Mediterranean Cafe — Restaurant in Madison

Extremely unprofessional staff.

I'm new in Madison and I was exploring halal food options around the campus. I went to another halal place a few times last week and I was very happy with their food and service. Today I thought of trying Mediterranean Cafe, the other halal option, for the first time and the experience was horrible. This is my first bad review about a restaurant but I must write because sometimes reviews help change how these businesses operate. I ordered a combo meal, baklava and water at 2.32 p.m. (imprinted on the receipt) and paid about $20 with tips. They gave me the baklava and water instantly but did not serve the main meal for a long time. As this was my first time, I thought they might need more time to cook/prepare the meal. So I waited and started replying to my emails. There were 4 staff and only me as a customer with some people randomly coming to pick up orders, so definitely not busy at all. In the meantime, the staff chatted, ate food, served pick up orders, but never thought of serving my meal. When it was 3.12 p.m. I took my receipt to them (please keep your receipts, always) and asked them if they forgot my order! They saw that a man was sitting in their restaurant right in front of them, but never felt the need to ask if I needed anything! As if I were invisible! After this, they asked me if I wanted to eat at the restaurant or take it out. I said I wanted the food, I was hungry. At last they served the food saying there must be some mistake. Sure, there was a huge mistake. That was coming here for the food. The food was also only decent, definitely not what the rave reviews suggest. I didn't react to the staff at all during that time because they seemed like college students and we probably go to the same school. But it is important for this restaurant to train their staff about customer service. It's unbelievably unprofessional. They don't care about your time. No refunds offered, I was also not in a mood to argue. They were kind enough to at last give me the food and I ate and went to catch my class. Definitely not going back and would...

I stopped in here for the first time ever to get a lamb shawarma to-go. I was on a mission to compare lamb shawarma between two places: here at Mediterranean Cafe and Dubai which is located down the same street. Upon entry, I was greeted immediately with a friendly hello and placed my order. The staff was surprisingly attentive and quick to give me my order while sending me on my way with more smiles and cheery good-byes. So very refreshing and very important to the experience any customer expects. The seating area I noticed wasn’t anything special and felt warm inside so I can’t really mention more than this and four stars are given for atmosphere just because it was stuffy inside. But, the food… Oh my gosh! I didn’t know what to expect but with my very first bite my mouth was made happy with the perfect combination of mouth-exploding flavors! The wrap was chock full of meat and vegetables. I ate half and put away as me and my partner headed to Dubai, where he wanted to eat. I purchased the lamb shawarma at Dubai, paying over $5 more for the same sandwich. This is why you get five stars, there was absolutely NO comparison! Mediterranean Cafe killed it over the mess I got at Dubai, which I regretted having to take more than one bite. I’ve shown the difference between the two in my attached photo. Mediterranean Cafe lamb Sbawarma is on the left and Dubai’s lamb Shawarma (again, cost over $5 more) is on the right and wrapped in foil. I’ll let you be the judge. So, to anyone wanting the perfect shawarma and the best bang for your buck, Mediterranean Cafe is the place, hands down!! Thank you for such a great sandwich and...

I dine here multiple times per week - the Lamb Akin's plate is my go-to menu option. This meal fills me up (no easy task) for under $8, marking the Mediterranean Cafe as one of the best values in Madison. Furthermore, the dish consists of vegetables, rice, generous portions of lamb, and a flavorful sauce & leaves me feeling exceptionally well afterward.

In addition, it warrants mentioning that the store owner is typically there behind the counter and he keeps seven or eight staff members in the shop at all times. I feel good spending my money here because the man keeps so many workers under his employ, and furthermore many of the workers have been there for years (meaning he pays them and treats them well). It is a privilege to have such a fine cafe open so close to my home, and I encourage everyone to dine here.

Edit (3/17/2016): It is worth mentioning that the owner of this establishment carefully curates his menu to include (almost exclusively, it seems) dishes that leave you both sated and energized. I eat a lot of calories in a given day, and the food on this menu never slows me down, making it exceptionally valuable as an afternoon...