Zeitoon Cafe — Restaurant in Midvale

As an Iranian who grew up in Salt Lake City and someone who is round of his heritage and culture, I found my fellow Iranian’s treatment of my family very disheartening and disappointing. I paid for 30 people to go this this establishment for tea and sweets after my sister’s funeral. They agreed to do so. We are a family that are half Iranian and the other half Congolese. After the funeral, we (the Iranian side of the family) decided to go home as we could not really interact with anyone anymore. My mother and father were distraught and we needed to take care of them. The remainder of the family attended Zeitoon. My niece who does not look Iranian speaks both English and Farsi. When my nieces and my brother-in-law’s family we to the restaurant, 4 of the guests (My Niece and a few more of the younger people asked if they can order some food in addition to the tea and sweets - MENTIONING THAT THEY KNOW THEY WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR IT. They were told no. So my niece thought - surely the request was lost in translation, so she asked for the same thing again in Farsi and was told no. The place is setup for sweets and tea… She said that is fine, we can sit at a different place to eat and we will pay for our food - they were yet again refused service. I find this appalling and was distraught when I heard how my dear niece and MY FAMILY were treated by my own countrymen (and women).

So I decided to call them and confront them. What did I hear? I heard - we did so much to please you guys (Sangeh Tamam gozashtim) and not a single Iranian came!? WHATTTTTTT!? What does that have to do with anything? Why would there need to be Iranians at the table for anyone to be treated any other way? Then I was told - why would we refuse service? We would have given them a table to eat… They misunderstood us!

So dear reader, I will let you make up your own mind - communications happened in English and in Farsi. They were refused to be given any food. Why? I am saddened and disappointed with the way my nieces and my family were treated and as an Iranian, I take extreme offense to this denial of what happened. So when you are thinking about going to this place, just remember the type of service you may/may not receive and then not taken ownership of being at fault and trying to resolve it properly. No one wants any money back here … We want there to be no bias based on the color of one’s skin or the way they may look.

My sister’s funeral was hard enough for my family. To be treated in such a despicable way was not acceptable in any way. I for one will never attend this establishment. It is not for me, not for my family and not for anyone who cares...

My wife and I travel all over the US for our son’s competitions, and one thing we always look forward to is finding good Persian food. Not because we’re obsessed with it, but because Persian food is both healthy and incredibly delicious. Unfortunately, even for us Iranians, many so-called Persian restaurants in the US don’t capture the true flavor of our cuisine. Too often, they just carry the name without offering the real taste. And for us, eating out isn’t only about getting full—it’s about truly enjoying the authentic flavors. On a recent trip to Utah for my son’s competition, I searched for an Iranian restaurant and came across Zeitoon Café, which had the highest ratings. We decided to give it a try for lunch, and I dare say this: especially for non-Iranians who want to experience the real taste of Persian food, Zeitoon Café is a must. Most Iranians already know how good authentic Persian food should taste, but for anyone curious, this restaurant deserves not just 10 out of 10 stars—but honestly 100 stars. Their grilled kobideh kabob, in particular, was absolutely perfect—the real taste of Iranian kobideh. If you are a foodie and want to experience authentic Persian cuisine, I highly recommend Zeitoon Café. It’s the kind of place that reminds you why Persian food is loved all...

I don't often write reviews of restaurants, just being busy or lazy. But everytime I have dinner at Zeitoon I leave the place extremely happy and satisfied. Over 7 years my husband and I, never had a bad meal because the quality is very consistant. We brought many friends to discover "our litte gem" and they were very happy also. The meal starts with a complimentary tomato barley soup (excellent and warming) follows by chicken kebabs with rice and grilled tomato, all very tender. Iranian cuisine is never greasy, never spicy hot, but spicy as tasting rich and just right. We had the meat combination also with great results. Appetizers are very satisfying. If you are looking for good, tasty food serve casually this is the spot for you.. It is our FAVORITE neighborhood restaurant. On the other side of the cafe it has an interesting grocery store where I purchase verytime, feta cheese, spices, Middle Estearn breads and pastries as well as fancy jams such as Rose petal jam !!! Give a try to Zeitoon family restaurant where the owner, Kia, and his family get great pride in serving you quality food with a personal touch...