Albustan

This place is a diamond in the rough for Texas. The buffet is reasonably priced at around 9 bucks and is delicious from start to finish. This is as close grandma’s kitchen as it gets, and that’s coming from a guy who’s old Israeli grandma could really cook. The owner even brought around free lamb kabobs for us, which were also delicious. You can tell that this guy just loves to cook and loves to feed people good food. I’ll make it a point to come back every time I’m in SA

It pains me to write this review, but here goes a very short synopsis:
Two years on, and the food quality has nose-​dived on the hot line. All of the hot chicken dishes (every single one) were lukewarm and the chicken pieces were so dry that they were painful to eat. A fail on every single level. The falafel was cold and equally dry. The cold and dried out pita bread basket was covered in what appeared to be tiny flies. They looked like mosquitos, only slightly larger. WTF?
The cold line was very good including the tabouleh, jerusalem salad and hummus. Baba Ganouj was nowhere in sight, though.
Kefta kabob was served after asking if we wanted some, and the cook also brought out a small plate of stewed lamb in a tomato sauce. Both were adequate.
But the hot line hot mess and the flying insects in the pita basket were a road too far. I can no longer recommend this restaurant. And I certainly will never return.

Clean restaraunt, good service and great selections of food! I think this is the first Arabic buffet in San Antonio ! Not 5 star because needs more lamb or beer items! Would pay more for these items !

I had assumed that some of the downfalls of Albustan were going to be improved as this restaurant gained experience. Sadly no improvements, and in fact Albustan’s variety and quality has decreased since opening. Their food is still tasty, but they put no effort into food appearances or varieties of their main dishes. It is also my understanding that they changed their offering of kabobs with every meal, which was a major plus. Service has also declined to nearly null. Other Mediterranean restaurants in the area are a better option for me at this point.

If it wasn‘t for the below average customer service of the server, I probably would have given it 5 stars, but I have the food made up for that. It was delicious & the price was right!

Okay food, poor service.
We went in the late evening and for awhile, and we were the only people there. The fellow at the cash invited us to go ahead and help ourselves. We filled our plates with a decent array of food, and I stopped to grab a pop from the machine in the corner.
The waitress followed me to the table and said, «I can get you a drink from now on.» Oh… I apologized and told her I thought that was self-​serve as well. Funny thing is… she never grabbed me another drink. She got one for my friend and for her son, but I couldn’t get them to even look at me. If either waitress cracked a smile you would hear the rumble across the border.
As for the food, it was okay, not great. The chicken dishes with white meat were visibly dry, and everything was swimming in something, but DAMN its been too long since I’ve had a decent pilaki! THAT I highly recommend! Everything else was just kind of average.
After talking to the guy at the cashier, maybe they’re just having growing pains. Apparently the restaurant has been around forever, but his parents bought it 6 months ago.
However, the price is right. I can’t remember exactly how much it was, but it was something like $ 10 American per person. You can’t beat that.

I really like the idea of Albustan, but the execution kind of fell through. It is a Mediterranean buffet, and you would think unrestricted eating of middle eastern food is enough to make any girl happy. Sadly, it isn’t. I was there for an early dinner and the place was practically deserted. The buffet items were hit and miss. There were only about 4 pieces of naan left and they were very cold. It seemed like they were leftovers from lunch. One of the chicken dished I had was extremely dry. The vegetable dishes seemed to fare better. The spiced roasted potatoes were perfectly cooked and well seasoned. The shirazi salad tasted nice and fresh with a good balance between the lemon juice and olive oil ratio, and there was a lemon cake dessert that was nice and moist and not overly sweet. I imagine this would be a good option for lunch since buffets are such quick options, but it was kind of eerie to be there at dinner time with no one else around. They do apparently have a lamb special on either Thursday (I think) nights that comes with the buffet that may be nice to try.

I didn’t realize this joint was a buffet til I saw the sign… it was alright, like most buffets.
Service was good & really nice. Coincidentally, I’d just read a review on a nearby Indian restaurant that said they prefer water without ice, unlike Americans. So the guy observed he didn’t get ice in his water (he was Indian) but his honky friends did have ice in their water & he appreciated the server’s attention to detail/​culture. I noticed that Sarah J.‘s water had no ice (she looks as though she could be Persian or a similar culture, but she isn’t) and mine did so we had to chuckle.
Anyway, the food is ok. There were only 2 pieces of naan left when we got up there & I noticed it was never replenished. Boo! They had a lot of vegetarian options, but like a lot of buffets, they sit in the heating trays for so long they get mushy & fall apart. There was a dish with chicken legs, potatoes, and a yellowish sauce that was delicious! Anything with chicken breast was too dry. The saffron rice was good. The hummus & tabbouleh were just ok. I really liked the desserts: a lavender cottage cheese, some kind of soaked milk with coconut cake, & a lemon cake.
It Albustan didn’t have so much similar competition in the area that was non-​buffet & tastier, I’d probably go back. But, it does…

