Unearth The Voyage
Authentic Lebanese and Moroccan cuisine, richly decorated dining rooms, slow-cooked lamb tajine, fresh hummus, and warm Middle Eastern hospitality have made this Newark restaurant a favorite for more than two decades. Visitors come for fragrant kabobs, colorful vegetarian platters, handcrafted baklava, beautiful imported décor, and welcoming service that makes every meal feel like a special occasion. It’s the kind of restaurant where dinner quickly becomes an experience that lingers long after the last bite.
The experience extends far beyond the menu. Moroccan lanterns, handcrafted furnishings, traditional music, generous portions, attentive hospitality, and a welcoming atmosphere have helped this longtime local favorite build a loyal following among students, families, and travelers alike. Every visit offers a memorable introduction to the rich flavors and traditions of Middle Eastern cuisine.
Here’s why Ali Baba Mid Eastern Restaurant has become one of Delaware’s most beloved dining destinations and a must-visit spot for authentic Lebanese and Moroccan cooking.
A Main Street Address Worth Remembering
Right in the heart of Newark, Delaware, you will find Ali Baba Mid Eastern Restaurant at 175 E Main St, Newark, DE 19711. The address puts it squarely on one of the most lively thoroughfares in the state, a stretch of Main Street that buzzes with students, locals, and curious visitors every single day.
Being just a short walk from the University of Delaware campus means the restaurant has built a wonderfully diverse crowd over the years. You will spot everyone here, from first-year students on a dinner outing to longtime Newark residents celebrating a birthday.
Street parking on Main Street can feel competitive during busy evenings, but a back lot is available nearby, making the logistics easier than you might expect. The restaurant is open Tuesday through Thursday from 4 PM to 11 PM, and stays open until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays. Sundays and Mondays are rest days, so plan accordingly. The phone number is 302-738-1111, and online ordering is available through their website at alibabade.com.
More Than Two Decades of Flavor on One Street
Ali Baba Mid Eastern Restaurant opened its doors in 2001, which means it has been feeding Newark for well over twenty years. That kind of longevity does not happen by accident in the restaurant business. It takes consistency, genuine hospitality, and food that people actually crave rather than simply tolerate.
Co-owner Bashar Albarouki has been a key figure in shaping the restaurant’s identity, and his presence is felt throughout the experience. Patrons who ask for him by name often leave raving about the personal touch he brings to an already warm environment.
The restaurant holds a 4.6-star rating across more than 1,250 reviews on Google Maps, a number that speaks volumes about sustained quality over time. Many of the reviewers mention returning year after year, rediscovering dishes they fell in love with long ago. That kind of repeat loyalty is the truest measure of a restaurant that has earned its place as a community fixture rather than just a passing trend.
Decor That Transports You Somewhere Else Entirely
The interior of this restaurant is genuinely stunning in the most unexpected way. Moroccan tapestries hang on the walls in rich jewel tones, hand-painted decorations add depth to every corner, and inlaid tables imported from Morocco sit beneath warm lantern lighting that casts everything in a soft golden glow.
There are three distinct seating areas to choose from. The main dining room offers traditional booths and chairs for those who prefer a familiar setup. A second area features low tables surrounded by sofa-style benches piled with velvet cushions, giving you the feeling of dining in a private Moroccan home.
The third option is a covered outdoor hookah lounge, thoughtfully separated from the main dining room so the experience remains comfortable for everyone. Arabic music plays softly throughout, never loud enough to interrupt conversation but always present enough to remind you that this is not your average dinner spot. The whole atmosphere is cozy, vibrant, and genuinely transporting in a way that sets the tone before your food even arrives.
The Menu Is a Journey Through Lebanese and Moroccan Cuisine
The menu at Ali Baba reads like a well-curated tour of Lebanese and Moroccan cooking traditions, and it rewards both the cautious first-timer and the seasoned Middle Eastern food enthusiast. Appetizers like creamy hummus served with generous pita, smoky baba ghanoush, crispy falafel, and bright fattoush salad are consistently praised for their freshness and bold flavor.
For main courses, the Lamb Tajine is frequently described as melt-in-your-mouth perfection, slow-cooked until the meat practically dissolves in rich, herb-forward sauce. The Moroccan Chicken earns equal admiration for its unbelievable tenderness and aromatic spicing, while the Chicken and Lamb Kabobs are celebrated for their juicy, well-seasoned skewers.
The Vegetarian Platter deserves special mention as a standout option for plant-based diners, offering a colorful spread of falafel, stuffed grape leaves, tabouli, baba ghanoush, and hummus in one generous serving. Portion sizes here are famously large, which means leftovers are practically guaranteed. Finishing the meal with a piece of baklava is strongly encouraged by those who know better.
Hospitality That Feels Like a Home Visit
The service at Ali Baba is one of the most frequently mentioned highlights in reviews, and it is easy to understand why. The staff has a natural warmth that makes every guest feel genuinely welcome rather than simply processed through a meal. They offer menu recommendations with real enthusiasm, which matters when you are navigating unfamiliar dishes for the first time.
