I've been to Al Basha twice and had a good lunch both times. The clientele seems to be growing, though I've not seen it crowded. The lunch buffet looked good but it was a little pricey ($10.99, I think?). The gyro and fries was really good and more than enough for lunch. Very friendly wait staff. You'll have a great time.
Review Source:Really good chicken Shwarma. Different from classic Shwarma in that the slices are a bit thicker and have a more moist and baked in flavor as opposed to using the sauces (garlic / spicy) for flavor.
Service is a bit slow but worth the wait. Seems like this is kinda unknown - never too busy and also has a grocery store attached with some hard to find ingredients.
Two dining areas - main one is very cafeteria feeling - nothing special. They also have a side room (farther from the grocery store) with some more traditional seating that would be good for a larger group or something a bit more classy.
Ultimately - this review is based on the food and not really the dining experience. I'm still debating how this compares to Boston / NYC Shwarma.
We stumbled on this market/restaurant tonight after eating at the Indian place next door. Most of the items in the market looked to be authentic middle eastern products. I bought some Havallla and my co-worker bought three rings. For our next dinner outing we are going to try the restaurant part of Al-Basha.
Review Source:We are new to town and this was the first time we were there.  Food is ok.  Sevice is nice.  Bathroom is  not great--no paper towels and very little TP when there with my 5 year old that always has to check out every bathroom...ughh.  The dining area was a bit cramped as well.
 The day we were there, it was 100 degrees and there was no AC, so it was not a very pleasant experience...  Our food was ok., but not as good as our favorite greek restaurant back home in Toledo, so I think we will keep looking....
The Pitas were the best I have had..so light and tender. Â
The waitress was bending over backwards to compensate for the lack of AC, but the food was just ok other than the Pitas.
Might try again on a cooler day and see if our experience is better, but I think we will check other places out.
Al-Basha serves up some excellent Mediterranean/Middle Easter food. Â Their gyros are perhaps the best in town--even compared to a stalwart like Santorini Greek Kitchen. Â (They're definitely tops in the sandwich-style, hand-held gyro department.) Â Definitely try their extra spicy version: Â the gyro meat is marinated in some sort of hot sauce, and is not for the timid. Â Aside from the gyros, the chicken souvlaki is my wife's favorite. Â The kids menu is decent, and one must not forget the attached grocery store. Â I would skip the Friday buffet crowd, though--seems that they never could keep enough food out the few times I went.
Review Source:I have a serious problem! Went back for another Gyros last night, still amazing! I will say it is probably the best Gyros I have ever had! I think the best part about them is that homemade pita (which are for sell) and the meat is not greasy. I spent a bit more time in the market, asked a lot of questions (I have a tendency to do that) VERY friendly staff!
Review Source:Truly disappointing! Â I've eaten gyros from many places and this by far is the worse. Â The cucumber sauce was splatted only on top of the meat and the meat under the sauce was not flavored and dry. Â Then, resting at the very bottom of all of the dry meat was one thick slice of raw onion and one slice of tomato. Â So, I took one bite of each layer, was extremely disappointed and threw it away. Â To make matters worse, the fries they serve are just as bad. Â I don't mind too much that they are obviously frozen fries, but they are cheap, mushy, no-flavored frozen fries.
Review Source:Al-Basha. Hidden (literally) gem of Fishers, IN. I'm south of it, so I always turn on Easy Street and Allisonville Rd, hooking around the left when I go behind the first row of strip malls, to journey into the back. It's adjacent to India Sizzling (good food!) as well.
I don't even know how I found the place originally. I had gone to Bombay Bazaar for some masalas and what not and mentioned glancing at the 'AL-BASHA' sign between two buildings on the way up. The proprietor went, "Pfah! GYROS!" and I put it from my mind; filing it for later use.
I am a huge fan of the cuisine of North Africa, the Levant, the Near East, and the Middle East. I had heard that the place was a grocery store, so I went with that in mind, hoping to score some pita.
Ladies and gentlemen, they make their pita bread fresh every day and it really shows.
When I first went to the place, it was just two rooms. One side restaurant; one side grocery. Now, it seems they've added a hookah bar and a new room.
Item the First: Grocery
If you're looking for specific Middle Eastern cheeses, exotic spams, THE BEST PICKLES EVER, kegs of olive oil, date cookies (mamouls), tahini, teas, coffee, spices, etc. Their prices on spices are great, a large container of cumin for around 5 bucks. You can't beat that. If you ever need spices, I've always recommended to my friends to go to ethnic groceries, because people actually USE the spices often. The price will reflect that, and not the thimble full of coriander powder for 16.00 at the local Korger.
