Cafe Balkan — Restaurant in Phoenix

4/20/24: Short version - what a great place! We will definitely go back, I don't care how far away it is.

Longer version - visited the Cafe this past Saturday around 4 p.m. It was not crowded, it is not a large place, there is plenty of parking spaces, it was immaculate inside, and they have a small market inside.

The menu is not extensive, but my oh my, what they do offer is spectacular. We ordered the chicken skewer and lamb shank, both w/ a side of pita, and our friend ordered the gyro. The friendly gal behind the counter was kind of enough to point out that the skewer came with pita bread - to which I responded, "yeah, but I love bread, so gimme the side". We both laughed.

I am so glad I ordered the side because it was nothing like pita I have had before (and I have been to numerous Mediterranean restaurants). In fact, it was not even close to the pita that came with the skewer! Check the photos, you'll see the difference. I'm not gonna lie, I have could have had a dinner of both versions of that pita. It was by far the best I have had.

The skewer was good but I should have ordered the lamb shank. Not because there was something wrong w/ the skewer, but because holy cow, that lamb shake was divine. The lamb was pull off the bone tender, divinely seasoned, and its gravy was OMG delicious. I kept irritating my sister reaching over to dip my pita bread in her gravy. LOL!

Oh, and the fries?! Seriously, I don't know what they did to those fries but they were perfect. Hot, crunchy on the outside, excellently seasoned. Dipping them in ketchup would have been so WRONG.

While we were scarfing down our food, one of the ladies in the kitchen looked out at me and I could see she was asking how the food was. Two thumbs up, God's honest truth. :-)

Then we went up to order some of their sweets. Their baked goods were not overly sweet so if you want a sugar high, you won't get it -- unless you order a lot of goods. We did!

Later we went back up to buy some juice from their market.

So yes, Cafe Balkan is a fantastic place. In fact, I almost went back the next day after a hike because I want to try one if their crepes. We have to go back anyway, because despite our desires, we did not, in fact, buy one of everything from their display case full of...

Unexpectedly terrible experience. Went here with my husband and small kids (1 & 4).

Clean, well organized. Cashier was somewhat friendly, but organized. Food ran $80 before tip, which was unexpectedly high. Very little table service, not unexpected for a counter serve, but a little frustrating when the cashier was sitting 2 tables over on her phone.

I ordered the fried catfish special, which consisted of a very wilted bowl of iceberg lettuce, bean soup, bread, veggies (not fresh), and a very, very overcooked piece of fish for $25, which is wildly overpriced.

Look. My family hails from the South. I learned how to fry catfish as a kid. I couldn’t even stick my fork in 1/3 of it, and there was a huge gap between the breading & fish, clear indicators of overly hot oil.

It happens, right? But when I take it back, decline a remake of it (because we have 2 fidgety kids & it took ages in the first place), I was approached by the owner/cook (she did not introduce herself & crowded me physically) told me that “people like it, she likes it, how could I not like it” and “that’s how it’s supposed to be” and was very reluctantly refunded (I hope, we were not given any receipt for the refund).

The rest of the food was also overcooked, especially the chicken & fries. I will say that the bread was fantastic. My husband’s previous trip here was tasty & uneventful.

Also of note that there is no changing table in the women’s restroom, so I had to change my baby on a filthy floor, and the doorknob literally fell off in my hands as I came out.

Obviously we will not be back. The overcook on overpriced food, especially the fish, was disappointing, but being confronted in that manner about it was absolutely...

I came to Cafe Balkan because I saw it on the news a couple of weeks ago, and it looked yummy, plus my family has Serbian roots. Here's what I thought:

Atmosphere: 10/10 Stepping into Cafe Balkan on a Sunday lunch, it was clear this place is a local favorite - super busy, buzzing with energy! It's not about fancy decor, but about that vibrant, popular spot feeling. It's the kind of place where you know you're in for some genuinely easy, delicious food, and the family atmosphere just adds to the anticipation of a fantastic meal.

Food/Beverage Quality: 100/10 No doubt about it, this is some of the best Balkan food I have had; it's delicious home cooking at its best. We ordered the veal soup (my mom said it was so good it would "wake up people from the dead"!), the bean soup, the shopska salade, cevapi (the best I've ever had), the goulash, and the baklava for dessert. The food is homemade and you can tell.

Service: 8/10 There was a little confusion with the cashier/waitress taking orders, likely because she was new, but honestly, that's easily forgivable when the food is this good. The owner, however, was super lovely and not only did they quickly resolve any order issues, but they also came to our table to personally welcome us, which is a rare and wonderful touch these days! For a busy Sunday lunch, this level of attention was truly impressive.

Value for Money: 10/10

Would I recommend it? Yes, absolutely and I'll be coming back for sure! If you're looking for authentic, delicious home-cooked Balkan food, this is the place. I wish I took photos but I...