Co-owner Bashar Albarouki is often singled out for the way his friendliness and deep knowledge of the menu elevate the entire dining experience. Asking for his input on what to order is a reliable way to end up with something truly memorable on your plate.
Regulars speak of feeling at home here, a sentiment that is not just a cliche in this case but a genuine reflection of how the staff operates. Even on busy evenings, the service tends to be prompt and attentive. That combination of efficiency and personal warmth is rarer than it should be, and it is a big part of why so many people return again and again.
A Vegetarian and Vegan Paradise Hidden in Plain Sight
Plant-based diners often worry about finding satisfying options at restaurants that are known for their meat dishes, but Ali Baba makes that concern completely unnecessary. The vegetarian and vegan offerings here are not afterthoughts tucked at the bottom of the menu. They are central, flavorful, and genuinely exciting to eat.
The Vegetarian Platter is the crown jewel of this section of the menu, bringing together falafel, stuffed grape leaves, hummus, tabouli, baba ghanoush, and a carrot salad described as nicely garlicky and satisfying. The falafel arrives crispy on the outside and tender inside, which is exactly how it should be.
Spinach pie and spanakopita are also available for those who enjoy a flaky, cheesy pastry alongside their meal. The restaurant is Halal-certified, which further broadens its appeal to a wide range of diners with specific dietary requirements. Groups with mixed dietary needs tend to find this place particularly welcoming because no one at the table has to compromise or settle for something disappointing.
The Lamb Tajine Deserves Its Own Fan Club
Some dishes earn their reputation dish by dish, review by review, until a consensus forms that cannot be ignored. The Lamb Tajine at Ali Baba is exactly that kind of dish. Slow-cooked until the lamb reaches a tenderness that requires almost no effort to eat, it arrives in a deeply flavorful sauce layered with herbs and the right amount of warming spice.
The dish comes with rice and vegetables, and the sauce has a way of transforming the rice into something far greater than a simple side. One diner described it as boosting the rice to another dimension entirely, which sounds dramatic until you actually try it and realize the description is accurate.
The portion is generous enough that finishing it in one sitting requires genuine commitment. Many diners take half home and enjoy it just as much the next day, when the flavors have had even more time to settle and deepen. If you only order one main course on your first visit, let this be the one that makes the decision for you.
The Hookah Lounge Adds a Whole Other Layer to the Evening
Not every dinner out needs to end the moment the dessert plate is cleared, and Ali Baba understands that better than most. The covered outdoor hookah lounge offers more than fifty flavors to choose from, making it a destination in its own right for those who want to extend the evening in a relaxed, social setting.
The lounge is thoughtfully separated from the main dining areas, which means guests who prefer to skip the hookah experience entirely are never inconvenienced by it. Staff are attentive in the lounge, coming around regularly to tend to the coals so the experience stays consistently enjoyable from start to finish.
For first-timers, the option to try hookah with real fruit is a particularly memorable touch that elevates the experience beyond what most people expect. The combination of good food, a beautiful interior, and a well-run hookah lounge makes Ali Baba a place where a casual dinner can easily become a full evening out that you are still talking about days later.
Special Occasions Feel Genuinely Special Here
There is something about Ali Baba that makes it a natural choice for celebrations. The atmosphere is elevated enough to feel special without being so formal that it creates pressure. Birthdays, anniversaries, and family reunions all find a comfortable home in the restaurant’s warm, beautifully decorated dining rooms.
On certain evenings, belly dancers perform for guests, adding a layer of festive entertainment that turns a regular dinner into something genuinely memorable. The late hours on Fridays and Saturdays, when the restaurant stays open until midnight, mean that celebrations never feel rushed or cut short before the evening reaches its natural end.
Families with diverse dietary needs, including vegetarians, Halal requirements, and various food preferences, tend to find this place particularly accommodating. One family described navigating a complicated set of dietary restrictions for a birthday dinner and leaving thoroughly satisfied, with everyone at the table having found something they loved. That kind of universal appeal is rare, and it makes Ali Baba a dependable choice when the stakes of a special night out are high.
Practical Tips for Getting the Most Out of Your Visit
A few practical notes can make the difference between a good visit and a great one. The restaurant is open Tuesday through Saturday, with evening hours starting at 4 PM. Friday and Saturday service runs until midnight, making those the best nights for a leisurely, unhurried meal that stretches well into the evening.
Reservations are accepted and genuinely recommended, especially for groups of more than four people or if you plan to visit on a weekend. Street parking on Main Street can be limited during peak hours, but a back lot is available and usually has space when the street does not.
For those who prefer to eat at home, the restaurant offers curbside pickup, delivery, and online ordering through their website. The menu also includes catering services for larger events. First-time visitors are strongly encouraged to start with the Vegetarian Platter as a shared appetizer, then move to one of the tajine dishes or kabobs as a main. Ending with mint tea and baklava is the kind of finishing move that will have you planning your return before you even leave the table.