Item the Second: Restaurant
Not only is everything really cheap and reasonable, but the the presentation is great. I love getting hummus there, because I'll see the delicious moat of olive oil surrounding the center ramparts of some whole garbanzo beans. The lamb/beef domathes (stuffed grape leaves) are orgasmic, and the sandwiches are not only gigantic, but full of flavor. I've ordered pretty much everything on the menu, and I've never been disappointed.
VIGNETTE:
I took some friends there, and I ordered a beef shwarma. I asked for some hot sauce on the side. Our waiter said, "The chef can make it spicy for you. How spicy do you want it?"
I said, "As spicy as you can make it, without destroying the flavor."
Waiter said, "We can do that." and vanished into the back. Minutes later, I heard this come from the kitchen.
"MWUAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
It was the best thing ever. I totally wasn't expecting it, but it was hilarious. I thought that this shwarma was going to come out exactly as I wanted it. The waiter came out and warned me that it was really hot, and then waited to see me take the first bite.
The flavor of the shwarma was preserved, and my mouth was lit on fire. My eyes were tearing, and I was sweating... and smiling throughout the whole thing. Truly, an unparalleled experience! Delicious!
BACK TO REVIEW
I also wanted to point out that there seems to be an ever revolving stable of college kids who are hired to wait at the restaurant. I've never had a bad experience with them, but I see that others have had some different experiences.
Item the Third: Hookah Bar/Buffet/Party Room/Restaurant
This area is still new to me. I know you can rent it out for catered functions, but you can also go in there to smoke some shisha. I can't remember if they ever have a buffet here or not, so please don't quote me on that. I got a hookah here once, and it burned well and tasted great. I believe the flavor we got was some sort of tropical thing!
Hopefully, this helps. I would live here, if I could. It's not often that you encounter a place that is easy on the wallet, flavorful and filling. The grocery store is a must for anyone interested in Mid Eastern cooking. Mario is the gregarious heart and soul of Al-Basha, and a pleasure to speak to.
This is one of our favorite local restaurants! We love the tabouli ($6), gyros ($6.99), greek salad with gyro meat ($9.99). I always get my gyro meat extra spicy...be warned, it is VERY spicy. My husband gets it slightly spicy. We have also had and enjoyed their sampler appetizer with stuffed grape leaves and other wonderful treats. They have a kids menu with chicken tenders or nuggets (we like the tenders), cheeseburger, gyro, etc. Their dinners cost a bit more but you get a lot more food as well.
They have an older gentleman in the back who gets there very early in the morning to make the pita bread in a fire oven. My son loves to go back there to see the pita man and often comes out with treats. The grocery store that is attached is novel as well. What we love most about it is the friendly owner and staff who always welcome us.
I heard they have catering, which I am considering for upcoming gatherings. Coupons are available at <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Findycoupons.com&s=d83a12cd90911ecbe79b7e19fd99d2020379ca658bfae8e237452688262b9438" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://indycoupons.com</a> and also on the back of your Kroger reciept.
My husband and I have been wanting to try this place as most of the reviews are good, so we decided to get takeout from there tonight. We are terribly disappointed! We ordered the baba ghanoush for an appetizer and the flavor was terrible. The house made pita bread was cold, bland and hard in the center. The meal just went downhill from there. We both had the Greek salad with gyro meat for our entrees. There was more lettuce than anything (iceberg, not romaine), our tomatoes were green in the middle, there were about 2 pieces of cucumber and olives, very little shredded feta, and the meat was dry. Everything about this meal was sub-par and we won't be returning. We like to try different places and love all kinds of ethnic foods, but this place just didn't cut it.
Review Source:Still think these are some of the best Gyros in town. I've been ordering them take-away recently. Â Still yummy goodness.
I was updating  my review after last night though to say that they have aquired some new adjacent space and have expanded, so now they have 2 little dining rooms.  Based upon their web site, I think the new area may also be a hookah bar in the later evenings.
Hands down the best gyros in the area. Â They have a typical mediterranean menu. Â I really like the tabbouli salad. Â It is the most authentic tabbouli I have had in Indy. The prices aren't bad either. I think a gyro is around $5
What I like best is they also have a little grocery with a ton of hard to find Lebanese ingredients. Â They make fresh pita and sell them at the store. Â I think it is on Thursdays that they have whole wheat pitas too. Â I definitely recommend this place.
I love this place for lunch. Â The people are really nice and the chance to do some shopping while my to-go order is prepared is perfect. Â I've only had the gyros there, but, they are so good I can't go there without getting one.
We have a few people in our office who will not go to another place for gyros and I'm starting to get close to that mindset. Â
In an area that typically has chains, it is refreshing to see authentic ethnic food being served.
Great job, can't wait for my next gyro run!
I went on a Sunday just to look over the store (I wasn't sure they were having take out on Sundays). I was pleasantly surprised to learn I could get take out so I perused the store aisles while I waited on my order.
