Al-Basha Market & Grill

I do track middle eastern places to eat and this seems to be new on the scene. Down the road from the grand old dame of Raleigh middle eastern places, Neomonde, it is intuitive for me to find as a result. Neomonde and Al-Basha are across the street, roughly, from Meredith college which is near NC State if that makes sense. Coming from North Raleigh its a trek i have often made so its straight forward for me to do. Get on 440W going towards Cary and get off at the new Hillsborough road exit. Take a left onto Hillsborough and then shortly a right onto Beryl road. If you hook left you get to the original Nemonde, if you go a bit further Al-Basha is on the left. What caught my eye first was the real effort at a well designed parking lot with a well designed front entrance. Honestly I was just driving by but i noted it and came back on May 12th (pics are from April 27th). Have actually been a few times now but May 12th is this review. So as the name states it is a market and a grill.When you walk in the market is on the left, and the grill is on the right. I took a quick look at the groceries and their cheese selection stood out actually. Good general selection of groceries otherwise. But my goal was the grill from the start. We ordered 2 Chicken Shawarma Wrap, 2 3 pc falafel, and a Za'atar pie for $42.78. First thing to note is that while Neomonde is Lebanese, Al-Basha leans Syrian. First and foremost that means Syrian pita bread. I have always had Lebanese style pita bread. But honestly i thought the Syrian bread was sensational. it is flat and like a wrap vs the thicker pita bread i usually have. So the flavors of the chicken shawarma in the wrap are just different. But i really liked it. What great flavor. The Falafel was outstanding with the tahini sauce. The whole meal was quite filling and flavorful. The staff is enthusiastic and great to deal with. When you walk in and go to the right to order. They then in my case they brought it over. It was served on lovely wooden syrian plates as well. This is now a regular place for us.

Found Al-Basha looking for a tasty lunch that wouldn't make me feel guilty. The store and grill are both very clean, well maintained and the staff are all very friendly and helpful.I definitely found a tasty lunch! I only waited 10-15 minutes after I ordered (2-skewer grill plate: I did lamb kofta, mujaddara, and tabboule) but while I waited I browsed their market selection. I would highly recommend this to anyone, and I plan to come back in the future.

Al-Basha is an incredibly clean and inviting Middle Eastern and Mediterranean grocery store. After hearing great things, I made a point to check out the Al-Basha Market & Grill and I wasn't disappointed. I grabbed a selection of items for both myself and my Mom and the beef wrap was outstanding. The lamb and chicken kabobs were also top-notch. The flavors were delicious, and the prices were quite reasonable. The staff were extremely friendly and helpful, going out of their way to help me find specific items I was looking for (Ginger Beer and Organic Tart Cherry Juice). I'm looking forward to returning and finding more unique items during my next shopping trip.

Here we are in Raleigh and what do we decide to try? A Mediterranean restaurant tucked away in a strip mall, operating out of a small grocery. The entire place is run by Syrians and was I surprised to learn there is a Syrian community here. The chicken was nicely cooked but heavier on the cumin than I like. (Full disclosure: I inhale Zankou Chicken in Southern California, and that stuff just perspires garlic in the yummiest manner and is run by Armenians from Lebanon. So it's all different.) People here were friendly. Plenty of seating and parking. The salad was a little disappointing, being comprised of carrots and cabbage but topped with a dressing I didn't care for but not enough to refuse to eat it. Give this place a try as a store or a restaurant. You can see the grilling in progress so you know everything is fresh. Olive oil lovers unite!

Very nice staff. Fresh food which is cooked after you order. Great stop just outside the RDU airport!

Really cute little space with both a market and restaurant. We actually went in to see if we could find grape leaves and ended up ordering food. They didn't have chicken which I thought was maybe a little odd especially because it was early but the beef is good and the portions are good. Very kind staff, including the cashier at the front of the market.

Great place. Great people. We went here based on another review and we were not disappointed. If you like middle eastern food you will not be disappointed.

Such a nice market and restaurant. I really enjoy their food! The portion is so big, and their garlic sauce is the best!!!!!!!

This place is AMAZING. Super delicious grill, fast, everyone's kind. Totally recommend it...

One of the best Mediterranean food I have had in a long time. Very courteous staff. Make you feel like home. Everything is super clean and freshly made including home made desserts. One stop shop if you need groceries.If they continue this level of service they will soon outgrow their space. You must try if you like ethnic food. We will definitely be back!