Cafe Balkan - Phoenix, Arizona

Rob M.

Great little hole in the wall restaurant! We were in North Phoenix for a soccer tournament and found this gem on Google maps. Food was fresh and fast. Restaurant was clean. Servers were friendly. Oh and did I say food was great! Took some dessert to go and it was fantastic also. I would highly recommend!

daniel S.

Excellent food and service. The lamb shank was recommended by the owner and was FABULOUS. My wife and I had a long chat with the owner (Radmila Minić) as we come from similar heritage, and have connections in common.
My wife had cevapi and their wonderful homemade bread. Other items include kupus (cabbage) salad sliced thin with vinegar and oil, and a couple desserts: a cherry pita and a creamy custard pita (krempita). Both were great. We bought some kajmak (soft cheese) to bring home. There is a small store within the restaurant offering ethnic edibles. The restaurant is small, very clean, nothing fancy. You cone for the food. We are from out of state but would go back to try other dishes. Highly recommended.

sundeep

A cute family owned restaurant. Very nice people. Explains about their menu and recommends when you’re there for the first time. Being a vegetarian, I have limited choices. Tried their bean soup, pita bread and krempita. Bean soup tasted like a curry and it’s delicious. Pita bread is super soft and krempita is very light and loved it. Soup quantity is a bit less for the price. But given the quality, can’t complain much. Ambiance is extremely clean and calm. Will definitely be back

sigray2734

4/20/24: Short version - what a great place! We will definitely go back, I don't care how far away it is.

Longer version - visited the Cafe this past Saturday around 4 p.m. It was not crowded, it is not a large place, there is plenty of parking spaces, it was immaculate inside, and they have a small market inside.

The menu is not extensive, but my oh my, what they do offer is spectacular. We ordered the chicken skewer and lamb shank, both w/ a side of pita, and our friend ordered the gyro. The friendly gal behind the counter was kind of enough to point out that the skewer came with pita bread - to which I responded, "yeah, but I love bread, so gimme the side". We both laughed.

I am so glad I ordered the side because it was nothing like pita I have had before (and I have been to numerous Mediterranean restaurants). In fact, it was not even close to the pita that came with the skewer! Check the photos, you'll see the difference. I'm not gonna lie, I have could have had a dinner of both versions of that pita. It was by far the best I have had.

The skewer was good but I should have ordered the lamb shank. Not because there was something wrong w/ the skewer, but because holy cow, that lamb shake was divine. The lamb was pull off the bone tender, divinely seasoned, and its gravy was OMG delicious. I kept irritating my sister reaching over to dip my pita bread in her gravy. LOL!

Oh, and the fries?! Seriously, I don't know what they did to those fries but they were perfect. Hot, crunchy on the outside, excellently seasoned. Dipping them in ketchup would have been so WRONG.

While we were scarfing down our food, one of the ladies in the kitchen looked out at me and I could see she was asking how the food was. Two thumbs up, God's honest truth. 🙂

Then we went up to order some of their sweets. Their baked goods were not overly sweet so if you want a sugar high, you won't get it -- unless you order a lot of goods. We did!

Later we went back up to buy some juice from their market.

So yes, Cafe Balkan is a fantastic place. In fact, I almost went back the next day after a hike because I want to try one if their crepes. We have to go back anyway, because despite our desires, we did not, in fact, buy one of everything from their display case full of baked goods.

Prasad F.

I randomly found the place when I was driving on Cave Creek and shocked that I missed it the whole time.

They serve the most delicious and fresh food here which is not frozen at all. Simple and quality menu so you don’t need to get confused. I definitely recommend the place.

Loved the interior, staff, and their hospitality.

Gabriela C.

The food was very flavourful. The juice is freshly made as you order. The staff was friendly and the restaurant was very cute. They also sale pastries that look and taste amazing.

Orlando V.

My first time dining at Cafe Balkan and I am highly impressed. Every bread, pastry and meat I tried was incredibly flavorful and made with love. The owner is so kind and so are the rest of her staff. The location is super clean and welcoming. I will be back and invite others. Amazing!

Samantha R.

Food was great. Service was stellar. Incredibly clean. Little market on site. Public accessible restrooms. Their fresh yogurt is amazing. Cheeses are all fresh made and so good. Meat and dinner dishes are memorable and tasty. Desserts are sweet but not overly. Prices are high and that may prevent my return which is a shame because it was so good