It’s been well over a year since my last visit to Albustan and I am sad to report that things have changed for the worse.
The food at Albustan is good, not great as it once was. The kebabs that used to be self serve on the buffet are now brought to your table (2) on a plate. Once eaten, no offer of more was proffered by the staff.
The buffet is very reasonable for the price you pay. They have 3 kinds of rice, some Middle East spiced chicken, various vegetable dishes (which I found too sour), salad, hummus, pita, and a few dessert-​related items. The lunch buffet runs you $ 8.99 while dinner runs you $ 9.99. We were informed that starting around lunch on Fridays they have 2 roasted goats on the buffet.
The staff was very nice, the restaurant clean. However, the food was not as good as it once was. We were informed that the original owner sold the restaurant about a year ago and opened Darna which is about 1 mile farther up the road on Fredericksburg (just past Cort Furniture).
If you’re want good all-​you-​can-​eat Middle east food at a great price, then this is your place. Best of luck to Albustan.

Based on the reviews, I decided to try this place tonight. I will definitely be back.
I didn’t get to try all of the things mentioned in previous reviews (the baba ghanouj, sadly, was absent), but I greatly enjoyed most of what I tried. The lamb shank was melt-​in-​your-​mouth tender, the eggplant dish was savory and well-​rounded, and the falafel and hummus were both surprisingly flavorful. There were a couple of items that I wasn’t especially fond of (the potatoes were marinated in something crazy-​sour, and just weren’t for me), but they were outnumbered by the tasty items. Also, while the food selection at any given time isn’t ginormous, a few items appeared over the course of the meal that weren’t there in the beginning… so if you’re having a leisurely meal, you’ll get to sample quite a few different things.
I had no complaints at all about the service — the kabobs came out quickly, the server was pleasant, and our teas were never less than half full.
Some tips for other first timers:
— Get the kabobs. The lamb kabob was one of my favorite things there. I wasn’t as big a fan of the chicken kabob, but my 12 year old loved it. You have to ask the server for them, but ours checked up on us frequently, so this wasn’t the least bit difficult to do.
— SALT TO TASTE. I can’t emphasize this enough. I don’t know whether this place is catering to clientele with high blood pressure, or if the people cooking just don’t have a very salty palate… but to my taste buds, most items were severely under salted. Well seasoned, otherwise… but without a bit of salt, the spices don’t really pop.
— Try a bite or so of everything before loading up your plate. Some of the humblest looking items turned out to be amazing, and some of the most eye-​catching items were just OK. (I was expecting the spinach to be simmered in an exotic blend of spices, or something. Nope — it was just, you know, spinach.)
There were a few minor things that bugged me about this place, but they were all non food related. The main buffet table can only be accessed from one side by non-​employees, so you spend a fair amount of time uncomfortably reaching over things to get to other things. Also, they have the MOST FRUSTRATING salt shakers in the known universe. (You know the kind where, no matter how vigorously you shake, you can never seem to dislodge more than five salt crystals at once? Yeah, they have that kind.) And seriously, what’s up with that sign? As has been mentioned in other reviews, that thing is well nigh IMPOSSIBLE to see from the road. I could only see the sign after I was in the correct plaza, driving around looking for the restaurant. It served as a nice indicator that I wasn’t quite as lost as I thought I was, once I was already about 100 feet from the restaurant… but it’s pretty useless otherwise.
Another reviewer mentioned that this place seemed more like home cooking than restaurant food. I kind of agree — but unlike the other reviewer, I don’t consider this a bad thing. Under $ 12 a person to enjoy as much Mediterranean/​Middle Eastern comfort food as I want? I’m down with that.

Excellent Arabic food, if you are looking for authentic middle Eastern Arabic food, this is the place to go.
The serve you extra Kabob plate fresh from the griller along with their amazing buffet. The service is excellent as well. Overall I highly recommend this place because it is a combination of excellent food, reasonable prices and great service.

I haven’t been back to this place in a while, but that changed last Saturday for lunch. I must have beat the rush because I was the only one in there, then again, perhaps it is the month of Ramadan and most of their patronage isn’t eating while the sun is up. At any rate it was as good as I remember it to be. A small but potent array of offerings are on the buffet, including the best felafel in the city. They still cook you up kebabs to order. I had the kuftas this time and they were fantastic. Their «chicken and rice» offering is as good as it always has been, and the hummos is great too. Good quality food and a drink and all you can eat for around $ 10 after tax. You can’t beat that! I left there so full that when dinner time came I wasn’t very hungry. They still have it, now go and check it out!

I found this «great eats» place by the suggestion of a friend of mine.
The food is fresh, well spiced (without going over), healthly overall, and well balanced between protein meats & greens.
I like the fact that this is a buffet style setting. You get the opportunity to explore your palet for surprising delights in flavor!
The atomosphere is casual & comfortable. Staff is very friendly.
«It feels as if mom was going to step out from the kitchen check if you want a second serving… Home style feel for sure!»
My only suggestions … add a few decorative plants to break up the large dining area and dim the lights a bit.
THIS IS A MUST TRY LOCATION!
I FOUND A PLACE ILL BE FREQUENTLY VISITING! :-)

My husband and I were really looking forward to coming here after we saw that it had great reviews on Unilocal.Unfortunately, this will more than likely be our first and last time eating here.
We came during the lunch rush hour and were surprised to see that we were the only people in the restaurant. Two other couples came during the hour that we were there but that was all, which is surprising during lunch in the Medical Center area. The food was ok but you could tell that it had been sitting out for some time because a hard top layer had developed on some of the food, which was kind of unappetizing to see. The wait staff was attentive and nice but you could tell they were beyond bored since there were really no people in the restaurant. I won’t be surprised if this place goes out of business in the next 6 months.

