A Jewel In Omaha
DESCRIPTION: Located in the middle of Omaha s colorful Old Market district is a little jewel of a restaurant: Ahmad s. A dozen simple tables fill a small room adorned with large Persian-motif paintings on blue-painted walls. Seating is also available on the sidewalk patio out front pleasant on a sunny day or warm evening. (If no tables are available when you arrive, have a drink at the corner bar two doors down and someone will come get you when your table is ready.) Appetizers are what one might expect at a Middle Eastern or Persian restaurant but are very well executed. The hummos and baba-goo nooj, lightly redolent of garlic and served with flat bread, are delightfully smooth and creamy. The dolmeh a large, densely stuffed cabbage roll of ground beef, lentils, and vegetables served with a piquant yet light tomato sauce, is delicious. Or try this combination: order the spicy falafel (served with tahini) and the mast-o-kyar (fresh homemade yogurt with mint and cucumbers) for a wonderful contrast of flavors and textures. Ask your waiter what white wines are on hand or wander back to the rack on the wall to see what is available for reds. Also offered are beer, intense and sweet Turkish coffee, regular coffee, Persian tea, and soft drinks. The list of chicken/beef/lamb entr es includes Persian ragouts like Fessun Jun (tasty boneless chicken in a wonderful walnut-pomegranate sauce), and Khoresht Keimeh (beef in a sauce of cinnamon, onions and potato with yellow split peas); kabobs of marinated ground lamb and beef or the marvelous chicken kabob marinated in yogurt, lemon and onion; and vegetarian specialties such as Ghormeh Sabzi (herbed green vegetables braised with kidney beans and dried limes in fenugreek sauce). Usually available, the shrimp special is highly recommended. Huge (U-10!) shrimp marinated and expertly cooked are delectably succulent. Dinners, attractively garnished and served with delicious spiced rice and a grilled tomato, include a small house salad with a tangy dressing. Service is friendly and attentive. Though Ahmad cooks, he is often seen explaining his menu to new customers, gently offering suggestions on how best to eat what was ordered, or carrying plates from the kitchen himself. It is apparent that he and his staff will make every effort to provide customers with an exceptional dining experience.
DATE: 2002-06-24
FOODRATING : 10
SERVICERATING : 10
AMBIANCERATING : 10
OVERALLRATING : 10
RECOMMENDED DISHES : shrimp special; chicken with walnut-pomegranate sauce

Is very good
DESCRIPTION: This is very good food.
DATE: 2002-11-14
FOODRATING : 10
SERVICERATING : 8
AMBIANCERATING : 8
OVERALLRATING : 10
RECOMMENDED DISHES : Kabab

Wonderful! A joy! Fun! GREAT food!!!
DESCRIPTION: The owner personally took great care of us. We had special dietary needs (Gluten-free and diabetic) and he was very helpful and friendly. He was right on in the dishes he recommended. It was GREAT!
DATE: 2003-03-06
FOODRATING : 10
SERVICERATING : 10
AMBIANCERATING : 10
OVERALLRATING : 10

Yum!!
DESCRIPTION: I have only been to Ahmad's once and it was a few years ago, as I have moved from NE, but I remember a wonderful experience there. The atmosphere was wonderful and the food was excellent. I don't remember what I got, but I remember I ate too much!!!! It was so good.
DATE: 2003-12-16
FOODRATING : 10
SERVICERATING : 8
AMBIANCERATING : 10
OVERALLRATING : 10
RECOMMENDED DISHES : Anything chicken

Excellent
DESCRIPTION: Well worth a visit for lunch or dinner. While service is sometimes slow, the kitchen makes the dishes from scratch so if you have the time, the wait is worth it. While prices are reasonable, prices for some appetizers is surprisingly high compared to simliar cuisine in other cities. However, this is Omaha and if you want hummus, there just aren't too many other options. On the upshot, food quality is very high. Well worth a visit!
DATE: 2003-12-17
FOODRATING : 6
SERVICERATING : 6
AMBIANCERATING : 6
OVERALLRATING : 6

THIS IS THE BEST RESTAURANT EVER!
DESCRIPTION: This is such a wonderful restaurant! I recommend that you go there! It's a great setting, and the food is delicious. Ahmad's daughter is the prettiest thing!
DATE: 2003-12-18
FOODRATING : 10
SERVICERATING : 10
AMBIANCERATING : 10
OVERALLRATING : 10
RECOMMENDED DISHES : Everything!

