Reviews of Tabooleh (Restaurant)

Karin Hotchkiss

We had the lunch buffet. There are a lot of vegetarian options and they were all delicious!

Christopher Coffman

The hummus and falafel here are really good. There's an entire pickle bar. They also have several vegan options on the buffet, so the vegetarians in your crew will be happy.

Collin Sawyer

This place is legit. Cheap and excellent falafel wrap. Nice staff too. GO HERE, YOU WONT REGRET IT.

Zachary Criss

Great food, really surprised it isnt busier. Would definitely recommend!

David Borger Germann

Outstanding food. Kind and generous staff. Make sure to try the rice pudding!

Jack Dalson

They only serve lunch buffet, service is good. I highly recommend them to clean the carpet. Just rent a rug doctor. The carpet is extremely dirty

Nicole Kitchen

Deliciously different and very friendly staff. My husband enjoyed a fresh gyro made to order. Great fun trying something new. Thank you!

Annie xo

The turley stew is just Campbell’s vegetable soup. The pita came out warm, but quickly became hard (probably from microwaving). Nothing seems that it is made fresh in house there.

Rich Greenware

Great place for vegans! Super friendly owner who gave us a personal tour of the delicious buffet. Love that vets and seniors get 10% off too. We'll definitely be back!

Stephan Arndt

Very friendly staff providing a large array of excellent food.

Rachel Schloss

Such a chill place to hang out and the hookah is great!!!

Najat Baya

Great place to eat. Very nice and friendly stuff. Many choices of delicious food.

sundes elfagih

Very nice person who served the food other wise the manager was somewhat rude, the way he talks sometimes, doing mistakes in service then asked us to pay extra due to his mistakes, in addition to extra 13 dollars fees for service that we didn't know abt. Honestly some of the food was really good other was moderate. I definitely won't come here again and I don't recommend it to anybody

Connor Sipe

Tabooleh is in a word, contentment. Highly enjoyed; highly recommended.

Von Zine

Terrible! Cold rice, crunchy and cold pita, chicken was not well seasoned. So disappointed.

Peter Miller

Amazing selection. Only drawback for us was that almost all the desserts included pine nuts, which my girlfriend is allergic to. The food at atmosphere are impeccable. Service was prompt, friendly, and warm. The buffet deal is great, and everything tastes amazing. I am often worried about buffets, but I couldn't tell that the food wasn't freshly prepared to my order. Definitely coming back. Update: In the minute I was writing this review in the restaurant, the chef put together a batch of baklava with no nuts for my girlfriend based on her allergy. Can't recommend this highly enough.

Solomon Berhanu

Great place for buffet lunch and dinner.

David Haupt

We really like something different and we've been there now about three times for the lunch buffet. The owner is friendly and the food is very tasty. The Tabouleh, for which the place is named, is the first dish you confront in the buffet, a healthy, but exotic vegetarian parsley salad. Personally, the rest of the buffet is better than the name dish, but there are plenty of choices for any palet, including beef, lamb, and chicken or fish, low carb and high carb as well. There is an array of very sweet and less sweet Arabic pastries and as much ice cream as you desire. A drink, Turkish coffee or tea with no refills, comes with it, though they change the rules sometimes. Hey! They're from another culture.

Omar Em

They have a very nice sit-and-order style for dinner now. It is very delicious, tasty, and fresh!!

Frances Siddique

A very extensive buffet of Middle Eastern and American dishes, fresh and nice salad and vegetables, great dessert selection, very friendly and attentive staff, very clean, spacious, and conveniently located. Some lovely Moroccan dishes. Vegetarians would also be satisfied. Good selection for the whole family, including kids. It's also halal, which is not that common. You will not find alcohol here, but that's not a big deal. In fact, it might even be a plus point. I will definitely visit again.

Ashley Jennings

Really good food! Very fresh and flavorful. Lots of options for vegetarians, vegans, and meat-eaters alike. Excellent lunch option. Highly recommend.

Erin Ogborn

Buffet with so many good dishes you eont be hungry!

