Caspian Bistro & Marketplace

I pass by this place from my hotel to school and wanted to try it. They have a little market inside and the restaurant at the side. The kebab looked really appetizing but was a little under seasoned for me. I saw two other tables with locals that seasoned their food with salt so perhaps it's more of a customer preference than a seasoned meat on the grill. I counted one guy who shook the salt shaker 21 times, which I thought was excessive. Maybe the salt isn't too salty. I added some on mine. I'm comparing this to another middle eastern place near my place. I may consider another dish to try if I go back.

There is much to like about this place. There is great natural light. The family-owned vibe is present with the brothers nearby. The grilled chicken skewer was deliciously seasoned and well cooked. However, we walked away disappointed. First, the service was fine, but our server had a hard time understanding us. When we asked about the ingredients in the sauce, she left and brought us a different sauce. Second, when we walked in, there was a strong smell of cleaning solution. This might have been because of the remodeling work they are dining but it was off-putting. Lastly, the food was largely uninspired. The falafel was dry without a nice crispy crunch. The lettuce for the salad was just roughly cut and seemed to have been thrown on the plate. Perhaps if we had ordered a main instead of sandwiches, we would have been more satisfied.

As one of the only Persian restaurants in the twin cities I appreciate them being around for so long. However the food is nowhere near good. As an Iranian I've had thousands of kababs in my life. If you paid me I wouldn't eat the kabab here. You can tell the quality when you smell the meat the next day and it smells literally nothing like a cow or lamb. I have no idea what they use as their meat but I'm convinced its the lowest quality and lowest quality seasoned meat I've ever had at a Persian restaurant. To be honest, I'm embarrassed at how many non Persians have eaten here and gotten a negative experience and thus lumping all Persian food to taste like this. Three stars for the excellent selection of Iranian staples for, the pantry, but I've been coming here as a kid and every time I try to nudge them to maybe try something different like maybe go to California and try real Persian food. But the very nice owners think they make the best kabab in the world and there's nothing that needs adjusting. More power to them. Stick to what makes you comforted and happy I suppose.

Food - Great portions just lacked flavor in my opinion. Service - Top not service absolutely no complaints.Ambience - for anyone who's looking to have a relaxing meal this place is for you. Plus they have the market next door where you can pick up different desserts spices and ice cream.Would have been 4 stars is the food was more flavorful.Koubideh Combo - HalalOne skewer of ground chicken and one skewer of ground beef and lamb, charbroiled and served with basmati rice and a grilled tomato.$19BastaniRich, creamy homemade ice cream made with pistachios and saffron.$6

Visited Caspian for dinner and was amazed by the great quality of meats they have.We originally intended to order a different cut but it was not available so we went for sultan as it was the closest. The meat was nice and tender, very tasty and rice was on point. The meat, I could tell, was high quality. It's appears like a simple meal to the eye but once you take the first bite you'll realize the amazing quality!I also ordered the rose water lemonade and it was so refreshing. Service was a bit slow, ambience is laid back with a fancy twist. There's a store attached to the restaurant too, worth to check out for middle eastern/Persian goods!

Great Persian restaurant overall adjacent to its own middle eastern little market. All sized appropriately for the foreign based demographic in Minneapolis. But had been there since 1987. Very impressive to have lasted that long and remained true to its roots. I have basically visited persian restaurants all my life and in almost every city I have visited if there was one, worldwide. Always, excited to try them and support them as well. I like my Vaziri dish which had the best all 3 worlds! Koobideh kabob, Barg kabob, and chicken boneless joojeh kabob with basmati rice. Small side salad served with it. Although, as part of my desire and tradition, I ordered the kashkoo-badmjune (eggplant dip) and shirazi salad along with the home made smooth tasty doogh (famous persian yogurt drink). I enjoyed the entire experience. But the two meat kabobs were better than the chicken. As the chicken could use more seasoning and much more better saffron based coloring. The doogh was very good. Service was polite and nice but very slow as the same person is multitasking endlessly. Enjoyed seeing locals, young, old, family or couples with various ethnicity enjoying themselves.

This review is for the marketplace only. Lots of interesting food items in a small space: canned/jarred peppers and eggplant; grape leaves, cookies, grains, spices, candies, a huge selection of teas, and a bakery case filled with baklava and other pastries. The best part, though, was the proprietor, who was helping the customer in front of me who'd never been there before. He patiently explained what all the pastries were and was completely charming. I didn't mind the wait because he was so positive and kind.

Great place. Love the atmosphere and the setup. Got the Kobede kabab with checked breast skewer. Authentic and delicious. Would visit again. Owner very welcoming and friendly. It's great to see an owner running his business rather than letting employees run the business down.

The food was bussin fr fr! The meat was delicious , atmosphere was great, overall a get place and a bit of a hidden gem.

these people have been around for ages. no heat in restaurant!!service slow... prices high for small amount