I ADORE it!
DESCRIPTION: My Girlfriend and I went to Ahmad's to try something new. I didnt know what to order so I asked Ahmad what would be something to try that wouldnt be too spicy or overpowering. He suggested this dish which consisted of grilled marinated chicken on spiced rice, upon which sat a fire roatsed roma tomato. Under the rice laid somehting like a flour tortilla. Banana slices adorned the plate and was told to eat those if the food got too spicy. He told us how to properly eat the dish for maximum flavor effect... MAN All I can say is what ever wine (sweet and white) he brought us made it all heavenly. I know when I die.. Im going to go to Ahmad's in the sky and eat that dish for EVER!!!
DATE: 2004-03-12
FOODRATING : 10
SERVICERATING : 10
AMBIANCERATING : 10
OVERALLRATING : 10

Mmm...this food is the best
DESCRIPTION: Go there... The food is the best! Forget ht average French, Italian, or whatever your family normally eats and try something different; i did and i loved it!
DATE: 2004-04-16
FOODRATING : 10
SERVICERATING : 10
AMBIANCERATING : 10
OVERALLRATING : 10
RECOMMENDED DISHES : Kabab-e Koobideh

DESCRIPTION: great food, halal meat
DATE: 2004-03-13
FOODRATING : 10
SERVICERATING : 10
AMBIANCERATING : 10
OVERALLRATING : 10
RECOMMENDED DISHES : chicken

DESCRIPTION: It was really good, enjoyable, decent and fine meal, Portion size also was Huge!!!!!! I really enjoyed it
DATE: 2004-06-06
FOODRATING : 8
SERVICERATING : 8
AMBIANCERATING : 8
OVERALLRATING : 8
RECOMMENDED DISHES : Soltani

very nice
DESCRIPTION: great atmosphere, GREAT FOOD, family owned and i am a regular there
DATE: 2004-08-15
FOODRATING : 10
SERVICERATING : 10
AMBIANCERATING : 10
OVERALLRATING : 10
RECOMMENDED DISHES : chicken shish kabob and koobideh

Sandy Springs Persian
DESCRIPTION: This is where we ate on the Friday evening after the September 11 World Trade Center tragedy. The kebabs are always excellent, rice is plentiful, ambiance pleasant, staff very cordial and helpful.
DATE: 2004-03-28
FOODRATING : 8
SERVICERATING : 8
AMBIANCERATING : 8
OVERALLRATING : 8

Great food, Good entertainment!
DESCRIPTION: This is by far the best Middle Eastern Restaurant I have found. Large buffet with great appetizers, Kabobs that melt in your mouth, the Beef kabobs are terrific! Nice mosaic tables. Native Iranian handicrafts and spices/music are also sold there. The waiter "Eddie" has always been very attentive. This is about our 20th trip to AliBaba and everytime we come to Central Florida we make time for the great food!
DATE: 2003-07-16
FOODRATING : 10
SERVICERATING : 10
AMBIANCERATING : 10
OVERALLRATING : 10
RECOMMENDED DISHES : Cherry rice, Lima/dill rice ALL KABOBS!

Excellent Food, Excellent Service
DESCRIPTION: Fantastic Mediterranean fare. Among the best that I've had. Plenty for meat eaters and vegetarians alike. The people are friendly and accomodating and very attentive to their customer's needs. The buffet is a great way to try many new and exciting foods, but $12 is slightly pricey as one plate of the food and a bowl of soup was even too much for me to finish and I generally eat quite a bit.
DATE: 2004-03-12
FOODRATING : 10
SERVICERATING : 10
AMBIANCERATING : 8
OVERALLRATING : 8
RECOMMENDED DISHES : Buffet Bar

The greatest food ever!
DESCRIPTION: This place is amazing. Definently try the Chicken with rice and bread and make sure to order extra cucumber yogurt on the side. It is delish!
DATE: 2003-08-01
FOODRATING : 10
SERVICERATING : 8
AMBIANCERATING : 8
OVERALLRATING : 10

DESCRIPTION: The food is very good especially the osh (a yummy soup of grains and beans), but the dinner salad is very mundane. The selection of entrees is nice and includes a very good vegeterian section. Do not overlook the simple but stunning desserts. They are all excellent, but the stand out is the rhubarb-strawberry pie (in season). It is made by the owner, right there as are all the goodies. The owner is often on hand and knows locals. She is a delight.The prices are very reasonable. If there is one drawback, it is the size of the place, which is small and it can get quite busy.
DATE: 2003-01-07
FOODRATING : 8
SERVICERATING : 8
AMBIANCERATING : 6
OVERALLRATING : 8

