Casbah Cafe

by Fadi A.

I visited this place after reading great reviews on yelp, but boy I was fooled by them. This place SUCKS; personally this food is not even Mediterranean. The manager "Saed" claimed this restaurant to have Palestinian food and so is the chef who happens to be from there. This place is not authentic, I'm from Chicago and we Chicagoans know Mediterranean food, not a single thing from the menu I tried was good. The manager didn't even had the courtesy to apologies about the food but claimed that if I disliked his food then all the other Mediterranean restaurants food would be bad cause he is the "BEST" in Jacksonville. Visitors please save your appetite and try some other good food places, cause this food place is not worth your time. Lamb Kabab were tasteless, Keftah Kabab were shapeless and were made in a shape of Indian version of Seekh Kabab again if you just want to waste money and time this place is the perfect place for you and don't be fooled by other reviewers reviews cause obliviously they haven't tried an authentic Arabian meal EVER in their lives.

by Ed L.

She called and told me we were going to Casbah Cafe over in Riverside. Her treat.I said, How sweet, sounds good, what they got?She - It's Mediterranean basically and they feature hookers.Me - They have WHAT? She - They have hookers.Me - You're treating me to a hooker, could you spell that please?She - Laughing and snickering, H-o-o-k-a-h-s, must be my New York accent.Me - I was beginning to think...maybe I should go alone.She - You're sooo funny!We went with another couple, celebrating their coincidental Birthdays this month. They were veterans and made several suggestion on what to order. We ordered the Casbah combo for two; choice of three appetizers and two entrees. It was hummus with pita bread, spinach pies, falafel and stuffed grape leaves. Both entrees were lamb kabobs served over basmati rice pilaf.Here's the stack up;4 Stars - Menu selection and imagination.2 Stars - Ambiance  (seated too close to the wait staff service station)3 Stars - Lamb kabobs and rice. Tasty and tender but a little over cooked.3 Stars - Hummus with Pita.3 Stars - Spinach pies.3.5 Stars - Falafel. 3.5 Stars - Stuffed grape leaves.5 Stars - Undulating Belly Dancer. (but not the hooker I was promised)1 Stars - Music was too loud when the dancer was undulating.As for Hookahs, have no clue, none of us smoke.My date did ask if I wanted a hooker after dinner... EXCUSE ME!?!?!?I opted for Baklava, and was disappointed I did.

by David S.

I love this place! I've never eaten anything here that wasn't great. They have an excellent choice of beers. The Wait staff are very pleasant and good at making suggestions when you can't choose. There is belly dancing and of course hookahs. They even have free WiFi for those days when you need to do something on the computer while you hook out. My favorite dish is the lentil soup. It's like nothing I can make at home.

by sanjida s.

Love this place! Have to hit up again... great Mediterranean food. Amazing grape leaves, hummus, baba ganoush. Love them in general. LOVE their lounge. Of course the bellydancing is amazing! What's more is you'll find authentic middle eastern people hanging out here! There's also typical college crowd and variety of people and I love this about CasbahSmokes are good! Don't carry rose though, so that makes me sad... but it's great! Check it out!They also have american food, if you have some unadventurous people in your group! Awesome! FIVE stars!

by Ophelia B.

I have frequented this place before the crowds got wind of this gem. I remember the quiet days and peaceful dinners on Saturday nights. You're lucky to get in within 45 minutes these days. It's very crowded, loud, and a long waiting time, but once you get your hookah on, a good brew from the bar, and some of their delicious lamb kabobs it seems that all the inconvenience melts away! Has high turnover because the staff seems always changing, but the service is just fine and the Casbah delivers.

by Jay L.

Rock the Casbah.Hmm, I wonder if I like this place just cuz it's always packed and has a good atmosphere or if I actually like the food.  I've been here, oh about 3 times, the last was last night as I picked up some food to go for the Glabella.  Got a chicken and shrimp kabob.  One with coucous and the other with rice pilaf.  Took them about 20 minutes to make, but I had a black cherry Lambic as I waited at the bar so it was all to the good.Actually, the food was worth the wait.  Both she and I exclaimed over our food.  The chicken was citrus-y with hints of an Indian curriness.  Not spicy and well cooked.  The rice was good as well.  The shrimp were fresh and had a satisfying crunch when you bit into them.  They didn't have a distinct flavor, except being fresh shrimp.  The couscous was flavorful though.  We both enjoyed it.Other times I've been there I've had a falafel plate.  It was good, but not super good.The belly dancing scared my friend.  He has a thing about bellies I guess.This joint is also cool cuz it's open from 12-2 every damn day.  At least you know where you can get a late night grub-on and hookah it up too.

by Dana H.

Casbah is one of the things that I truly miss about Jacksonville!  The middle eastern food is truly exceptional.  The lamb kabobs are so deliciously seasoned and the meat is soooo tender.  Honestly, everything I've tried is delicious.  You cannot go wrong with any of their dishes.  It's also a great place to go to get some of their excellent tea and smoke a lil' hookah.  They have a ton of flavors.I love the ambience of the place.  On weekend nights they usually have belly dancers or some type of entertainment to add to the atmosphere.  It gets packed on Friday and Saturday nights, so definitely go early or you will be waiting in line FOREVER.  The place is tiny... so you will wait for a table.  I am not ashamed to say that one of the reasons I drive up to Jax is to go eat at Casbah!

by Brandon B.

This place is an icon of the Shoppes at Avondale if you ask me. The food here is quite alot better than most other places in town that are similar. I have been a patron of the Casbah Cafe for about 4 years now and at one point I would visit several times a week. This has changed now. The reason for the change is that I have become dissatisfied with the staff and the cutting back that has happened as well the "crowd" of people that visit the Casbah. Please do not get me wrong I congratulate the Casbah in its success. But the type of crowd that frequents there now has changed and evolved into something that personally I do not care for. This "crowd" as it be has gone from being mostly made up of locals of the area and hipsters to turning into 18 year old preppy, wigger, and redneck kids looking to be cool and smoke hookah. These kids do not go there to eat the wide array of middle eastern and Palestinian cuisine that the Casbah has to offer.... No they simply want to smoke the hookah and maybe get some kind of "high"(this high is only from them incorrectly smoking the hookah and over indulging, they aren't really high only light headed from depriving their brain of oxygen.) from it or whatever. This is evident so much that the restaurant had to impose a rule that says if you are only ordering hookah that you have to at-least order some kind of beverage that you have to pay for. My main issue with this is that these children come here and take up large amounts of seating for hours on end and aren't even eating at this restaurant while people like me and my friends wish to dine on the classic food that the Casbah has to offer.

by Merav B.

I have a middle eastern background and grew up on its cuisine, so I hold it to a high standard. Though Casbah's isn't the best I've ever had, it's the best I've tried here in Jacksonville. We always go with a Casbah Combo so we can order a range of appetizers - Casbah's strong point. Their tabbouleh and hummus are well done. Their falafel, though a little too heavy, has good flavor, as does the kibbeh. Their kebabs are well seasoned though can sometimes be overdone. The atmosphere is warm and lively, especially on a Saturday night when the lines are long and the air thick with a hookah haze. Overall, Casbah's is a fun place with good food at a great value.

by Michael E.

The Casbah has established itself in Jacksonville, but I do not feel it has grown as it should have.  I rate the grape leaves and tabbouleh safe as far as the menu goes.It is not just about the food, though.  Share a hookah, let the dancing entice you and revel in the fact that you just can't have this quality an experience anywhere else in town.