Ali Baba Mediterranean Food - Mount Pleasant SC

Call him Ismail (sorry Mr. Melville) - and he is the chef owner of Ali Baba Mediterrean Food restaurant in Mount Pleasant, SC - and he's what makes the place tick. And not only does he make the place tick, he also makes everything on the menu from scratch. And you know it from the first morsel that you put into your mouth.

We have visited Ali Baba twice during the last two months; both visits were excellent (the first was for dinner - the second was for lunch). Because this review combines two visits, it will be a bit longer than usual - all the items we sampled during both visits will be critiqued.

Located in the strip mall extension of the Harris Teeter complex on Houston Crosscutt Boulevard in Mount Pleasant SC, Ali Baba is a cozy restaurant with about a dozen tables - the walls are decorated with local and Middleastern art. The dining area is immaculate - one notices the cleanliness immediately. And as long as I'm talking about cleanliness, let me tell you about the unisex bathroom. My bathroom at home should be as clean and as nicely decorated. The walls are color coordinated with local artwork - you would think you were in a bathroom in an upscale antique shop.

OK, now for the food. On both our visits, we sat ourselves (which is expected). The server immediately visited us with menus and gave us a moment for our drink orders. On both occasions, Margie ordered Ali Baba Mint Tea (at $1.25). This is a cup of Lipton tea that has a large piece of mint bruised into the cup. Simple - but simply delicious. On our first visit, I tried the Arabic Coffee (at $1.99). Black and strong and slightly sweet in a small cup (espresso size) - and I loved it - but, it's not for everybody. If you like drinking espresso neat (no milk, no sugar, no flavors), you might like this cup. But if you're not coffee-adventurous, order something else to drink. On our second visit, I, too, had the mint tea.

Mint Tea - 9.0 out of 10
Arabic Coffee - 9.0 out of 10

The menu at Ali Bab's is remarkably extensive - the main menu categories are: Appetizers, Salads, Soups, Combination Plates & Dinners; Sandwiches, Pastries & Desserts, Side Orders, and Beverages. The most expensive item on the menu, exclusive of The Ali Baba Dinner For Two (at $39.99) is $13.99. Sandwiches are in the $7.00 price area and dinners average around $10.00.

I had a hard time making up my my on the first visit - so I opted for a bowl of Lentil Soup as did Margie (at $3.99) - the sign in the window says that they make the best lentil soup in town. I don't know which town they mean - but the soup was exceptionally delicious. Served with a slice of lemon for juicing into the soup, I sampled the soup both with and without the lemon. The lentils were cooked perfectly, the broth was rich, and the lemon really enhanced the soup. Order a bowl or cup by all means.

Lentil Soup - 10.0 out of 10

I also ordered an Appetizer Combination ($6.99) - falafel, hummous, and baba ganoush . Falafel is a deep-fried ball made from ground chick peas (garbanzos) with herbs and spices; hummous is a dip usually made from ground chick peas, garlic, and tahini (ground sesame seeds); baba ganoush is a dip made from roasted eggplants, garlic, and tahini. The appetizer combination was beautifully presented with three falafel balls on shredded lettuce, a generous helping of hummous and baba ganoush, and an olive and pickle garnish. Pita bread (pocket bread) was served with it.

I have been eating falafel since I was a boy in Brooklyn (about 50 years) - and these, by far, were the best I've ever had. Crunchy on the outside and lusciously moist on the inside. Not heavy - not greasy - not too big as some are wont to be. These falafels, as previously mentioned, were made from scratch at Ali Baba (I asked). The hummous and the baba ganoush were both scrumptious - smooth and creamy both with good garlic and tahini flavors. Excellent for pita bread dipping.

Appetizer Combination - 9.5 out of 10

On our first visit Margie also ordered a Greek Salad ($6.99). This very fresh salad was nicely presented and was a larger than typical greek salad. Although the ingredients were typical, the salad was, nonetheless, crispy and well dressed (no tie).