An Absolute Gem
DESCRIPTION: Cafe Natasha is one of my all-time favorite restaurants. When I have to bring out-of-town relatives to a restaurant, we go here. A friend's birthday? Dinner at Cafe Natasha. A romantic Friday night date? Yup, you guessed it...Cafe Natasha. They have never disappointed me. The atmosphere is both intimate and friendly; I've felt comfortable dining here as part of a twosome as well as with 7 other friends for a birthday. And the food...oh, it has always made me so happy! Persian food is not unlike much of "Middle Eastern Cuisine" so you will recognize the kabobs and rice and feta cheese and olives used. But Persian food, and particularly Cafe Natasha's food, is by far among the most flavorful. Persian food is not "spicy-hot" but it is well-seasoned with exotic spices like sumac and fenugreek. I love their lamb dishes. The meat they use is "falling-off-the-bone" tender. The osh soup is both refreshing and quite hearty. The eggplant stew is something I have gotten cravings for at 3am. Cafe Natasha is a great place to try, whether you are a vegetarian or meat-eater, timid or adventurous diner, small group or large party. I have recommended this restaurant to so many friends over the years, and always heard back good results. After years of traveling the country, this is hands-down the best Persian restaurant I've ever been to.
DATE: 2004-03-22
FOODRATING : 10
SERVICERATING : 8
AMBIANCERATING : 8
OVERALLRATING : 10
RECOMMENDED DISHES : osh (soup), lamb shanks

Excellent Persian Food
DESCRIPTION: Although I am not Persian or of Middle Eastern decent, I love this place. The food is outstanding. The kabobs are always cooked perfectly, the rice is amazing and the sides are awesome. The starter is the free pita bread and hot pepper sauce. Spread with butter and you can eat it all day.
DATE: 2005-06-23
FOODRATING : 10
SERVICERATING : 8
AMBIANCERATING : 8
OVERALLRATING : 10
RECOMMENDED DISHES : Kabob Shamshiry

A Whale of a Sandwich!
DESCRIPTION: Moby Dick, one of a chain of Persian kabob places, makes wonderful, HUGE sandwiches on their fresh-made flat bread. There's no ambiance to speak of--small, crowded tables in a tiny, tiled storefront--but they make their own bread and grill the meat to order. Yum, yum!
DATE: 2006-01-18
FOODRATING : 8
SERVICERATING : 8
AMBIANCERATING : 6
OVERALLRATING : 8
RECOMMENDED DISHES : Chicken kabob sandwich

Slow as mollasses, and usually worth it
DESCRIPTION: Kabob places are becoming a dime a dozen, but Moby Dick still stands out for the quality of the food and variety of the menu (some of their side dishes are both unique and wonderful). Tables are often hard to come by, although I'm not sure why anybody would wait to eat in here when it's basically a crowded and sterile food counter. Get your food to go, but hurry home while your bread is still hot.
DATE: 2003-07-07
FOODRATING : 6
SERVICERATING : 6
AMBIANCERATING : 4
OVERALLRATING : 6
RECOMMENDED DISHES : Kabobs, wraps, rice, bread, eggplant

Great Persian Food
DESCRIPTION: Where the Persians get Persian food in DC/Virginia. Dynamite kabobs and basmati rice, bread, broiled tomatoes. No ambience, but great food.
DATE: 2003-07-31
FOODRATING : 10
SERVICERATING : 8
AMBIANCERATING : 6
OVERALLRATING : 8

Only if You're Suicidal
DESCRIPTION: I went here once and hated it. Not that the food's bad. It's just that the service is unashamedly poor. My poor wife was insulted to her face and I had to foot a huge bill to boot. I will never go here again.
DATE: 2002-05-29
FOODRATING : 2
SERVICERATING : 2
AMBIANCERATING : 2
OVERALLRATING : 2

