Casbah Cafe

“*Long but worth it!* Casbah has quickly become my absolute favorite spot in Jacksonville, Florida. As a local business owner, I visit multiple times a week and it never disappoints—whether I’m popping in for a quick lunch break or settling in for a perfect evening on the patio. Honestly, I can’t think of a better place in town for both convenience and unforgettable atmosphere. The service is consistently 5-star. Kael, Peter, Victoria, Selma and Kaylee have all taken care of me on different nights, and every single one of them delivers the kind of warm, attentive experience that makes you feel like a regular from the very first visit. That level of excellence clearly starts from the top. I’ve had the pleasure of interacting with owner Rami on most of my visits, and once you meet him, the entire team’s outstanding customer service makes perfect sense. He sets the standard for hospitality. If you’re looking for great culture, incredible food, and the kind of welcoming vibes that make you want to stay longer every time, do yourself a favor and come to Casbah. You won’t regret it.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​”

“We sampled the delicious food from Casbah Café at the 2026 Jacksonville Food and Wine Festival and right away, we decided that we would travel up to Jacksonville from St. Augustine just to enjoy the full “Casbah Experience”. The visit to the restaurant was even better than we expected. We sat outside on a lovely evening and Olivia, our server, came right over to offer a very warm greeting. She explained the menu to us, offering her recommendations and came back quickly with our drink order. We shared the Old City Sampler for our appetizer and the Sultan’s Feast for our dinner. The Old City Sampler was amazingly arranged with stuffed grape leaves, falafel, kibbeh, borek, hummus, and tabbouleh; it was delicious. At the Food and Wine Festival, we sampled the restaurant’s baba ghanouj and muhammara, which were also delicious. The Sultan’s Feast had a variety of five perfectly cooked kababs and we had to take some of it home in order to make room for dessert. We ordered the baklava and the kunafa. Both desserts were the perfect ending to a terrific meal – not too sweet and not heavy at all. We are already planning another visit (we live about an hour away – but it’s worth it) to make more of an evening of it – they have entertainment of some nights and a selection of hookah experiences. I also cannot wait to experience their brunch. Thank you to Olivia for your professional and friendly service and to Rami (one of the owners) who came out to meet us after he had heard we travelled an hour to visit.”

“My 1st time visit was on 3.10.2026, trivia night. I sat inside, which was very intimate, IMO, they had candles on the tables and nice decorations. The DJ's music was a nice mix. Food (I had the lamb kabobs, a side Caesar salad, topped with pita chips, and ginger beer to wash it all down), service, hostess, and atmosphere was all great. I had a good time. I did have one concern. The carpet that my table was on, was curled which caused me to trip over it a few times. Hopefully when they see this review and the pictures, they will maybe tape it down. I will be back.”

“Victoria made our 1st year wedding anniversary something to remember! Victoria is a top tier waitress! The food was amazing, will tell my friends!”

“Our dinner plans for tonight started last night when my wife said she wanted to go somewhere with hummus on Friday. I said "you know what? Let's use this as an excuse to finally go to The Casbah Cafe Cabaret & Hookah Lounge for the first time". They're at 3628 St Johns Avenue in Avondale. We've heard so many good things and finally made it there tonight. We started with the Old City Sampler because it has hummus along with a whole bunch of other stuff. I mean....a LOT of food for the price. This is probably going to come as a surprise but among as a surprise to many but because of the sampler we both had grape leaves for the first time ever tonight. We loved them! And yes, my wife really liked the hummus. I ordered the Shawarma Platter with Lamb for my entree. Normally I wait til the end of a review to shout a server but I'll throw that part in here. Not only was Victoria delightful but she REALLY saved me from mistakes I was going to make in picking sides. I was trying to go as plain as possible with my sides and she really steered my towards Baba Ganoush. Again, this was my first time ever trying it. Listen to Victoria. Order the things she tells you to order. It was great! The lamb itself was great but honestly, I expected it to be. I was more taken with the fact that everything worked together so well given I'd never tried a whole side dish before. On her own accord, my wife tried something entirely new to her as well. She ordered Musakhan Wraps. She loved how tangy the meat was even though she wasn't expecting it and she liked the texture a lot. The wrap dough was flaky and great. She got to pick one side so she chose more hummus because that's what brought us to the dance this evening. This was a GREAT first visit to Casbah. I totally get why we've heard such great things. Like so many places, I'm sure there's a ton on the menu we need to go back for too. Even though I already gave her a shout out, it's worth saying one more time that Victoria was an awesome server! A version of this review originally appeared in the Jacksonville Fun, Eats & Drinks Facebook group.”