For a Mediterranean buffet, this place isn’t bad.
Have had mixed experiences eating here a few times– at worst, the customer service is inattentive and takes away half-​empty trays before you get a chance to try something you were eyeing; at best it stands there and stares blankly, maybe refilling your drinks. There’s a youngish guy who seems to be related to owner who doesn’t seem to do much but lurk around and look intimidating.
Dishes here vary– my BF loved one of their cake-​like desserts that had a cheese in it, but they haven’t had it on our last several visits, sadly. Though it’s not at the buffet, you can get kabobs by placing an order with your server, though it will be small– I’d suggest ordering one per person.
The babaghanouj is kind of hit or miss, the hummus is pretty standard, and the naan/​pita bread could be warmed up and be more appealing, but altogether there’s nothing actually wrong with anything here.
The buffet area itself is relatively small, particularly when compared to other non-​specialty buffets or to the one in Austin that is about three times the size! But for SA, I guess it’ll have to do. Their lamb and fish dishes so far have been pretty good, though I can’t say with any certainty what it was or whether it might be there, as their offerings tend to vary from visit to visit– which can be both a pro and a con.
Would suggest calling before you drive over if it’s not nearby for you: though they don’t seem to have odd hours, they’ve been closed twice before when we tried to visit!

So we’re out and in the mood for something new and different in San Antonio. Checking Unilocal and Albustan just kinda stood out for some reason. Yes, it had great ratings, but there is still a risk with the new and unknown — (I love it). This place turned out to be the perfect stop, though full disclosure — I do have a long time love for middle eastern fare. This place delivered, and even better, your not locked in to ordering a single entrée that is completely unknown to you and end up not enjoying it — it’s a buffet, try it all.
I like to start with the chewy flatbread dipped in hummus and olive oil. Simple and delicious. There are many options to choose at the bar from plain rice to tabouli to babaghanoush, and much more, and yes there is meat. Kufta, which is a kabob-​shaped seasoned meat, is always in stock, as is the chicken. Not a huge bar, but definitely big enough, always kept full, and just delicious. Love this place.
Go on now, don’t be timid, you know your a bit adventurous, tired of the same ‘ol. Log it into your GPS and just try it, go on. Trust me, you will love it.

Delicious!
$ 8.99 lunch, $ 10.99 dinner
Includes drink!
Absolutely loved this place, will have to return. Everything looks and tastes made from scratch. Delicious, authentic, high quality, what else could you want?

When I initially tried Albustan with my family, I was pleased but not overjoyed. The food was adequate, the place was clean, and the service was decent. Unfortunately, Albustan is not as good as other Mediterranean/​Middle Eastern restaurants that I have dined at.
The restaurant is buffet style with a good selection of choices. I would hazard to say that even vegetarians would find a fair amount of food to enjoy, but more options would be better. The buffet turnover seems to be pretty good, so the food is cooked fresh and stays fresh.
While I am not a trained critic of this type of food, I have to say that while the flavor is nice, it lacks something. The food lacks oomph.
The atmosphere is very family friendly with big tables and lots of light. The dining area is sunk below the buffet area, so watch your step!
All in all, this place is by no means bad; it just really lacks anything that makes it stand out. And for the price paid for the buffet, I expect more.

There is a reason this place is racking up all the positive reviews, it is all that and then some.
I love the atmosphere. Big windows letting in lots of natural light. The tables are nicely spaced so it does not feel like you are sitting on top or with another table of patrons. From the dining area the food area is in an easy to access elevated area. Nice little separation.
The food is wonderful, nice selection of salad, soups, side dishes, wonderful flat bread and entrees. The service is friendly and attentive.
This place is definitely worth many visits. Just go hungry as in very hungry. They got the cure for that.

This place definitely takes Middle Eastern food to another level.
Everyone knows that I’m picky when it comes to my culture’s food, after all, nobody ever makes it like mom does. But Al Bustan brings out more than just one country’s eats.
I’m also not a fan of buffets, but there’s more to this buffet than meets the eye. The food on the line is fresh, not dry and flavorless like other buffets I’m accustomed to. I was pleasantly surprised to see such a variety of dishes from Middle Eastern countries I’ve only read and heard about.
The bonus comes when your server at Al Bustan brings you fresh, hot meat and chicken kabobs. If you don’t finish yours, just give me a call, I’ll be happy to come by and pick up what you’re obviously wasting. Their kabobs are intense and worth every bite.
The only drawback? The lighting. I’d be more of a fan of a dimmer lit restaurant experience, but hey, if they’ve got nothing to hide with dim lighting who am I to argue? This place is a win!
Sahtein!