Prickles Hoggington

I love this restaurant! I visited it on a whim and loved everything about it. They have a great selection of Mediterranean food. The staff is very friendly, too. They treat you like family anytime you come in. Make sure to have some babaganoosh. It is the best I've had in the area. Their gyro meat is also excellent, as is their pita. The stuffed peppers are also delicious.

Kathleen Sutherland

A roomy and attractive place, friendly owner and staff. Food display is attractive, with a wide array of choices. One section is all vegan, although there are plenty of meat and fish dishes as well. A good selection of salads, cooked veggie dishes, side dishes, and desserts. Reasonable price.

Terry Reints

This restaurant has a Mediterranean buffet that is unbelievable! I tried to get a small sample of everything they had, but there was so much variety that I couldn't do it. They also have a full section just for vegans. I loved the tea too. The staff is very nice and helpful. This just became my favorite Iowa City restaurant. I'll be sure to return the next time I'm in town.

Yara Albashair

Honestly I didn't think the food was all that great. It tastes a lot like something I would make at home. The service was okay, nothing special. I thought the prices were really nice.

Nathan Domino

Ok, as someone who feels it is hard to even find Mediterranean food in Iowa, I was so very pleased when I saw this place existed. I just ate there today and I have to say I am a huge fan. It is a buffet so the quality of the food will always not be as great as an individual made to order meal, but that is the trade off for being able to try a wide variety of food. They do a fantastic job of having a wide variety. Plus they have a person making gyros as well. I think places like this blow pizza and Chinese buffets out the water and I hope this place is successful because this state deserves to have places like this.

Dennis Reynolds

If i lived in Iowa City I would eat here once a week.

Anon Ymous

I really liked this place. Fresh and alot of selection. The outside is a work in progress, bit the inside is pretty decent. Check it out!

sufian haj

Great staff and great place Fun and fresh food and drinks Hooka too. You have to be there.

Yichi Zuo

Visited one week ago, and had to come back again. Food is fresh and flavorful, and of excellent variety. Something for everyone. Staff is friendly and helpful. Will go back many times!

Russell Savage

A ton of fresh, authentic variety in this Middle Eastern restaurant. The server was very helpful and friendly!

Zanetta Hill

The food is so good and it is great to have so much variety. They have vegan food. Many meat and seafood dishes. A fresh gyro grill with lamb chicken and meatball gyros. My favorite was the desserts baklava, rice pudding, mini chocolate lava cakes and amazing flan. Yes I said flan. Even my 9 year old loves it.

Nicole R

Our favorite restaurant!

Chris Widmer

Lunch buffet was good but the dinners are really great.

Yasir taif AL-yasiri

The food is fine but the restaurant ground floors plates silver wear all dirty and they take long time for order

Brady W

This review is for the items available in local grocery stores like Hy-Vee. The tzatziki is fantastic! Perfect to skip a step when making gyros or other Greek favorites!

Sundus Yousuf

Visited this place on the second day of opening and the food was amazing. Loved the customer service and the vibe. The food has an authentic homemade test wish was perfect. If you like Mediterranean food this place is definitely the go to place in Iowa City if not the only place. They have a plenty of variety to choose from the salad, entree and dessert. One last don't forget to get have your tea !!!

Margo Glass

Excellent choice of items on the lunch buffet, very good price / value. And now they have menu items in the evening, instead of a buffet

Quentin Adams

Great food in an awesome buffet with lots of choices

Cassidy

Good food. Friendly atmosphere. Vegan options. A great place to try new foods from a different culture!

Arielle S

WONDERFUL FOOD AND SERVICE! So beautiful inside and the lunch buffet was very tasty. Also great because in buffet signs, the ingredients were listed (also on their menu) giving you more insight on what you're ordering. Can't wait to go back!

Hudhaifa Shatnawi

Great food quality, clean & high quality place, reasonable prices! offers delicious dishes from Shami & Egyptian kitchens! If you are Middle-eastern you will find what you are looking for. Everything served is Halal, No Alcohol, wide variety buffet at lunch.

