Shibam Restaurant & Cafe — Restaurant in Mount Morris Charter Township

Was really excited to try this restaurant, but it was a one and done for me. The restaurant was dead- one other couple came in while I was in there, for a total of 2 tables of customers. The service was extremely slow, our waitress was sweet but absolutely no sense of urgency. When we walked in there was 3 male workers eating sandwiches and didn't greet us- we had to greet them- they then told us to sit anywhere we wanted. This is a brand new local business- it seems they'd be more excited and eager to greet & seat their customers. The lunch & sandwich prices were fine, but the side options were over priced. $3.99 for a "cup" of toom (garlic sauce). $4.99 for a side of fries... really? Kids meal $9? Yeah ok. Most Mediterranean restaurants have complimentary toom, and I thought for $4 it'd be big enough to share with the entire table- but I was wrong. My friend got the lunch falafel & hummus and it didn't even come with bread... what was she to do with half a plate of hummus and no bread? They forgot her side order of rice that came with her meal- and she had to ask twice for it to be brought out. By the time it came she was basically done eating. What frustrates me the most is the charge for WATER. We had 3 adult waters & 1 kid size water brought to us, and when we asked for a refill the waitress brought out a bottle of water. We said we just wanted tap water but she informed us they serve bottle water due to a boil advisory. The boil advisory was in the city of Flint, not Flushing. So to my surprise we were charged $3.00 for water. This should've been communicated to us at the beginning of the meal, because who expects to pay for water especially when it was initially brought out in a regular glass with ice. Super irritating and ridiculous.

The food itself was good, but nothing special. Definitely not the best Mediterranean food the area has to offer. I don't think this place will last if it continues to be like this. I've seen some raving reviews; and I think it's just people wanting to support a local business. I'm all about supporting local, but let's not boast if it's not deserved. There was about 7-9 workers in the place, yet service was slower than a snail stuck...

Well, on a trip to Flint we stopped by Shibam with high hopes, especially for their signature Yemeni dishes, and walked away with a mixed experience.

We ordered the Beef Fahsa, which was excellent. It came out steaming hot in a sizzling bowl and was accompanied by two whole pieces of freshly baked bread—soft, warm, and perfect for scooping up the rich, flavorful beef. That dish alone was worth the visit.

On the other hand, the Lamb Haneeth left us a bit underwhelmed. The lamb itself lacked the depth of seasoning we were expecting from a place known for Yemeni staples. It didn’t come with any sauce initially, and when we asked, we were given a yogurt-based white sauce with a hint of garlic—tasty, but it didn’t quite save the dish. The rice was just okay and didn’t have the usual mandi-style flavor. To be honest, I’ve had better mandi and haneeth at other spots. Some of the lamb pieces even had a pale color that made me think they had accidentally served fish—it just didn’t look or taste like it had been roasted properly. Honestly, we had to force herself to finish the dish.

We also tried their Mango Drink, which was… interesting. It had a unique blend of mango, coconut shreds, and peanuts layered at the bottom. It’s a combination I’ve never seen before, and while it might be someone’s thing, it was definitely an acquired taste for me.

Now, to the positives: the ambience was very nice and welcoming. The place was clean, nicely set up, and had a relaxed vibe. Service was excellent. The Muslim owners personally came to greet us with a warm Assalām ‘alaykum, checked in during the meal, and made us feel genuinely welcome—something you don’t always experience at restaurants.

All in all, I think we may not have ordered the best items, and given how good the Fahsa was, I’m still open to trying more from the menu. But for a place where Haneeth and Mandi are supposed to be the stars, it was a little disappointing. That said, the service and hospitality were truly top-tier, and that...

I can’t even begin to express how disappointed I am because I truly thought I'd found a good Mediterranean restaurant near by that I could frequent. But instead of a faithful frequent customer, they made a one and only sale off of me.

I called and requested a large Greek salad, no beets with chicken. Went in to pick up order. Paid for a large to the same woman that took my order. After a little wait she gave me a small salad WITH BEETS and chicken. Took it home and after seeing the small containers I called to check to see if I had received a large salad or not and I was told I had indeed gotten a small. Told I could come back and get the large. I again clarified no beets and I wanted chicken on top of salad.

Picked my order up...nothing but salad. When I asked about the chicken I was told I couldn't get free chicken. I said it's not free I paid for a large salad with chicken. Please make this make sense. She proceeded to say we gave you extra chicken on the small order!!! Really. So you mean to tell me you, the woman that took my order, took my money, gave me the order first of all didn't know a small salad from a large which you took money for, but then proceed to claim you gave me extra chicken on the small salad (why would you do that?) so you're not going to give me the chicken I paid for on my large salad REALLY!!!

Like I said in the beginning they made a sale and lost a customer over a salad with...