Taziki's Mediterranean Cafe - Med Center — Restaurant in Birmingham

I recently dined at a Mediterranean restaurant with high hopes of indulging in a flavorful and authentic culinary journey. As a lover of Mediterranean cuisine, my expectations were set high, but unfortunately, the overall experience left much to be desired. The meal was a mix of hits and misses, with some dishes falling far below par.

Starting with the hummus, which is often considered a staple of Mediterranean cuisine, I was sorely disappointed. The texture was far from smooth, and it lacked the rich, nutty flavor I associate with a well-prepared hummus. Instead, it tasted somewhat bland and lacked the depth of seasoning I was expecting. A disappointing start to the meal, to say the least.

Moving on to the salad, it provided a glimmer of hope. The salad was decent, though not exceptional. The mix of fresh vegetables and tangy dressing did justice to the Mediterranean spirit, but it lacked that wow factor that sets apart a truly memorable salad. While it wasn't bad, it certainly wasn't enough to elevate the overall experience.

The pasta, on the other hand, managed to redeem the meal to some extent. It fell within the spectrum of average to good, with a flavorful tomato-based sauce and well-cooked pasta. The dish was a pleasant surprise compared to the lackluster hummus and the middling salad. The balance of flavors and textures in the pasta showcased glimpses of what Mediterranean cuisine could offer when executed with care.

When assessing the entire Mediterranean experience, it's evident that the restaurant failed to deliver on its promise of a truly authentic and exceptional meal. While the pasta managed to salvage some points, the disappointing hummus and just-about-adequate salad left a lingering sense of disappointment. Mediterranean cuisine is known for its vibrant flavors and wholesome ingredients, and this meal fell short of capturing...

Tazikis gets 3 stars because the food was hot, fresh and worth every minute I had to wait. However, my experience was a little less tasty. My boss asked me to select a place for dinner because my father is in the hospital. I chose Tazikis because I drive by it on my way home. My order was placed this morning around 11 to be ready by 5pm. I selected the chicken dinner for 4. I arrived at 5:02. The young man at the register told me it wasn't ready yet and stated that he would call me when it was ready. I stood there and waited. I watched two people come in and pick up their called in or online order and mine still wasn't ready. I watched the kitchen complete and place my order on the counter. I patiently waited and even thought that, perhaps that wasn't my order. However, I didnt see the kitchen fixing more orders and the restaurant wasn't busy so I stepped over to the cashier that was staring off into space and said "How much longer do you think it will be?" That's when he turned around to look for my order but another young lady had handed it to him to give to me. So now at 5:16 I am walking out with my order. So I'm irritated about the fact that my order wasn't ready when I arrived. I am irritated because if you know anything about five o'clock traffic you know that every minute you are held downtown makes the traffic worse on the way home. I'm also irritated because he wasn't apologetic about my wait. The whole reason the order was placed online was so that I wouldn't have to wait. If the order wasn't gonna be ready then why offer online to start with? Steps off my soapbox.....I love your food so I'll be back. I just wanted you to be aware of what people have going on in their life and that if they order online then time must be of the essence. Again the food...

I was at a business meeting where approximately five individuals in the room complained about Taziki's Catering. One said that when they went to pick up their order, they were told it wasn't received. The individual stated that the order had been placed the day before. The counter person replied, "We don't take orders the day before." One person said that their order had been given to another customer, and Taziki's stated that it could only be replaced with something else that had already been cooked for the day (not what they ordered). They had to accept that food, as the order was for an individual who had just been released from the hospital and needed the food in 30 minutes. Another person said that Taziki's required a copy of their credit card be faxed to them in order to place an order. Another person stated that Taziki's would not accept a copy of their "tax exempt" letter from the state of Alabama (non-profit corporation) - Taziki's stated that they would have to fill out an application to open an "account" with them, in order to receive tax exempt status. There were at least two other people who stated that their order had been lost, or never received, when they went to pick it up. All of these people stated that this was the worst place in Birmingham to obtain catered food items. The management at Taziki's apparently does not take an active role in assessing the policies and managing their employees with relation to their catering services. All of the individuals in the meeting which I attended suggested trying Moe's for catering needs, because it was very easy and convenient to place an order, and the staff were always nice and friendly (which is what we had for lunch at the...