Tibisti Grill - Vancouver

The restaurant is located on the northeast corner of Victoria Drive and 54th Avenue in South Vancouver.Someone in our party had come to this place before and by mutual agreement we decided to try it. Our party of six arrived at 7:00 PM on this Friday evening and there weren’t that many people dining; may 6 people.Dips included the following:• tzatziki • hummus• baba ganoush – eggplant based • creamy minced garlicSalads included:• red beet salad• chickpea salad• chicken pineapple salad• fattoush – basic salad with lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, onions in a lemon based vinaigrette• tabouli – parsley and bulgar based salad• grilled roasted vegetable “salsa” – according to the owner the number 1 dish in coastal Northern Africa• potato salad• hard boiled eggs (whole) in yogurt type dressingMeat items included:• lamb shanks – juicy and tender• lamb kabobs – very flavourful; try with tzatziki sauce• chicken – tender and juicy; not dryOther items included• samosas – potato filling; bland• biryani rice – flavourful• steamed lemon potato wedges - flavourful• lasagne al forno - tasty• ratatouille - tastyI normally don’t think lasagne and ratatouille as Middle Eastern dishes but the countries of origin – Italy and France border the Mediterranean Sea.The 2 available soups were mushroom and potato. When I think mushroom soup, I automatically think it is cream based. This mushroom soup is in a clear broth and was tasty.The server gave us 2 desserts to try; one being a dense semolina wheat “pound cake” – on the dry side and not too sweet. The other a creamy type mousse with a mocha flavour which was very light and tasty.The buffet costs $14.99 per person plus the sales tax.The service was about average when it came to clearing our table of the empty plates.The owner Khairi was very friendly – talkative and explained the foods to me. He even gave me an unexpected back rub!Breakdown of rating• Food: good variety and tasty – 3.75 out of 5 rating• Value vis-à-vis price portion size – very good because it was “all you can eat” – 4 .5 out of 5 rating• Service – good considering it was buffet style – 3 out of 5 rating• Miscellaneous – later on the food selection dwindled (as expected) closer to closing time – 3 out of 5 ratingMy experience with Middle Eastern and Mediterranean food is limited to Afghan, Italian and Greek. Although I’ve had variations of these dishes, this was the first time I have tried food from other countries.If you have limited or no experience with Middle Eastern and Mediterranean food, here’s your chance to try a bit of everything at a fair price. I would rate the overall eating experience at 3.75 out 5.Notes and Tips• Midway through our dinner 2 large groups of Middle Eastern ethnicity arrived – a party of 17 and another party of 10-12 people. The food must be fairly good in order for members of the ethnic community to eat here.• Restaurant sitting for about 70 customers with a combination of booths and tables• Minimalist décor with some paintings on the wall• Self serve black tea• No alcoholic beverages• Credit cards accepted• Check out their menu on-line• Street parking • The people in our group are already talking about going back• This was my second time dining out on this Friday. For lunch we had gone to Peaceful Restaurant – northern Chinese food. See my review.

We went there for lunch buffet so we can sample more kind of food. All of them were very delicious , they cook from they heart. The place it self not fancy at all but for the food it worth it. Tea and pastry available at the buffet also. The lady from the kitchen making the pastry as well. They have few parking spots at the back and also at the side street. We definitely will be back.

This place has come along way from its opening day. Better colors and decor. More enhanced menu and solid choices. I had the falafel wrap for $5,99 and it was delicious! Very happy with service.

This is a comfortable little spot in Fraserview with some of the nicest staff I have ever met. I went there for a birthday donair and was not disappointed. Heavy on the tzatziki and hummus and the beef was super-tender. The Greek salad could have used more zing but overall, we really enjoyed eating there and will be back for their buffet. Warning though, their spicy donairs are crazy-spicy!

We recently enjoyed an outstanding lunch. We ordered the special, lamb shanks. They were slow-cooked and delicious. We also tried the homemade beef sausage, which was grilled to perfection. The salads and dips were outstanding. The food was very fresh, high-quality, and came to the table quickly. The prices were reasonable. Will go back soon.