Luke Hillis

Didn't work for me. Quality of food is lacking. They have such a huge variety - would be better to have a few dishes and do it well. I don't plan on eating here again.

Mk Cz

Great food! Dishes could be refilled more frequently. Everything is VERY tasty.

Hanan Mubeen

Great halal restaurant. Loved it.

Clifford Ash

Food was fresh and delicious.

Vahid K.M.

Have been there two times. Once it was not that much good and once it was good. There is a chef there who cooks fresh food there, I recommend his foods more than the self service foods in front of him.

Tina Becerra-Hinsley

LOVE IT!!!! Wish they still had the buffet at night, but I understand the economics isnt there. Frankly, I can't understand why this place hasn't been packed when I was there. It's amazing. I recommend going to the lunch buffet first - find out what you like and then come back for dinner off the menu another time.

Damian Ogwo

Nice... Fancy place. Has all you want in terms of Mediterranean meals and Arab food. I love trying new stuff and this place gave me an amazing taste of the Middle East. They also have a hookah bar. The servers are super nice and very respectful. If you are looking for something exciting to try, then you shd give this place a shot.

Steve Ruby

Our new favorite place to eat in Iowa City! My wife and I quite enjoyed this restaurant. They have a good grill there for cooking fresh meat orders. I found myself eating foods I had not tried before, and a huge selection of the Middle Eastern food I love. I was reminded of places I have eaten in Palestine. : ) A restaurant with friendly folk - and a home cooked taste. Delicious!

Heriberto Martinez

This place is phenomenal! Some of the best food in the area. Their lunch buffet is high quality, and really hard to beat for the price. Dinner is ala carte, but again the quality of food is to notch, and the portions are large! They also have a hookah bar that is open at 7 p.m. every night. You can't go wrong with a little bit of hookah in your life. Do yourself a favor and stop by and check them out, the owners are very friendly people.

Kensington Appel

Amazing buffet! The vegan options are incredible and the service was fantastic! I can’t wait to go again!

Joyce Tsai

Excellent, fresh buffet!

Pua Haight

Had vegetarian dishes and wasn't disappointed.

Brenna Kingyon

Such a good experience. The food is excellent and the staff is lovely. It's really nice to get authentic Middle Eastern cuisine in Iowa City. My husband and I will definitely be back!

Rakeli Ntawuyitegeka

Y’all this place is everything! It is a buffet layout with the most beautiful setting. The family that owns this restaurant is the sweetest. The food is amazing. If I could give this place 1000 stars for quality, I would. It’s all around wholesome, from the food, to the service, to the place. 10/10 definitely will go there again with my friends.

Faiaz Rahman

We went there for the lunch buffet. There were a lot of vegetarian options and very few meat options. I guess I was expecting more meat. Its an okay place.

Rick Madden

Fantastic food

Natalie

The food was nice and the service was great, but we went there thinking it was a buffet and it is not. They need to update their marketing.

Bo Al

First time at this buffet. Very reasonably priced. Great food. Will definately eat here again.

Navid Jadid

This place is a great place for dining. One can choose open buffet or from menu for lunch. The food is high quality and makes me go back there at least once in a month. The people are so kind and friendly and buffet (lunch) is always being refilled! You will be happy here by different varieties of mediteranean food! Veggie and Vegan options are also available. The only thing that could change would be the music. Something without lyrics and more calm would make this place more enjoyable!

John Maloy

Amazing food, friendly waiters, and overall a comfortable atmosphere.

Will Parrish

Good food. Really like it here.

Eric Siron

I have never been to a Mediterranean restaurant before and didn't know what to expect. I found an impressive array of all sorts of food. Even if it turns out that you don't like any Mediterranean cuisine, you will find something familiar here. I tried several new dishes, some of which I liked, some I didn't. Even the ones I didn't like seemed fresh and well-prepared, just not my taste. I recommend ordering something from the grill first. While you wait, pick up things to eat as sides and appetizers only. If you get a full meal from the buffet and get grill food as well, you'll likely wind up with far more food than you can consume. All of the grill food is excellent, but I especially liked the chicken. The desserts are amazing. I found that I especially liked dipping the baklava in the caramel dessert. Yes, your kids will love it. Once mine discovered gummy worms in the dessert lineup, this place became a family favorite. Service was friendly and prompt.

