Tempe Mediterranean restaurant building community through food for 40 years

TEMPE, AZ (AZFamily) — Drive down Apache Boulevard, and you might miss it. But there’s a popular Mediterranean restaurant sitting in the middle of a strip mall, right across from Tempe Fire Department Station No.1.

It’s been there for 40 years, offering a special place for food and community for people of all kinds.

Haji Baba is half store and half restaurant. It serves imported goods and grilled-to-order dishes for Arizona locals and those missing a home that’s thousands of miles away.

Combination plate served with gyro meat, sanbusek, tabouli, kibbi, stuffed grape leaves,... — Combination plate served with gyro meat, sanbusek, tabouli, kibbi, stuffed grape leaves, falafil and yoghurt sauce.(Arizona’s Family)

“We try and cover from East Europe all the way to Asia,” co-owner Zaid Torfa said.

His father came from Syria and first opened a modest space in the 1980s. Thanks to eager customers, it quickly grew.

Pecan baklava from Haji Baba(Arizona’s Family)

“When we first started out, we were one of the only Middle Eastern restaurants and Mediterranean spots in the whole area. So, we had a lot of customers come to us, you know, looking for some stuff from, from their hometown or that they used to have when they were younger,” Torfa said.

He says every time that happened, they would look into the open market to see what cultural items they could import to make customers feel more at home. The goal was to provide as many hard-to-find items as they could.

Haji Baba is half store and half restaurant, selling Mediterranean and Middle Eastern style... — Haji Baba is half store and half restaurant, selling Mediterranean and Middle Eastern style food and imported goods.(ARIZONA’S FAMILY)

The storefront grew into multiple aisles with hundreds of imported goods, and while the restaurant’s menu hasn’t changed, it’s also indicative of different cultures. For example, they ship in giant blocks of Greek, French, and Bulgarian feta cheese.

Torfa says, “Our main core menu is Mediterranean cuisine, but we do have some dishes from other countries as well. We do have gyros which is the more Greek item and then we also have kabab koobideh which is tailored to our Persian or Iranian community. “

Kabab Mixed plate with chicken, beef, and lamb kababs, hummus and tabooli.(Arizona’s Family)

Torfa’s favorite dish and one of their best sellers is the chicken shawarma plate.

“It’s a chicken that is broiled on a rotisserie and it’s served with hummus, salad and rice and it has a dollop of our garlic sauce on top,” Torfa said.

That garlic sauce is phenomenal and is a great addition, along with some pita bread.

Chicken Shawarma plate served with grilled, marinated chicken, rice, hummus, salad and a side... — Chicken Shawarma plate served with grilled, marinated chicken, rice, hummus, salad and a side of garlic sauce(Arizona’s Family)

Also, be sure to get a side of creamy, tangy tzatziki or fresh “tabooli.” They’re excellent.

As any guest will tell you, don’t forget about the baklava. You’ll see as many as six different pans of the freshly made flaky pastries up by the front register. Haji Baba serves pistachio, cashew, walnut, almond, or mixed-nut baklava.

Hazelnut and pistachio baklava at Haji Baba(Arizona’s Family)

To drink, Torfa recommends the rosewater lemonade. He says it’s their take on adding a little Middle Eastern culture to the sweet drink.

Almond baklava from Haji Baba(Arizona’s Family)

Being close to Arizona State University’s Tempe campus, Torfa says they’ll also see a handful of students come in throughout the school year. He says the restaurant is more than just a place to eat food that reminds them of home.

“They can come in and talk to us in their native languages. They can ask us about, you know, community resources, and we’re always here to help,” Torfa said.

Haji Baba takes community very seriously, understanding that food can bring people together.

Gyro plate with seasoned lamb and beef cooked on a spit, rice, salad and pita bread(Arizona’s Family)

“I consider Haji Baba more of a cultural hub. We always like to provide for our community, so anything we can do to help out is, you know, what we’re looking to accomplish here,” Torfa said.