Sabuddy Israeli Restaurant

krepitch · October 11th, 2007, 08:09 AM

Has anyone been to this restaurant? The reviews seem to be pretty good.

http://www.sabuddyrestaurant.com/index.html

Dback Jon · October 11th, 2007, 08:21 AM

I haven't been, sounds good.

I wonder how the pork and seafood plates are?

AZZenny · December 20th, 2007, 10:40 PM

I eat there sometimes, and do take-out at least 2-3 times a month -- I mentioned it here last year. The best tabouli I've ever had (and several friends have said the same) incredibly good Lebneh (I am addicted), Baba ganouj, and felafel. They get good reviews for their lamb and eggplant stew and their Jerusalem meatballs, but I've never gotten that far. I usually end up with several appetizers.

It is a good place for people to get together -- it's not as unabashedly friendly as a restaurant in Israel, but very relaxed, and I often do see Israelis eating there.

AZZenny · December 6th, 2008, 04:32 PM

There's a new Israeli restaurant in Scottsdale, and one of the very few Kosher restaurants in town. It's only 3-4 blocks from Sabuddi. It's non-dairy kosher, so no milk, cheese, etc.

The Jerusalem Pita Grill is at Scottsdale and Shea, SE corner (Windmill Plaza) and is located at the very southern end, sort of behind LaLocanda Italian restaurant. Mazal Tov gifts is next door and more clearly marked. Closed Friday at 4 PM and on Saturday. I think the hours are like 11 AM - 7:30 or 8 most other days. (Not sure about Saturday night after dark.)

The restaurant is small and seating is crowded. They have a busy take-out business. It's a simple, informal, friendly place that is very much like a typical family-run non-tourist neighborhood sandwich shop in Israel. It has the Israeli feel much more than Sabuddi.

They do shwarma, shnitzel, various kebabs, salads, middle eastern items like hummous, felafel, shakshuka, etc. They also have salmon, soups, and whatever strikes their fancy on any given day, apparently. Prices are reasonable, I thought.

I've eaten there twice -- to get this out of the way, the baklava is as good as any I've had in years. They run out of it a lot, according to the Israeli-American waiter because he eats most of it, but if he knows you'll be in he'll maybe save you a piece. He swears their other sweets ('cake of the day') are also very good.

They make lafa, a very large, soft, fresh from the oven pita-type bread that is excellent, and as we were munching on it, the owner came over and unceremoniously sticks a big bowl of a tomatoe-y bean and garlic stew on the table and says, "Here - eat this with the bread." The grape leaves were very good, felafel good, lamb and beef kebabs very good (as in Israel, beef kebabs are ground beef and herbs, unlike lamb kebabs), hummous good. The babaganouj was very weak, however, and there was too much red onion and not enough cucumber in the fresh chopped israeli salad.

I think the felafel and hummous are a bit better at Sabuddi, and definitely the babaganouj, and I can get my lebneh cheese and great tabouli there -- but this place has the lafa bread for very good sandwiches, the baklava, and the attitude is all Israeli.