Raffes Deli

Got to be the greatest Mediterranean food I’ve ever had. Plus you can buy beer right out of the box and try it if you want. Great people. Excellent food. I had the Gyro (Euro) and my wife had the Hummas and we had to order seconds it was delicious. The cook came and explained everything to us with the taste and textures and flavored involved.

Raffe’s never disappoints! The sandwiches are great; filling and very well priced, but the falafel is what keeps me coming back! It is thick and flavorful, without being overwhelmingly spicy and leaving you smelling like it for the rest of the day. Plenty of vegetarian options and a fantastic selection of draft and packaged beers to enjoy with your meal or take home with you. Raffe’s is quickly becoming one of my favorite spots for a quick lunch or to fill a growler of craft beer.

The hummus and Syrian gyro are amazing!!! The owner and the staff are so nice and helpful! The store is very clean and they have a great beer selection too.

I was super surprised when I walked into this Mediterranean-​influenced deli, because the building is not appealing on the outside – it seems like more of a convenience store to pick up a six-​pack of beer – but once you walk in, you’ll be amazed by how crisp and clean it is! Everyone there is very friendly and the food was delicious! I will definitely be going back to try more items on the menu – there were lots of vegetarian items as well.

Best beer selection in the Poplar/​Highland area. Love mixing the beers and the gyros are awesome. Always friendly/​knowledgeable service and glad to have this place in the neighborhood.

Great service, gyros and prices! Glad we went, we would definitely return! I got a regular gyro and my husband got a «snake bite» sandwich (a bit spicy). He also got a Memphis brewed IPA at their bar and enjoyed that as well!

AMAZING! This place has the best hummus I have ever tried. My favorite dish is the Syrian Gyro. I go with my coworkers for lunch because we love the food so much. The service is awesome!

Went today for the first time for lunch. I had the falafel, which was really good. They have great customer service. The girl, who took my order, was very helpful in making recommendations. The place was clean too. I will definitely go back.

This is a great place to come for a quick lunch and a beer. Their Mediterranean food is pretty good (not outstanding but definitely hits the spot). I have to say their hummus is one of the best I’ve had in Memphis. And it comes with delicious warm and fresh pita bread! I always order it and some grape leaves, with their tabbouli or pasta salad (you can’t go wrong either way). Yep, clearly very vegetarian friendly restaurant. But they also have tons of delicious meaty sandwiches (that are huge!) that my friends always order and love (and I have to say they look and smell pretty good).
The other nice thing about this place is that since the new managers took over, they brought in a nice selection of local beers that you can get for a great price (3 $ all week I think). They also have growlers that you can buy and refill whenever needed, and for a great price.
If beer is not your thing, that’s perfectly fine because they have tons of other soda options that you can grab from the several fridges they have. I like how their system works. You order and grab your own drinks (unless it’s beer), get your food delivered to your table, and then you walk up and pay at the register when you’re done. If you pay with a card, they don’t give you the option to tip so be sure to tip the nice lady that makes your food and brings it to your table (she has a little tip jar).
Bottom line is they have good food and great beer that you can grab for a quick lunch or after work. Not a place to go for a fancy first date though.

The food is so good! The hummus portion is huge and it’s incredibly fresh and flavorful! Huge beer section! Pints are $ 3 every day till the end of the month, and they’re thinking of extending that promotion. The muffuletta… wow. Their signature move is using fresh as hell French bread and it’s awesome! Huge too, I think it’s half the loaf. Gyro sandwich has such great favors, yogurt sauce is so refreshing with the meat. This is kind of a hole in the wall place, and I’m surprised by the lack of foot traffic. Not too far from U of Memphis, I’d expect more college kids here with their low beer prices. Last thoughts: you can build your own 6 pack, and they refill growlers!

Incredible hole in wall deli with an intense beer selection. Can’t wait to try «not your grandfathers» root beer tonight. When you go here it is a necessity to order their hummus/​Syrian gyro. Enough said! Love this place!!!

I love this place! It somewhat recently changed ownership and they’ve definitely made some upgrades. Great Mediterranean food, growler fill ups and just about any beer you’d be looking for. Sean (the owner) is super helpful and great to talk to, plus they have $ 3.00 pints all day every day! I can’t speak highly enough about this place.

