Yemen Grill & Cafe Denver — Restaurant in Denver

UPDATE 6/4/25 Oh my God, what a total 180 from our first time visiting. This time was awful. A young teen was taking orders (was she the daughter? idk). When we were trying to order drinks, she said "Not fresh juices, you're not just gonna order the fresh juice are you??", and we were like, oh thats weird but maybe it was just a joke that didn't land. So then she leaves us to look over the menu, but she never came back. We watched her chatting with a table for multiple minutes. One of our party got up, went up to her, and said "hey, can we get our order taken?" and she said to her group "hang on, remind me where I left off" and then said to our group member "yeah, which table are you at?". Clearly she was just chatting with her friends. Mind you, another adult worker was hustling trying to get other tables taken care of. So we put our order in. She says she'll come back with silverware. Spoiler: she never does. My husband has to go pick up silverware from the server station, but it turned out those only contained knives wrapped in napkins, not forks. The falafel arrives, but we still had no forks, no plates. Nothing. Oh and our drinks hadn't come. We had to go up to the teen again, and confront her about the poor service. She kept insisting its not her fault, and when we told her that she's just talking with her friends instead of helping customers, she just says "well I'm only supposed to be working the front anyway". She wasn't understanding the fact that she never gave us drinks, plates, or silverware. She kept deflecting. She even said that she's not even 15, so she can't be held accountable. If that's the case, there needs to be a functioning adult supervising her. The male adult server kept making excuses for her too. Finally our main dish arrived (it was a family meal), and by that point we still weren't given plates or silverware. So we just said we're gonna take this to go. Again, lots of blow back from her. And now also from the adult man server. Oh also our family meal is supposed to come with a pitcher of whatever juice we chose. When we asked for that to also be to go, the male server insisted that the family meal didn't come with that? We were so frustrated, we just wanted to leave and be out of there. So we basically just paid and left. It was a really bad experience, it made all of us uncomfortable, including my toddlers. We were so sad that our amazing experience was now tainted by this visit. We won't be back, honestly. The food was delicious but its not worth being treated like that. Rating 1/5

This was my original rating 5/5 stars.

When I say Yemen Grill is amazing, I mean I-teared-up-from-how-delicious-it-was amazing. Our drinks arrived first: mango juice and the lemon with mint juice. My husband says we need to order these by the gallons and have them delivered to our house daily. For appetizers, we ordered Falafel and the stuffed grape leaves. For reference, my husband has never found falafel that he enjoyed. Each time he had tried it before, he found it too dense and dry. But after having the falafel here, it changed his life. It was so fluffy and flavorful. He couldn't stop eating it! We would have ordered more, honestly, but we knew we still had a ton of food coming. Also, the stuffed grape leaves were delicious, but I would say the falafel was the star. For our main dishes, we ordered kebabs. Oh my gosh I was in heaven. The plates are HUGE by the way. Such great quantity without compromising quality. Everything was full of flavor. Even the hummus was outstanding.

For dessert, of course we got some baklava. Look how huge an order is! I wonder if I could order tons of trays for my kids birthday... Or, you know, just for a regular day too.

The owner and his son (I'm assuming?) went above and beyond for us. They truly are happy that people are coming in to try their food! They make every single person feel special once you walk in. We will be returning customers over and over and over...

Disappointing Hospitality Despite Decent Food. Will Never Return

We were on a long road trip from Chicago to Colorado, 16 hours of driving straight and as a group that strictly follows a halal diet, we were really looking forward to some good Yemeni/Mediterranean food to as our first meal in a long journey.

We found this restaurant listed as open until 11:00 PM on Google and called ahead around 9:50 PM to ask about dining in. We were told they were "closing soon for cleaning," so dine-in wasn't an option. That was understandable, or so we thought. But when we arrived at 10:02 PM, we were shocked to see multiple guests dining in and still placing orders. Still, we remained polite and didn't argue when our group of six was turned away from dining in.

We decided to place a takeout order instead and spent over $150 on lamb mandi and other dishes. Here's where the experience really fell apart.

First, they didn’t include any sauce with the food. Anyone familiar with mandi knows the sauce is not optional but it’s essential. I politely asked for sauce, and they gave me only three small cups, even though the food was for six people. When I went back to request more (having just placed an additional order for lamb haneeth), I was told I'd need to pay extra for more sauce. This is the first time I've ever encountered a Yemeni or Mediterranean restaurant in the U.S. that charges for mandi sauce and I’ve dined at plenty.

What made the situation worse and frankly, disgusting was the attitude of the cashiers. They were rude, dismissive, and visibly mocking us in Arabic, assuming we wouldn't understand. The sarcasm and lack of basic courtesy was appalling, especially considering they represent a culture known for its hospitality. As fellow Muslims, this behavior felt not only unprofessional, but personally insulting.

Yes, the food was good. But hospitality matters, especially in a cuisine that prides itself on generosity and warmth. Unfortunately, this place failed where it counts the most — in how they treat their guests.

We will never return, and I would never recommend this place to anyone who values...

Yemen Grill isn't just serving food; they're serving up a whole vibe, and honestly, I'm obsessed. From the moment you walk in, you can tell this place is something special. Plus, a huge win in this city – there's plenty of convenient parking in the back! Let's talk about the food, because wow. I started with the Sana’a Latte (لاتيه صنعاء), and it completely blew my usual coffee order out of the water. The rich espresso with that touch of golden honey and the dreamy pistachio sweet cream on top? It was a flavor and texture party in my mouth. Seriously, don't skip this. Next up was the Baba Ghanouj (بابا غنوج). Served with warm, soft pita, this smoky eggplant dip was just incredible. So creamy, with that perfect hint of char and lemon. I could have easily made a meal of this alone. For my main course, I went with the Grilled Fish (سمك مشوي), and I was not disappointed. The fish was cooked perfectly – flaky, tender, and full of flavor. But the sides really made this dish sing. The traditional rice was so fragrant, the jalapeno added a nice little kick, and the fresh salad with its bright dressing was the perfect counterpoint. A squeeze of lemon tied it all together beautifully. And the desserts? Forget about it! The Basbousa (بسبوسة), that semolina and coconut cake soaked in syrup, was just pure sugary heaven. Moist, slightly crumbly, with that lovely coconut chewiness. Each bite was a delight. But the real showstopper for me was the Masoob (معصوب). This sweet banana dish with the ground flatbread, that creamy element, and the honey and black sesame seeds on top? It's unlike anything I've ever had. The warm, comforting flavors and the unique textures made it such a memorable way to end the meal. Seriously, you HAVE to try this. Yemen Grill isn't just a restaurant; it's a genuine cultural experience. The service was so warm and welcoming, the atmosphere felt really authentic, and the food? Absolutely divine. Trust me on this one, Denver – go hungry and leave glowing. You...