Wil Simpson

The owner was a great and funny guy!

Tim Stover

Great food. One of the few places where you can buy prayer rugs.

Melissa Coeur

The food was wonderful. It wasn't too spicy and there was a nice variety. My only issue was that there needed to be more signs indicating what things were. Otherwise it was great and I highly recommend it.

Hannah Eide

Really good food, very authentic and delicious! Waitstaff was also very nice. Will definitely come back again for the lunch buffet!

Maruf Ahamed

Food was not bad, but you should clean the restaurant area and the bathroom.

Yousef Quran

Very good Oriental food. And it's not pricy. I like it!

Andrew Roers

This place is awesome! So many choices and such incredible flavors in each dish. These are not quick dishes to make either! There is a tremendous amount of care put into each dish! Can't beat the lunch price and dinner has the addition of a delicious grilled bar with lamb Kafka, chicken and gyros. All of them are superbly seasoned! Go!

sandy gaber

This place is AMAZING! I came here more than once and they have an endless variety of food. Everything looks and tastes fresh. What's great is that they change up the menu everyday, so you never feel bored of eating the same thing. Even though they just recently opened they seem to be very organized and super friendly.

Veronica Ferreira

Always a delicious meal. Hubby had the meat combo and raved about it. My vegetarian kid had the falafel and eggplant and said it was delicious. I had chicken tikka and it did not disappoint. Wish they still had their dinner buffet, but it was still a fantastic meal with excellent service

Ginny Bender Rew

Fabulous exquisite cuisine! Ate there again today. Great service and food! We love it! You should try it!

Heather Johnson

My family of 5 ate here on a Saturday night. We were seated and served quickly. The staff was super friendly. The owner visited our table to make sure we were enjoying our meal. The food was excellent and extremely reasonably priced. We spend only $28 to feed all 5 of us. All the food was delicious! The gyro meat was tender and flavorful. The soups were delicious. I had the black tea with mint, which was super tasty and warming. Our favorite part of the meal was the baklava. We will definitely eat here again when in the area!

Chase Comer

No other customers. The buffet was full of food I would never order. They are trying but the decor and the whole atmosphere sends mixed messages.

Diana Lee-West

Edit: they only serve the buffet for lunch now. Got here around 1800 on a Friday. Food ws fresh and hot. Every item tasted completely different than any of the others. The food had so many colors and flavors - perfect for a dreary Friday evening. The grill items were really well prepared and cooked to perfection! The pickle bar is perfect to keep your palate cleansed in between flavor explosions. The dessert items were the perfect finishing touch to a great meal. Staff was very attentive and friendly. Will definitely be back and spread the word! Finally a place to eat in Iowa City that isn't meat and potatoes!!

Anastasia

I read the reviews and was excited to try this place. Theres hardly anything on the buffet. Food that was on the buffet was cold and never filled up. Wont be back

Majed Taher

I like the hookah there, nice place and smily staff

Fredric Haberer

We are just back from a birthday lunch at Tabooleh Mediterranean Buffet on the Coralville Strip (2nd Street). There was a huge selection of dishes to try :-) I must have sampled a couple dozen, and I loved all but 1! Flavors not available any other place we have been -- it is so great to have something other than the usual fare!

Gypsy Rose

I walked in expecting a buffet. They do have many buffet bars... but none was filled. It seems the buffet runs from 11 - 3. Nowhere on their website does it say this; nor on their business card. Theirs hookah place is an offset room. With no air movement. And they use Quick light coals and did not tell you they have natural coals available. I happened to see a box of natural coals out by the bathrooms and requested that they use them instead.. My friends who got leaked are badly. And they just did not use any rubber grommets... just aluminum foil to get it to seal up. Do be careful of the mouth tips. I believe they were using as cheap as possible mouth tips. They were actually cutting our lips

Jiji Poid

my bro and I were there for lunch a few months ago and the floors were sticky, the bathrooms were not clean. The food seemed kind of old aside from a couple of items.. Just didn't think it was worth going. Maybe lunch is different than the dinner hours.. Who knows..

zahra khosh

I loved the lunch buffet . only 11$ and a lot of options. Much better than another Mediterranean restaurant.