I went in to buy beer. Unfortunately, for me they are the only people that sell the beer I drink in the area because I’m going to have to switch beers.
I went in with my temporary TN Identification because my last one was lost and I got the 3^rd degree about what happened to mine and when my new one was coming. If you did not want to accept that form of Identification please say that and don’t put customers through things of this nature. P. S. why would I use a fake ID with the police outside? :)

Our first visit was at 12 PM on a Saturday afternoon in January. It looks like a corner market when you pull up (duh, because it was –ha!), but is open, very well lit and clean inside. Apparently, the new owner has done a lot of clean-​up and remodeling, with more planned.
It wasn’t busy, but several people were eating at the 2-​person tables or getting food to go.
We ordered the falafel and hummus with pita bread, with two bags of «dirty all natural mesquite barbecue chips (awesome, by the way) and a slice of baklava.
The humus was fresh-​made and had a good olive oil topper. It has a little texture, versus the pure creamy style. There was a spice in the humans that my wife didn’t overly like [because she doesn’t put it in her’s, she said ;-)]. She said she could also taste it in the falafel. The pittas were thin and this day, a bit chewy — I’m not sure if it was intentional or not. I thought the humus was good, but would have like grilled pitas (The owner said that they are getting a grill soon, so this might be a future possibility).
I thought the falafel pita was good and especially liked the sauce that they use. My real wife really liked the baklava… a lot!
We learned that the flavor differences from what my wife had expected, was due to the food being based on Persian and Turkish influence instead of Greek and Arabic countries. With Persian and Turkish style being infused with some Asian spices — Good to know and very interesting. We learned a lot from our enjoyably conversion with the new owner — bonus!
They also carry domestic craft and unique international beers, as well as cigars. Actually, several people also picked up some beer along with their orders, so it seems the combination works.
In talking with the owner, he said that they will be expanding the variety on their menu, with the addition of a Turkish rotisserie, and a grill for kabobs. He will also be adding Persian stews and soups — he said, think of the food served by the «Soup Nazi» on Seinfield. Interesting. :-)
We look forward to trying the new items!

Great beer choices. The gyro and cucumber sauce are really good. The owner and staff are friendly and helpful. Great locally-​owned place.

This is my first review… be nice.
Raffe’s is my favorite place to grab lunch in Memphis! The food is fantastic and fresh, ever bit of it. The staff is great and very helpful. Sean, the owner of Raffe’s, really knows his product and knows how much quality matters. They are expanding the kitchen and thus expanding their menu. Also, Raffe’s is putting in a Growler Station which I can’t wait for. Who doesn’t enjoy amazing food and great beer?

A solid local craft-​beer place.
Nice people. Good service. Good mix of daily specials throughout the week, so you’ll always feel like there’s a good option.
The food is okay. Better than your average bar food, but don’t expect something amazing and it can take a bit to come out.
Bottle list is quite extensive. Taps are less so, but you’ll usually find all the best locals and some other rotators.
Looks like it would be a great place to go watch a game during sports season.

Just an update on previous review since hadn’t been since March that I’d been by. The place has been bought and cleaned up by new owner Shaun who was very helpful pointing out his nice beer selection. Haven’t tried the food yet but know there’s plans for a nicer deli with Turkish/​Middle Eastern fare so looking forward to that, but for me I haven’t found a place with a better beer selection, kinda sad actually for a place as big as Memphis.

