Ali Baba

A true gem, wonderfully good food! This is one of the few places I’ve been to in the area that, were I to be living in a big city again (a place like Boston) and this restaurant were there, I would continue to go to because it would continue to stand out.
The food is delicious, great for take-​out or for dining in. The place is cozy, casual, simple but very comfortable. Wood-​fired oven is visible, good place for having a conversation over a meal. Everything I have tried so far has been top quality and delicious. The reviews I have read seem to get it right — If you are looking for a place to go, well — go! And enjoy :-)

We tried this restaurant while we were on the way to Vermont, it’s a nice place to have Mediterranean food. Tried veg iskander and it was amazing. There bread was amazing. Would Definitely recommend this place.

Tasty Mediterranean food. Great spices on meats. Try the lamb. Many choices for vegetarians also.

I hadn’t had Turkish food before, but one bite had little tears of joy welling up. I am literally amazed at how delicious the food is and how unassuming the restaurant is. Great food, great experience.

After my wife gave birth to our daughter at Samaritan Hospital, this is the place she wanted take out from. That’s a pretty good reference. The baked naan is fantastic and the dishes are very tasty. The food is a five. The place is in need of some updating and is not as comfortable in the dinning room. Could be a destination spot.

I’m addicted to this place, learned about it a few months back and I’ve been probably ten times, not kidding. My GF is super weary of any «ethnic» food, and was still hesitant even after seeing the food! Until she tried it. Some of the best food I’ve had in Troy. Made with love and you can tell, reminds of the Turkish food I used to get in Prague. Iskender kabob and bolanaise pizza are our favorites. And you can’t beat that bread!

I could probably live off just the lavash and yogurt sauce. My husband and I split a small mixed plate; the ezme was our favorite of the five salads we chose. I liked it scooped up with some hummus. We also shared lamb curry and beef durum. Everything was delicious, I loved that the meats were charred crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. Perfect. Next time we may ask for things spicier but we’d probably stick with the same order. So yummy!

Always get the lavash bread.
Ali Baba is one of my favorite hidden gems in the Capitol region. Tucked away on a small street is this beautiful, wood-stove’d restaurant. Turkish dishes are supposed to embody and exemplify its geographic identity (or lack thereof!); a fusion of Mediterranean, Balkan, and Middle Eastern flavors. Ali Baba doesn’t disappoint!
When you first walk into Ali Baba, you realize you entered a humble-​abode: simple tables, Turkish décor, cold food display, and open kitchen. Ali Baba isn’t trying to dress-​up; what you see is what you get. And it’s 100% real.
The menu layout makes it easy to order for those unfamiliar with Turkish cuisine: pictures. Even then, ingredients aren’t listed out on the dine-​in menu (only on the takeout menu) so make sure to ask if you are unsure!
As an appetizer, the mixed plate is a must. The Small Mixed Plate allows you to try five appetizer salads, which are essentially Turkish dips/​spreads, and comes with Lavash Bread, which is a huge puff of bread used to scoop and eat the salads. The Humus is a must as well as the Ajuka. The Large Mixed Plate includes all ten appetizer salads. Both plates include a refreshing yogurt-​cucumber side that goes well on everything.
The Pide’s are delicious, meat or cheese. The fresh feta mingles well with the mozzarella to hold the lavash wrap together. The parsley and earthy-​seasoning ground the Pide well and bring the vegetables and egg in harmony.
Turkish pizza, or lahmacun, is also interesting. One would think it’s a American-​Turkish fusion, but it’s actually a common Turkish dish. Take a Pide and flatten it: Turkish pizza. Ali Baba’s pizzas taste nearly the same as their Pide, with the only difference being what flavors come in what order. One pizza can feed a little over two so those prices do make sense! Interestingly enough, their menu has a separate lahmacun listed but it tastes the same as the pizza.
Their kabob are also good! Quality meat and quite fresh too. I suggest their Beyti Sarma as I prefer their ground meet to their whole (Their veal and lamb mix is amazing with their seasonings, which you can’t get from a whole cube).
Ali Baba is a true Turkish import near the heart of the Capitol region.

The lentil soup was magical! I really enjoyed my sandwich, too. The restaurant itself doesn’t look like much, but the food is definitely worth a repeat visit.

This will probably be my shortest and most cryptic review. When I say this is the greatest restaurant in the Capital District my basis is simple. If I was on my way to the electronic chair my last meal would be as follows: 1 large lavash
1 Mixed Plate
1 Meat Pide
If you don’t know what these are or you haven’t been to Ali Baba, you have just been enlightened. Now what are you waiting for!!!