Marcus Upton

Excellent selection and quality of Mediterranean food for the buffet as well as on the regular menu.

Brian Zeman

I nice change of pace. A little something different. Evening prices are a little high, but you're supporting a local guy, not a chain. Give it a try. You'll be surprised!

PJ Illinois

Wonderful meal. Excellent service. The owner really puts his whole self into the restaurant. The staff are all so warm and kind. The grape leaves and the lamb and the vegetables were excellent.

Jacob Tessmer

Picturesque food with bright savory meals. The owner personally greeted guests and servers were attentive and polite. We came with my special needs brother in-law and they were very accommodating.

Nigora Usmanova

Great food, great place, great tea! I loved every single dish! All natural, like home food. Would recommend it for sure! Thank you Tabooleh for great experience!

Alex Vazquez

Great service and amazing food!

FRRaphael Abraham

Excellent, very friendly, clean authentic

Tahsin Khataei

Very good quality Mediterranean food!

Salwa Qadeer

Buffet is big! We were just driving through. Food was good lots of options.

Ben Smasher

Tabooleh has earned my highest recommendation! I have eaten here four times now and have been consistently impressed by the food here. In fact, it gets better every time. It is so convenient to be able to enjoy this Egyptian food in a buffet setting to become familiar with it. They even rotate dishes every day so you can expect something different depending on each day of the week. Service, cleanliness, & friendliness all is of course impressive. We are so lucky to have something so unique in eastern Iowa.

Ash Ralph O’Quail

The place is unique inside, both clean and accommodating. The staff is very helpful and friendly. There’s enough variety for every taste including vegan. Labels explain ingredients of each dish which is very helpful. There’s a chef at the grill which makes to order Shawerma and grilled chicken. Price is fair but drinks were slightly overpriced. All in all, it was a good experience.

Ester Price

Food was good

Manuel Sarow

Great food, nice guy, reasonable price!

Ahmet Burak CIL

Meat was ok. Service has to be better. I was with my friends in slow time, it took so long to have our meals.

Aaron Edmundson

I went there for dinner with my wife. The food was excellent, the variety and quality was great. Positive middle eastern food experience compared to past restaurants that tried to pass themselves off as legit when they were using canned black olives,the cheapest feta they could get at grocery store, and what could only be described as pita chips from the chip isle. They thought they were hot stuff, but they were in denile, ( The Nile). Tabooleh might scare you with the price, it's a little higher than you were expecting. Don't complain until you're done eating. The lunch menu looks quite unorthodox, but in a positive way. Maybe I will find time soon to go for lunch buffet and give it a try. The food is great and it still looks a Chinese restaurant. Go the experience is great.

Fatemeh Barzegarpour

You can taste a variety of Middle Eastern food, salad, dessert and pickles. Their food are so delicious. Tabooleh is a cosy buffet.

Prashant Borse

Very delicious and full of variety in buffet, kids loved it, good family place

Qutaiba AL-janabi

I love this restaurant! I visited it on a whim and loved everything about it. They have a great selection of Mediterranean food. The staff is very friendly, too. They treat you like family anytime you come in. Make sure to have some babaganoosh. It is the best I've had in the area. Their gyro meat is also excellent, as is their pita. The stuffed peppers are also delicious.

Carrie Stallings

We came in for dinner (out of town on a whim) and ordered from the menu. Honestly, it was the best Turkish/Mediterranean food I've had in the US. Had the chicken tikka and falafel, definitely suggest!!

Shyam Sekhar

I visited for lunch buffet and they had a host of mediterranean cuisine. Lot of options for vegetarians. Ambience was not to my liking, but I don't complain. Price was just right. Food tasted okay but the highlight was I got to taste different dishes from different cuisine.