In another effort in fulfilling goals set in the past, I’ve finally gotten around to talking about Raffe’s Deli. Like my last post about The Silly Goose, this doesn’t qualify as a «Finally» themed review because it was never a top priority for the blog. However, because of unique circumstances that required my attention in East Memphis, I took an opportunity to follow up on something that I started 3 ½ years ago (if foursquare… errr «Swarm» (an unneeded evolution of the app) is correct).
For my first visit to Raffe’s in years, I thought about getting a sub or some other type of sandwich. But with the likelihood that my next visits being far down the road, I made the most of my lunch by getting something unusual as it relates to the blog. I got a gyro with a Middle Eastern twist, something that doesn’t have the typical tzatziki sauce that usually associated with it. Instead, along with the vertically roasted lamb, the Syrian Gyro has hummus and a mix of vegetables, herbs and spices. Collectively called a tabbouleh salad, it mainly consists of parsley (a lot of it), chopped tomatoes, mint, onions and bulgur, a grain indigenous to Syria and other countries near it. According to Wikipedia, bulgur has more fiber, protein, vitamins and minerals than white rice, meaning it is a healthier alternative. Within the tabbouleh salad, the bulger is one of many components that make the gyro salty and zesty, balanced by the sweetness of the lemon juice in it. Overall, I like the Syrian Gyro because it is savory and much healthier than what I normally eat. For anyone looking for something different yet tasty, I suggest giving the pita sandwich a try.
SIDE NOTE: The tabbouleh salad is available as a stand alone entrée and is one of Raffe’s vegetarian dishes. Speaking of that, the deli’s «grape leaves» (aka sarma, not to be confused with dolma) is another vegetarian/​vegan dish that is worth trying. The leaves are stuffed with rice and herbs and boiled with lemon juice and served with tzatziki sauce or a yogurt. By the way, sarma isn’t technically a vegetarian dish, for it’s traditionally stuffed with minced meat like beef, pork and veal. Although I haven’t had the Middle Eastern dish at Raffe’s, I had a plate of them at Sean’s Café several years ago that amounted to an interesting experience. From what I could remember, the stuffed grape leaves were decent despite being a bit bland without the tzatziki sauce. Of course, I’m not prejudging Raffe’s sarma but it’s something that I will keep in mind if and when I get them.
The muffaletta that I had during my last visit was pretty good, too. For some reason, I thought it would be bigger, however the muffaletta was hearty enough to satisfy my appetite, even without sides like potato chips. It has the usual stuff like salami, ham and cheese (in this case, Provolone). However, the one ingredient that really makes it tasty is the olive salad dressing with its strong and robust flavor. Compared to other muffalettas that I’ve had, Raffe’s version is one of the better ones.
Lastly, I want to mention the wide variety of craft beers that Raffe’s Deli offers. Whether you’re looking for something local or an exotic export, it’s likely that Raffe’s has it. Among them are beers from Rogue Ales that includes the yummy Hazelnut Brown Nectar. However, it’s hard to offer everything to everyone (for example, the deli doesn’t carry Rodenbach, another favorite that’s sold at Cash Saver and bars like The Flying Saucer) but a beer lover can get a lot of satisfaction from Raffe’s offerings. By the way, any beer bought at the deli can’t be consumed on the premises, but that shouldn’t be a problem for most (although Lucchesi’s Beer Garden next door can meet the need for instant gratification with its beer menu).
Regardless of whether you want food or beer, Raffe’s Deli has you covered. Owner Sean Feizkhah (who’s not involved with Sean’s Café) is doing a great job with the deli and has big plans for its future. According to the Memphis Flyer, he plans to expand the menu to include Persian (Feizkhah is of Iranian descent) and Turkish fare and add a growler (as in a big jug) station to sell beer by the gallon. Given the improvements that he’s already made in terms of the deli’s décor, I’m confident that he’ll transform it into something sensational.
To see the entire review, go to

Good, fresh sandwiches sums up this place in an instant. All of the ingredients are always fresh and top notch. I am a sucker for a good muffaletta, and this place definitely has a good one. They also have some of the best gyros, hummus, and other Greek accoutrements you’ll taste. And, the kicker, there is a beer market that is part and parcel with this restaurant.
Restaurant is under new ownership and will be expanding their menu offerings within the near future, which is supposed to include some additional middle eastern foods and Greek offerings. So, stay tuned. However, in the meantime, get here quick and eat!

If there were a ZERO star rating, this place would get that rating… There’s no reason for them to get a single or half a star!
If you’re planning a party or a WEDDING, and getting beer for the reception, you should definitely go to another location! They forgot who we were, what we ordered, our phone number, when we were picking up the kegs, and the deposit that we had put down! When we got the kegs, there were no pumps, which should’ve been with the kegs. Also, they said we would get trash can/​barrels to put the kegs in to keep them cool, because they don’t supply ice! The cashier, Raffe, continually said «I’m sorry» the entire time, which added to our agitation. The co-​owner, who was sitting in the corner, finally came up to us and asked us what was wrong and if we needed help… had it not been my sister’s wedding weekend, I would let the owners have it!
This place is a total dive! A second hand «grocery store»! There is no AC and it smells.
Their «planning» system, if you can call it a system, was just a large desk calender, with scribbles all over it… how they or ANYBODY could read it is a mystery to me… you would have to have a decoder or decryption key to understand it!
If planning a party, go somewhere else!

Hummus! I’m done.

First of all, it is Raffe’s not Raffi’s. Because of this, there are three different locations listed on Unilocal that are in fact the same place because of the spelling confusion.
I have not tried the Deli portion, so don’t ask me how that is.
I have, however, purchased beer here! Very good selection for a convenience store type of place. I have actually reviewed places that have more beer than here, but Raffe is clearly trying to deliver variety and quality over quantity. There are a good selection of low ABV imports as well as a few American craft beers, particularly the stouts/​porters/​IPAs that come in 22oz. containers. You can also do a build your own six pack with any beers in the store.
If you are passing through Memphis from a less regulated state, I can almost assure you that the selection won’t be impressive. Many imports and most craft breweries don’t distribute around here. However, if you’re having trouble finding something at grocers then you should definitely stop by here. Moreover, you’ll be supporting an independent business owner.
Raffe is hilarious by the way. You definitely have to strike up a conversation with her – just be ready to focus to understand what she says, though.