We recently found this place on a drive through Troy. What a treat to find something so tasty and fun. Ali Baba jjust screams YUM! Way too much good food to try on one visit, can’t wait to go back for more.

Service was friendly and fast and the food was very tasty. We had a medium lavash, a lahmjun, a meat pide and a doner pizza. There was more than enough food for two ten year old and two adults, we ended up taking home most of the pizza and eating it for breakfast (it may have tasted even better the next day!). My only regret was not ordering more lavash, it was absolutely delicious.

This is our go-​to place for Mom’s Night Out! We get the large appetizer plate and lavash bread to start (a must!). The lavash bread is made fresh there and each of the appetizer dishes is amazing– but I like the eggplant salad the most. I enjoy the Turkish coffee, and they have tasty juices as well. Do NOT forget to end your meal with some Baklava!

Wanted to try out some Mediterranean and this is one of the best options near to Troy… Lavash Bread is made fresh from clay oven which should not be missed… We tried the salad combo platter which comes with lavash bread and spicy beef durum…

Fantastic food, made with care, served by friendly people.
I had the adana kabab, which was nice and juicy, with a good char on the outside, and well-​seasoned, perfectly cooked beef on the inside. We also shared a sampler platter (which is a great deal, but better suited for 3 or maybe even 4 people) — the ajuka is amazing. My mouth is watering at the memory as I type this. Their version of baba ganoush has no tahini but was light, citrusy, and refreshing nonetheless.
The platter came with a huge, puffy, alternately crispy and chewy lavash, flecked with sesame seeds, and breathing a steamy sigh when we tore into it. From our table it was very easy to peer into the belly of dragon where this beast was forged. It is really fun to watch the guy as he does it, because the care he puts into it is pretty plainly visible. I know that might sound a bit melodramatic, but it always confuses me to be in a restaurant that lets you see the food being made by a bunch of people who look like they’re waiting for death to release them from the bitter bonds of short order cookdom. Who thought it was a good idea to let the customers see that? This is essentially the opposite — you see the guy spinning the dough, then going flick flick flick with the sesame seeds, the bread puffing up in the oven, then make its way to your table, where you can dig into it and discover the quality that went into its construction.
Ok, I’m flying off the handle here. The food is good. Go there and eat some of it.

The food is good and the lavash bread is made fresh for the table. However, hygiene is a major concern. One guy came in and went right to work in the kitchen without washing his hands. Now I’m paying attention. Another guy who was waiting tables and working the kitchen took a customer’s check, handled cash, and went right back to preparing food. Again, no hand wash. If this is what they’re up to in plain view of customer’s, I don’t even want to think about what’s going down behind the scenes.

My friend took me to this place after a water polo tournament at RPI down the street. He suggested I order the spicy beef durum and medium lavash. I was probably already super hungry after getting beaten up to a pulp in the pool, so anything would have been pretty satisfying, but Ali Baba just hit the nail on the head with the lavash. It came out with a white sauce and was crispy on the outside but fluffy/​chewy on the inside. What a perfect carb source!
The spicy beef durum was amazing. The beef itself was crispy from being on the rotisserie, and the vegetables and white sauce complemented the meat. In addition, they added sambal olek (think of Sriracha with some seeds and chili bits intact), which was the perfect amount of spice. I don’t know if using sambal olek is an authentic Turkish practice, but it definitely appealed to my Asian taste buds!
I have been thinking about going back every day this past week, so I will definitely stop by again (and again and again…).

The food is 100% authentic and tastes so delicious. You must try the bread with yogurt sauce… To die for!!! The staff and servers are also really friendly!

I have only had the opportunity to get Ali Baba take out thus far and so far I am a fan — I imagine dining in and having things fresh I may be able to update this review with a better rating.
My takeout order included some of their wraps that I split with some friends. We ordered the chicken, beef and vegetable wrap. All three were good, but the chicken was a little dry– again keep in mind I brought it home so it might be the culprit here. The beef was very tender and juicy. The veggie wrap was really the star though — jam packed with flavor!
I’d love to go try some of their more entrée type dishes and dine in for a fresher experience.

This is the place to go for good Turkish food. They just completed renovations on the façade and the interior. Despite the surly wait staff and language barrier the food is outstanding. They carry a wide range of foods that include vegetarian selections. Don’t be afraid to be adventurous here. Every one of their dishes are excellent.
Do yourself a favor and start off with the Turkish bread known as lavash. It’s a light and airy bread that puffs up like a balloon in the oven. It comes out piping hot with a side of yogurt dip. It’s am amazing way to start your journey. Just don’t fill up on it. You want to save room for your dinner.
This place is a hidden treasure in Troy.