Suzy R

Tough they have a wide variety in buffet they fail to fill them in timely manner, you have to go and ask them to refill and wait for long time. Food just tastes average. Weekends the buffet is expensive in fact not worth the money.

Korey Kay

Highly recommend this restaurant. The owner is attentive and dedicated to providing a comfortable, enjoyable, and filling experience to customers. As a vegan, I thoroughly enjoy the variety of food. Both meat and non- meat eaters have numerous options.

Irina S Dimitrov

Warm food on a frozen day. Great vegan/vegetarian options. Walking in there and seeing and smelling the steaming trays of food was a memorable moment. Very polite, welcoming staff.

Sepehr Roudini

The buffet is fine considering the low price, but the quality of food is so low and other than buffet is a waste of money. Don't go there for dinner. Also they reduced the food variety for the buffet! At first it was one of the best but now not even worth going there!

sarath nalla

Expensive but good for trying a different kind of food. I enjoyed a variety of dishes , but the quality wasn't there in most of them. Fried chicken was dry and baklava was disappointing. They have a huge selection pickled vegetables and good vegan options. Buffet doesn't include drinks and they are expensive. Dinner buffet + drink (coke) + tip will cost more than $20 per person.

Carol Rannow

The lamb shank was so tender. Great meal with desserts too!

Jonathan Prall

I was there for the hookah cafe portion of the shop. I thought the hookah was good! I had a Turkish coffee as well and it was also very good. Overall place was a little warm for my taste but other than that I liked it!

Anatolie Bostan

Yummy food, especially if you like mid Asian food. Try their lamb or meat platter, you'll love it

A Google User

Nice place ..good food ..beef kabab and kofta were amazing ..yasir was super amazing host ..

Abdelrady Tantawy

Awsome Arabic/Halal food.

DeLane Wright

Wonderful buffet selection. We arrived about 1:30 on Sunday afternoon to find the buffet full and fresh. Food choices are well labeled, in case you are unfamiliar with the cuisine. Clean. Spacious. Delightful staff. A little pricier than some other options, but given the large selection of dishes, quite reasonable. We will be back...with friends!

Chasity W

We love this place. Excellent service and food.

Karie Schatz

Good food for lunch buffet if a bit pricey

Danilo Jahn

The food was delicious. A huge selection of Mediterranean cuisine buffet style. The restaurant is clean with tables and booths. The staff was very friendly and accommodating. It is a definite 'recommend'.

alexa21ale

The food is very tasty, the buffet has a big variety of food. A very good place to stop and eat. Thank you TABOOLEH !

Mohammad Farajzadeh Tehrani

As the only Halal place in Iowa city, I wish the food was better.

Misael Moreno Luna

Best place to eat if you're in Coralville.

Jeff Morris

Horrible. Got there about 2:30 . Food was not being attended to. Rice and all else dried out. The buffet was open from 11 to 3. Should have been done by 2:00

Alida Selim

Wonderful food, great variety and it all looked and tasted very fresh. I have been to a similar Mediterranean buffet in Dallas and loved it and I was delighted to here we had one here now. It lived up to my expectations!

Joan M

Love Tabooleh! Best middle Eastern food in Iowa. Reasonable price. Good for meat lovers, vegans, or vegetarians. Yummy!

Meritt Brown

WOW! Tabooleh is amazing! Great high quality dishes for everyone. Fresh salads (three to choose from on our trip), lots of olives and pickles, huge selection of hot dishes, desserts that are over the top! And a vegan bar that does NOT skimp on flavor (I am not vegan, however one of my favorite dishes was vegan) The best part was the price! We have three kids ages 3, 4, and 5. The 3 year old was free and the other two were 75¢ per year of age. This was for lunch.

IROCKPAPERPLATES

I don't know what this is but it has a weird name so don't eat here.

Sandy Kemp

Wonderful grilled veggies, nice hot lentil soup with a little kick. Great use of fresh spices.

Pastor Sickmeyer

Food flavor good. Presentation, not so much. Food was luke warm when it came to our table.