Taboon Noon o Kabab — Restaurant in Hoover

On a drive down to the beach for a short getaway, husband and I were looking for a spot to stop for dinner. I keep a running bookmark list of Birmingham restaurants and this one hit the all the requirements! We pulled off the highway into a small shopping center and found our way inside.

The menu is moderately sized with lots of middle eastern favorites. I fancy myself somewhat familiar with the cuisine but I'm certainly happy to learn and try more; there were a few dishes available I wasn't familiar with and I enjoyed doing a light Google to educate myself.

You order at the counter here. They seem to do a very brisk takeout business. There's seating inside and a few tables on the patio. We originally intended to eat inside but wound up moving because unfortunately something smelled really bad and wrong, almost like natural gas, inside the restaurant. I don't necessarily think this was their fault -- we noticed some workers doing something on the roof of the building, and all the food smelled as wonderful as you'd expect -- but we moved outside just to be safe.

I wanted a chicken koobideh kabob instead of a regular chicken kabob (the difference seems to be koobideh is ground chicken and spices rather than a hunk of chicken), but through a somewhat confusing conversation with the employee, managed to figure out they didn't have any. So I wound up with a regular chicken kabob; husband got beef koobideh kabob; and we split an order of hummus.

I say the conversation was confusing because neither employee spoke much English at all, such to the point that I had to use my even more-limited Spanish skills to realize they were saying "no tengo" to the chicken koobideh. They were very kind and apologetic and we eventually figured out how to move forward and help each other, but if you're looking for a detailed description of the food or anything, make sure you speak Spanish here, lol. I heard them very desperately trying to communicate what was spicy and what wasn't to a very confused group of folks as I left.

That being said, they got our order right and it came out in a very reasonably time, especially considering the sheer volume of carryout they were cranking out. Our kebabs came with extra complementary taboon bread, which went great with our leftover hummus.

The food is honestly worth 5 stars. It was delicious. The rice was fluffy and delicate, each kabob was bursting with flavor, the hummus was smooth and delicious, and the Shirazi salad (diced tomato and cucumber) was so refreshing! My chicken was incredible -- cooked absolutely perfectly, still juicy but with crispy parts, too.

Despite a few roadblocks in atmosphere and communication, we very much enjoyed our visit here and would happily return. Give them a try if you like or are interested in experiencing...

Upon entering Taboon Noon o Kabab, you might assume it to be a standard Mediterranean/Middle Eastern restaurant. The décor is a little dated and the photos on the wall behind the counter are in need of replacement. The music playing over the house speakers, while pleasant, is poppy and modern, further indicating a really relaxed but not necessarily well-thought out atmosphere. In truth, the vibe is quite relaxed, but you would be mistaken to dismiss the restaurant as "standard." The Persian fare served by an incredibly polite staff is absolutely outstanding. It isn't cheap in comparison to local "falafel/gyro shop" prices, and it takes a little longer to prepare than I expected. Despite the price, and a brief wait, I was blown away by my meal choice, called the Jordan Special. I'll break down exactly what the special includes, and why I loved it. Listed in order of my favorites: Shirazi salad - I am a longtime fan of tabbouleh. Shirazi is not tabbouleh, but here's why I mention it. Before my visit I had never tasted shirazi, and a quick bit of research let me know that I could expect a similar dish in terms of enjoying a tangy, fresh salad. In both taste and texture, the two dishes are quite different on the palate, but if you love one I think you will love the other. Mouth-watering, refreshing, and delicious. Kibbeh - It is the best I've ever tasted. The texture, the seasoning, the filling, and the breading... all perfection. 100% recommend. Grapes leaves - for fans of dolma, Taboon does not disappoint. Tangy leaves wrapped around perfectly seasoned meat and rice, and accompanied by a tart yogurt dipping sauce. Stuffed squash - the biggest surprise for me, because I typically do not love squash. The textures of eggplant and squashes are not my favorite. However, both the taste and texture of this item are fantastic. The filling is warm and well-seasoned, and the squash stays together for each bite. Meat-pie - the highlight of the meat pie for me is the crisp, flaky dough. I assume it is made with phyllo, but I might be mistaken. The meat in the pie is savory and well-seasoned. Pita & hummus - Something has to be listed last, but not because it isn't delicious. I would put Taboon's hummus against any other hummus in the metro. Peppery, garlicy,...

Ordered by phone around 1 oclock on a Sunday afternoon. Was told they would need around 20 minutes to prepare the order and that seemed reasonable. We arrived around the 20 minute mark and were charged $26 at their window and told to pull forward while they finished our order. We were there for another 15 minutes before the cashier walks out and states that she rung up the order incorrectly and we owed them another $21.80 (increasing the order price by around 80%). I asked that we just have what we were charged for and they stated that they had already prepared it as the more expensive order and it could not be changed. They refused to allow me to speak with a manager or an owner. Not only would they not allow me to speak to someone else, but they were borderline confrontational with me while I was trying to make my point that I had not made a mistake and this should not be my responsibility to cover. At his point, I had already paid them around $26 and had no food, so chose to give them what they say say were owed. Will not be back strictly for the customer service experience alone, the worst I've been treated by a business. They have many other good reviews and their food was good, but also many review that are concerning for customer interactions and being overcharged. I experienced the latter. Hopefully not too frequent of...