These are archived reviews of Ali Baba from 2007. For more recent comments, please visit the entry.
2007-01-21 12:58:30 I had their lamb sandwich awhile back and I agree with what John said! It's one of their best items on the menu! —CalvinCheng
2007-01-29 14:58:16 I don't know about the hotness ratio dropping in recent times. There's still a girl who works there who is pretty seriously hot. —KenjiYamada
2007-03-11 15:17:47 The food is mostly very good. burgers and fries are great along with most of the specials. the kebabs are often overcooked and chewy. service is good other than the owner who is usually bossy and unfriendly. they should also change the horrible radio station —SaraVaughn
2007-03-17 21:33:57 The chicken burger here is very good! —LisaSands
2007-03-24 19:33:31 I've had their hamburgers a couple of times. Quite good and semi-sizable. Their onion rings seem good too. —JosephBleckman
2007-05-02 20:39:32 The specials!! Oh, the specials! I love the specials, especially the vegetarian one (which is available all the time) and the pomegranate w/chicken one. They are served with rice and yogurt. Since they are specials, they are already prepared and can be served right away, so they make a fantastic "to go" meal. The specials are so good that I haven't been able to try anything else. (Ok, there was a dolmas appetizer once, served with a tomato-ey sauce. It was OK). —CovertProfessor
2007-05-09 17:21:35 I like the food here a lot. I get a bit frustrated when I phone in orders, a lot of times I end up waiting for longer then expected (they say it's ready in 15, it takes closer to 25 or 30 for example). Usually that's fine though. I just ordered using their online order system, trying it out. Pretty smooth and easy to use so far! —EdWins
- Updated: So I drove over, and my order wasn't ready. They have a fax machine, and I guess the online order is faxed over. I told the cook about my order, and he turns and grabs the paper (my order) from the fax machine, just noticing it. He apologized and was very nice about it, he's normally in the back so I see how he could have missed it. I wish there had been someone up in the front paying attention, it was almost dinnertime on a weekday. I ended up walking around the streets for 20 minutes waiting for my food to be cooked. The online form had a 'comment' section for special requests: I had asked for very little mayo, and it was kinda slathered on pretty thick, but since he was in a bit of a rush, he probably didn't note it. (Then again, after messing up the first time...) I ended up using the online ordering again later, it was pretty convenient when ordering for multiple people, but I learned to call in and make sure they noticed the fax as well as the special requests. -ES
2007-05-15 19:15:38 The cheeseburger I had this afternoon was DELICIOUS. I now know where to go if I want a homemade burger, because it's a LOT better than Redrum, In N' Out or anything I could get at another sit down place. It tastes like something my mom makes! —ChristyMarsden
2007-05-15 20:49:42 I tried the lamb sandwich for the first time this past weekend. It's actually more like a gyro with lamb meat. It was huge and messy and very good. I would order it again. —AlexPomeranz
2007-06-09 20:36:00 The burgers are good and I rather like the aggie special, but every time I've ordered something else here, it has been disgusting. They put mayo on your burger without asking you about it, sometimes they put it on even when you ask not to have it. Then they generally look rather annoyed when you ask for a new bun. —AmyGoogenspa
2007-07-26 21:47:00 I'd rate the food is good but the wait for the food was horrible (at least I know they started cooking when I ordered it and that I had friends to chat with while we were waiting). If you know what you want, order ahead. —atwong
2007-08-23 14:03:19 The Thursday special is hella good. Spinach with chicken (also very good without the chicken) over basmati rice. It seems to be steeped in some kind of oil and spices. It pretty much makes my week. The burgers would be super awesome if they were made a little faster, but you can't really expect a good burger to be cooked in 5 seconds (unless you're at McDonald's and feel like eating a turd sandwich). —BrianMac
2007-09-01 17:12:27 agree that the specials are awesome, i think ali baba's has the best onion rings in town —CM
2007-10-11 01:39:12 For a burger and fries, Ali Baba is a far better choice than Habit Burger, though I haven't tried their lunch specials, they too look quite delicious. For Gyros, it is cheaper than Sam's or Cafe Med. but Sam's is a better dish, not to say the gyros are bad or not worth the price, I never mind eating here with friends as they have enough of a variety that it generally suits everyone's tastes. They also have Tahdigh (sp?), which is a delicious crust of rice literally from the bottom of the pan (so it is full of greasy goodness), which I tend to like with stew, but I have yet to get that. Their Hummos isn't worth it probably.. I dunno, it just seems a bit over priced, but then again, it is always over priced, at least the pitas are good, it could also be a bit cleaner, it has a sort of hole-in-the-wall atmosphere about it, and the bakalava is a bit dry. —DavidPoole
2007-11-16 07:59:15 I used to eat here alot. However their chicken in their specials doesn't taste fresh... I can't stomach it any more. —AnnieSirrah
2007-11-16 12:57:03 I love this place. I go here several times a month. Daily specials are really good, as are the burgers an gyros. I think I ate here 3 times a week over the summer.Kebabs take a little while to cook (15-20 mins) but its a huge portion and well worth the 6 or 7 dollars. I'd definitely eat here or at Sam's over habit or in-n-out supporting small businesses. —GregMediati
2007-12-12 00:58:52 The Daily Specials are great for when you want a mess of healthy, hot food on the run. Takes 5 mins or less, costs $5.92, and you get a big styrofoam tray of rice and a tub of hot food (potato curry, pomegranate chicken, etc.) You can bring the food wherever you're going and share with friends for a snack, or eat it all yourself for a meal. Does anyone have all the daily specials to post? I didn't know about the Thursday spinach special, but I love oily herby cooked spinach. —TedBuehler
2007-12-19 19:46:15 GREAT MUSHROOM BURGERS!!! —thelonepiper555