An Authentic
DESCRIPTION: Small, low key restaurant in a strip mall going toward the beach. Very like a typical Indian in England. Menu selection was great and our choices were invariably good. Chicken tikka masala and chicken dupiaza were delicious. Sides were tasty, like aloo gobi and onion bahji. All dishes are mild unless you'd like them prepared hotter. Medium was still cool but hot was the best choice. Service was a little slow but polite. It's not your chain restaurant trained smiley waiters/waitresses. If you want "Have a good meal!" and have to confirm it's quality several time per course then go elsewhere. We sat behind a group of local women who were unfamilair with Indian food and unfortunately were unimpressed with the mixture of flavors and tastes. My recommendation for anyone visiting an Indian in the US is to take a freind who knows what they are ordering. Indian food is an acquired taste.
DATE: 2003-06-19
FOODRATING : 8
SERVICERATING : 6
AMBIANCERATING : 6
OVERALLRATING : 6
RECOMMENDED DISHES : chicken tikka masala

Just Fine
DESCRIPTION: I just came back from this restaurant. The food was fine, although the service was quite perfunctory. It's nothing great but if you want decent Indian food and don't want to travel all the way to Ft. Myers, then this place will do.
DATE: 2003-08-02
FOODRATING : 6
SERVICERATING : 6
AMBIANCERATING : 6
OVERALLRATING : 6

Excellent
DESCRIPTION: We have known this restaurant ever since it opened. The excellent quality of the various dishes surprise us every time. The fresh and low fat ingredients can hardly be found in any other Indian restaurant in the region. The food is as authentic Indian as it gets between New York City and Naples, or for that matter, Calcutta.
DATE: 2003-08-12
FOODRATING : 10
SERVICERATING : 8
AMBIANCERATING : 8
OVERALLRATING : 8
RECOMMENDED DISHES : mixed appetizer, lamb korma, tandoori dishes, naans

Worst
DESCRIPTION: I am an Indian and I was myself horrified at the food and service being offered at this restaurant. Arrogant and unclean place.
DATE: 2003-11-29
FOODRATING : 4
SERVICERATING : 4
AMBIANCERATING : 4
OVERALLRATING : 2

Forget It
DESCRIPTION: We have been to this place two years ago, and then again last night. On the first occasion, the arrogant little creep who waited on us told me I could not have Vindaloo because it would be too hot for me. We live in England half the year, and I eat Indian food--including Vindaloo--on a regular basis, but this was not good enough, apparently. Last night, we decided to give them another chance. We arrived at 7:10pm, had our order taken at 7:20, and then waited for over an hour for food that never arrived (two parties seated after us were served in the interim). We left without eating, and won't be back.
DATE: 2003-12-28
SERVICERATING : 2
AMBIANCERATING : 6
OVERALLRATING : 2

Ignore Other Reviews
DESCRIPTION: We eat at Passage to India once a week, and have never had unfriendly service or a bad experience. It's a small restaurant and every dish is made to order, which means that it's not fast food. If you want Instant International, try Taco Bell. If they are crowded, the arrival of the food can take a while, but they are always very polite and apologetic. The food is delicious, the kitchen is open as you walk in the door (Restaurants with dirty kitchens rarely place them in front of the door so you can look in!) and the staff is polite. I'm just amazed at the negative reviews. Please ignore them and give Passage to India a chance. The only thing that would make the place better is if they opened one closer to us - we travel an hour to get there. And it's worth it.
DATE: 2004-02-02
FOODRATING : 10
SERVICERATING : 8
AMBIANCERATING : 8
OVERALLRATING : 8

Great Indian
DESCRIPTION: The food comes in fairly small portions, with slightly high prices for how much you get, but the food is delicious, and the sauces are excellent.
DATE: 2005-11-23
FOODRATING : 6
SERVICERATING : 8
AMBIANCERATING : 6
OVERALLRATING : 6
RECOMMENDED DISHES : chicken curry and coconut milk

Just Great
DESCRIPTION: We live an hour away, but that's just fine, because we get really great food. For years, my wife would never try Indian food for fear it was too hot and spicy. She's now converted. For special occasions, birthdays, anniversaries, and when passing through Bonita, it's the place. It's not your chain restaurant, not your run-of-the-mill type place. Nor is it a ripoff of someone trying to serve something it's not. You may not like Indian food if you've never tried it before, but it will not be because of how they prepare it. Believe you me.
DATE: 2006-02-03
FOODRATING : 8
SERVICERATING : 8
AMBIANCERATING : 6
OVERALLRATING : 8
RECOMMENDED DISHES : mixed appetizer, lamb dishes, tandoori dishes