - Lamb Meat Mandi with salad instead of rice - Middle Eastern Near Me - Tempe, Arizona

Came here when they were called Juba while I was in college. New management and name YS Mandi. Def a joke in the wall, but the food is AMAZINGGGGG!! the chicken shawarma is so delicious and the spicy green sauce is addicting. Graduated asu many years ago and still come here when I'm in the area. read more

Warning. Stay away!! I ordered for pick up. I arrived at the restaurant and they did not have my food. My card was charged which I will be disputing. After seeing how dirty the restaurant seemed, maybe I'm lucky not to have received food from here. I highly question the authenticity of the positive yelp reviews. Beware. This is a scam. read more

They offer the best mandi and kibseh in the US. However they can work on the interior decorations more.

As we were up in the Phoenix area for the day, Mom and I decided to check out some of the cuisine offered there that was not as available down South here in Tucson. We stumbled across the postings for this place, and as we had never had Yemeni food before, we thought that it would be ideal. YS Restaurant is located on the Northeast corner of Rural Road and University Drive in Tempe, Arizona, right near Arizona State University. There is a parking lot on that corner behind the buildings that line the intersection of Rural and University that abuts the restaurant entrance. Having read the previous Yelp reviews, we knew the drill for this establishment. On our way in, we snagged menus off the counter before seating ourselves at a booth. There was an area in the front of the restaurant where one could sit on the floor on cushions in the traditional Arab-style, but we really didn't feel like being that authentic. Drinks were in two refrigerated cabinets, and I walked over and picked out soft drinks for the two of us. When the very nice and helpful young lady who was behind the counter came over to take our order, we were ready. She asked if we had any questions about the food, but we had already made up our minds. Mom decided to have the Lamb Shank, and I went for the Goat Meat. The entrees were ready very quickly, and she brought them right out to us. Goat is a rich and slightly unctuous meat, a bit like Oxtail, with bones like the latter for which one has to watch out. Here it is served on a generous bed of Yemeni-seasoned Basmati rice with two sauces, an Arab form of Tzatziki and a chili-spiced hot sauce. It flavour was simply delicious. Mom was equally pleased with her Lamb Shank. It was falling-off the bone, and she noted that it was some of the tenderest lamb that she had ever tasted. When we talked to the young woman again after the meal, when she was, also, kind enough to snap a photo of both of us, she told us that the lamb was cooked for three to four hours and that some of the spices for the rice were imported all the way from Yemen itself. All in all, our first experience with Yemeni food was a great one. This feeling seems to have been shared with the Middle Easterners who were eating there, too, who appeared to be enjoying their meals whilst dining in the Arab manner. We were especially pleased that the proportions of the delicious rice and the meat were enough to merit bringing some home in a doggie-box in order that we could have another meal later. If you live or are visiting up in the Phoenix area, YS Restaurant is definitely worth a visit. read more

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BEST food I've had in a while. I had the Lamb Mandi and it was sooo bomb!! The lamb literally was cooked to perfection and the flavor was just amazing. The rice was moist and perfect. HUGE portion size as well that I could take home to eat later. Definitely one of my favorite local small businesses in the valley read more

YS Mandi Restaurant - Lamb Mandi Chicken Shawarma - Middle Eastern Near Me - Tempe, Arizona

The food was excellent and worth the wait. I wouldn't call the owner a professional restaurateur but him and his family did cook up some really yummy in the tummy food for my lady and I. They were super polite and very welcoming. I would suggest this to others read more

Wow... For the first time ever didn't regret to order Mediterranean. Tried a couple of them b4, but always ended up regretting and thinking a complete wastage of money. Choices we made were chicken mandi, boneless chicken and lamb shank. Believe me everything was worth paid for. The quantity and taste justified the prices. I loved the sauces served as well. Especially the cucumber yogurt was too good. Chilli sauce and fried onions complimented the meat. You can clearly taste mild yet flavorful spices used, that makes it lighter on your stomach. I just have not enough words to describe how excellent was my first experience with this restaurant. Can't wait to try other things on the menu and this time would like to go for a dine in experience, as they have floor arrangements for their dining area, quite traditional and casual. Will definitely come back. Highly recommended. read more