I was greeted when I walked in the door and was offered a menu quickly afterward. It appears the gentleman running the grocery was also in charge of the restaurant, so i could see how service could slower on busier days.
I ordered a gyro dinner and lentil soup.
The lentil soup was very good. Thick and full of texture.
The gyro dinner was packed with meat, vegetables, and a side dish. Easily more food then I could finish. Â Probably one of the best gyros I've had in central Indiana
This restaurant is a must-go. Yes, it's in a grocery store, yes it doesn't feel like you're in a fine dining spot, and yes the service isn't stellar...but you're eating in a grocery store for crying out loud - what do you expect! I had the extra spicy gyro and it was delicious. Couldn't have been better. Fries or rice are extra...but at $5.99 it filled me up without the add-ons.
Review Source:I'd go higher, but from a restaurant stand point, it just don't add up
The wife and I had been meaning to get out here for quite some time. Â This unassuming restaurant/grocery store is in a little hidden plaza behind CarX on Allisonville. Â If you blink, you just might miss it.
AMBIENCE- so this place has two entrances; one for the grocery store, and one for the restaurant. Â As we walked into the restaurant, we saw about 8-10 tables, and a counter. Â Not a whole lot of decoration, they had a rug hanging on the wall, and the divider was basically one of the aisles of the grocery store. Â Overall, not that impressive. Â But hey, as long as they have good food, I could care less.
SERVICE- we sat down, and a guy working there (as well as the grocery store) presented us with some menus. Â The guy was friendly enough, but was not very responsive, and was often missing for long periods of time (usually because he was helping customers on the other side). Â We were in no huge rush, but c'mon people. Â There were two guys there. Â One should focus on the restaurant, and the other on the grocery store.
MENU- menu looked pretty simple. Â They had typical appetizers such as hummus, baba ghanouj (sp.), grape leaves, sandwiches (shwarma, gyros, falafel), and a few entrees (gyro plate, shish kabob dinner, etc...). Â The wife and I weren't starving, so we elected to just get sandwiches. Â I rocked a gyro and my wife got a chicken shwarma sandwich.
FOOD- my wife's shwarma sandwich was ok. Â The meat seemed a little dry, but it wasn't too bad. Â My gyro KICKED A$$. Â Perhaps I had been waiting a bit too long for my food, and I was that hungry, but they jam packed my gyro with meat, and the tomato and onion worked well with the tahini sauce. Â My wife took a bite and wished she had gotten the same thing.
GROCERY STORE- might as well kill two birds with one stone. Â The grocery selection did not seem that vast, but seemed to have your basic middle eastern food needs taken care of. Â
OVERALL- the food was good, but the wait was long. Â I think this place would be better served if they weren't a "full service" restaurant. Â Just let me order my food, and I'll bus my own tray when I'm done. Â The gyro was REALLY good though. Â I think ordering out is the way to go with this one.
Celebrity Rating- Rob Schneider
I read a review about this place in Fishers magazine and was intrigued. I finally made it in for a falafel last week and I cannot wait to return. (My stomach grumbles as I write this)
Marwan, the owner, makes amazing falafel! The house-made pita is stuffed with absolutely huge falafel patties that are crispy on the outside and tender in the middle. I've had way too many overcooked, dried out falafel....not the case here! Â The sandwich also included sliced tomato, onions, tahini (delish!) and some slices of pickles that defy description...just go there, you'll see what I mean.
I also roamed the groceries at Al-Basha - oh yeah, it's a combo cafe and middle eastern specialty store. I bought some loukoum (Turkish
delight) that was rose-flavored (my favorite) and was very fresh and mmmm.....good! Other purchases included a bag of fresh, made in the store, pita bread and a tub of pistachio halva. Marwan even gave me a brief tour of nearly all things Turkish on the shelves and in the freezers after I mentioned being born in Turkey.
Al-Basha also serves gyros, hummus, baba ghannouj and other middle eastern morsels. Word is that a new, expanded menu is about to be launched....seriously, this place is one of the best-kept secrets in Fishers. Plan to wait in line at lunch time if you want take-out, but it's so worth it!
The 5 best restaurants in the 2015 Denver Restaurant Week
3,611 Views | Category: Denver
The complete list of 2015 Denver Restaurant Week businesses
1,972 Views | Category: Denver
The tourists' guide to Portillos: 5 must have dishes
3,318 Views | Category: Chicago
Pho = Pronounced "fuh" not "foe" for pho-king sake
2,915 Views | Category: Denver
Indulgery selected to exhibit at Collision Conference
2,987 Views | Category: Press Releases
Not Logged In
BUSINESSES
Local Businesses
Near Me
My Favorites
SOCIAL
Blog & News
MY ACCOUNT
Login
Register
Contact Us
Add Your Business