Greek Salad - 8.0 out of 10

Keep in mind that all items on the menu are served with pita bread - so we had more pita bread than we could eat. Our server Rustam was spot on in suggesting that we take the leftover pita bread home with us.

Now for dessert. I should tell you that I am allergic to tree nuts (no walnuts, pistachios, brazil nuts, pecans, etc.). The only two desserts on the menu, Baklava (filo dough filled with nuts and honey) or Burma (noodles with pistachios and honey), were definitely out for me. Margie ordered a baklava (at $2.99). I asked server Rastam if there was, perhaps, any dessert without nuts. He went and talked with Ismail. Moments later, Ismail comes to our table carrying a plate of still warm honey cake for me and the baklava for Margie and tells us that since it was our first time at Ali Baba, the desserts were on the house.

Margie reported that the baklava was exquisite. Not too sweet - very nutty - and very fresh. My surprise honey cake was, as mentioned, still warm. Ismail told me that he had just made it - and it was, perhaps, the best piece of cake I have ever eaten. It was a solid yellow cake that was made with semolina flour and drizzled with honey and rosewater. Alas, on our second visit for lunch, Ismail personally told me that there was no honey cake that day. As it's not on the menu, ask your server for it - but I have no idea when it really is available.

Baklava - 8.0 out of 10
Honey Cake - 10.0 out of 10

On our second visit, a lunch meal, neither Margie nor I had trouble deciding what to order. Margie ordered the Ali Baba Falafel (at $7.99); I ordered the Shawirma Sandwich (at $6.99). As mentioned above, we both had the Ali Baba Mint Tea.

The Ali Baba Falafel is a falafel sandwich on steroids. Inside a pita bread are stuffed several falafel balls, fried eggplant, fried cauliflower, and fried potato along with chopped vegetables. The sandwich is served with tahini sauce on the side (also made from scratch). This sandwich, of which I had several bites, was incredibly delicious. It had a wonderful mouth feel - you knew you were biting into something solid. This sandwich is a solid recommendation - especially for the vegetarian.

Ali Baba Falafel - 10.0 out of 10

My Shawirma Sandwich (you probably know this sandwich as a gyro - shawirma means - to turn) was very good - but after tasting Margie's Ali Baba Falafel, I wished that I had ordered that too. This sandwich is full of sliced rotisserie lamb and beef with Jerusalem salad (chopped vegetables) and topped with tahini sauce. It can be a bit messy to eat, so if you're wearing nice clothes, lean over the table and use plenty of napkins. The shawirma meat was tender and NOT dried out as can be typical. The vegetables were fresh and the tahini sauce (which was shared with Margie) was rich and creamy.

Shawirma Sandwich - 8.0 out of 10

As there was no honey cake, we decided to skip dessert.

Service on both of our visits was immaculate. Very knowledgeable and helpful servers. As everything is made from scratch and to order, a few more minutes are required to prepare your dish - but the wait was never long and was worthwhile.

A couple of points to remember - and these may be important to allergic diners. This restaurant does use tree nuts and legumes. There are pine nuts in the Kibby Combination and walnuts or pistachios in the desserts. Should you be allergic to tree nuts (as I am), I would strongly recommend that you ask the server, before ordering, if the dish contains tree nuts. There are no peanuts in use in this restaurant - however, some people who are allergic to peanuts are also, sometimes unknowingly, allergic to other legumes. This restaurant uses lentils and chick peas and if you are allergic to peanuts, I would strongly recommend staying away from these ingredients unless you know you are not allergic.

Food Quality - 9.5 out of 10
Food Quantity - 9.5 out of 10
Food Presentation - 9.0 out of 10
Dining Area Cleanliness - 9.5 out of 10
Bathroom & Its Cleanliness - 9.5 out of 10
Service - 9.5 out of 10
Price - 9.5 out of 10
Our Recommendation For Your Visit - 9.5 out of 10

Ali Baba Mediterranean Food
920 Houston Northcutt Blvd
Mount Pleasant, SC 29464
843-388-6083