If you're looking for a fine dining experience, this is not the place for you. If you're looking for a family owned & operated restaurant serving food so flavorful it'lll knock your socks off, stop in. I will warn you that the AC hardly works, but don't let it deter you. Just call in your order to go. Get the lamb mandi and the lamb biryani. Take them home, and enjoy your feast. The lamb is cooked to perfection and served on a bed of the most flavorful rice I've ever had. read more

Best Falafel in town. The chef said he grids it himself in house. The flavor, was robust and full of garlic. The peta bread and romaine lettuce in the pita were nothing special the sprinkling of aleppo pepper was a nice touch. The first thing you will notice when you walk in for lunch is 1. an amazing aroma of spices 2. a pile of cushions from dinner, don't worry they are open 3. a empty counter (don't worry they are making food and will get to you) I can not wait to go back and try other dishes, which will be hard as the alure of the falafel is making my mouth water and filling my dreams as I write thing read more

YS Mandi Restaurant - Amazing falvorful flafel - Middle Eastern Near Me - Tempe, Arizona

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Food took a while but I guess because they were making it fresh. Super delicious chicken schwarma was seasoned very well and there was a lot of it. Great hummus and tasty gyro. Friendly service read more

The best Arabian place in Arizona I would say. Food is amazing, went there multiple times never disappointed. My fiancé is Iraqi and very picky eater and he loves the food as well. One down side is the restaurant is lil Warner than you would want it to be. But the food is so good it doesn't matter. read more

YS Mandi Restaurant - Beef swarma and hummus - Middle Eastern Near Me - Tempe, Arizona

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Honestly, this place is just okay. I don't understand the hype surrounding it. The inside looked like it could use some remodeling. The woman taking my order was friendly, but the schwarma I ordered was pretty average and slightly pricier than some of their nearby competitors. Maybe I just ordered the wrong thing? It certainly wasn't so bad that I wouldn't try them again, but I'd be lying if I said this was anything more than a 3-star experience. read more

We recently went again, the Got Mansaf blew us away. We took it to go and ate it at a hiking trail entrance. Soooo juicy and satisfying. The flavors warm our soul. This is the first stop straight from the airport whenever we are visiting Arizona. read more

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This is my favorite restaurant in valley. The staff is friendly and accommodating, the food is fantastic. There is a little bit of a wait time, however everything is prepared fresh at the time of order so that's expected. Tilapia plater is full of spices, and chicken is great. read more

YS Mandi Restaurant - Tilapia Fillet Platter - Middle Eastern Near Me - Tempe, Arizona

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My favorite place to hit every time I'm in tempe. Can't beat their scrumptious lamb mandi plate and free serving of aromatic tea.

My boyfriend and I stop here whenever we pass through Tempe, and this place never misses. You can taste the love this woman puts into every dish. The goat biryani was especially good. Make sure to ask for the green sauce--you won't regret it! read more

Always a go-to place for fresh tasty food and good service. The free tea is sooo yummy so well.

Great place to go if your looking for goat meat or lamb meat. My significant other did like there food but mine was a bit on the bland side. I have been here multiple times since and they seem to be getting the hang of it. read more

Oh my god.... That was an incredible meal. Not much to do in Tempe in general but I'll definitely come back for this Chicken Mandi. read more

YS Mandi Restaurant - Chicken Mandi - Middle Eastern Near Me - Tempe, Arizona

In a nutshell, this joint serves traditional food that is authentic and hits the right spots. We had the Lamb and goat Mandi, the Lamb Mansaf, all the fresh juices, and a Fahsa to go. It was the best Yemeni food I had on this side of America. read more