06/03/08

Best lunch deal in Tampa

by shopedeals

Dinner is ok, but THIS IS THE BEST LUNCH DEAL IN TAMPA!! Great Buffet, great price. It is well worth the drive. The food is incredible. I love the shish kabobs, and the lamb and eggplant. Seriously, its a must.

• Pros: food and price excellent
• Cons: kind of out of the way

12/23/07

A very pleasant surprise

by pulsatetechnologies

On a recent business trip to St Petersburg, at the recommendation of our hotel concierge, with my wife and another couple, we headed to Mirage on a Friday night. Having lived in California for 9 years, I had sampled the best Persian food Orange County, San Diego, San Jose & San Francisco has to offer, and wanted to see what Tampa Bay has to offer. The food was excellent, to say the least, but that is usually a given, because if the food is bad, restaurants go out of business very quickly. Also, our reservation was exactly what I had requested as far as location to be seated. What REALLY impressed me was that our original waitress, at arrival, was only an English speaking young lady, and when I had a few seconds of small talk with the owner (a very pleasant soft spoken gentleman, who checked back with us quite a few times to make sure everything was ok) and telling him that we have Azeri and Russian speaking guests that are going to try Persian food for the first time, he switched our waitress to another one who spoke both Azeri and Russian! That seemingly small action, not only facilitated my guests to ask questions and understand the food better, but also made them more comfortable and welcome. That, I hadn?t seen even in the best restaurants, Persian or otherwise. I have since changed our company meetings from Nashville to Tampa Bay, so I can eat there four times a year. If you want a simple, friendly restaurant with great food and nice music at a very reasonable price, don't pass this place up. PS: The beautifull belly dancer was pretty easy on the eyes also...

• Pros: All you can eat FRESH food (not reheated), excellent service and great atmosphere.
• Cons: None.

07/03/07

Lunch is the best way to go

by jiwworld

I lost count on how many times we have eaten at this restaraunt. If you like food with a lot of flavor, different than your average bite to eat, and a price that you can't beat then this is a place to visit. I do warn people though, the food is definately different but it's nothing that you could not find in our local supermarkets. If you don't like spices, herbs, and lots of flavor in your food then is definately not a place to visit. If it is your first time visiting, I suggest the lunch buffet so you can sample all they have to offer without spending the dinner menu prices. They have numerous persian dishes which are all homemade. The kaboobs and lamb and eggplant dish are mouthwatering. The owners are always on site and are consistantly walking around making sure every customer is satisfied. It is simply a wonderful place to atleast try once.

• Pros: Great lunch price, Delicious food

05/05/07

Avoid, find something different

by allknight

My first time writing a review because I need to warn anyone thinking of going here. Here are my impreesions: Hole in tje wall. Small buffet. Overpriced Rude service. Bland food.Overcharged on my credit card. Food poisening.

• Pros: The only Middle Eastern Restaurant in Clearwater
• Cons: Bland food, food looks better on the way out, rude service, overcharging cards,poor value

08/19/06

great place to go.

by amza

I have gone to Mirage 4 or 5 times, because it is about one hour away. I would recommend this place to anyone. I love the food, service and the people.

If I lived closer I would be there all the time.

• Pros: Food, service and value

11/21/05

Great Food

by anyalan

My father brought me there on a Friday night, and I absolutely loved it. It was all you can eat, and you could try a little (or a lot) of everything. My son loved dancing with the belly dancer, as did most regulars that were there. The owner and my husband hit it off right away and he made me a special order of falafels (a personal favorite of mine). We now go there at least every other week, even if we are just taking it home. I love it and recommend it to everyone who loves food.

• Pros: Food
• Cons: None

08/23/04

Would not Recommend

by hilltopper

I went there for my birthday, because I thought it would be something different. The idea of belly dancers would make for a fun evening. WRONG. I was expecting something nicer (Jeans are fine, I was in a dress) and there was a buffet. I like trying different cultures' foods, but this was very bad. They have a filet migon on the menu, but they gave me something that looked like gyro meat. There were no sauces or spices on anything, so it was very bland. The owner must have realized we did not like our food, he offered us different items and even took one entree off. There was only one belly dancer, and I almost felt sorry for her, because no one really participated with her to make it a fun experience. Although the owner was very caring about our experience, I would NOT recommend this place.

• Pros: Belly Dancer
• Cons: , Price

12/10/03

Middle Eastern cuisine shines at this unassuming restaurant specializing in super-sized portions of kebabs and rice.

by Contributor

The Scene
Pulsing Iranian music revs up the atmosphere at this friendly restaurant, where belly dancers flaunt their ab muscles during weekend performances. Low-budget, big-appetite servings attract families and college students. Mirage also frequently hosts Middle Eastern military brass and their families in the United States for meetings at nearby MacDill Air Force.  

The Food
Waitresses with lilting accents describe the menu. They'll recommend the platter for two, which includes a trio of kebabs: savory, saffron-basted chicken; moist ground beef; and hearty steak. Roasted tomato halves and onions line the plate, while aromatic basmati rice adorns the center. Khorest sabzi stew--mint, spinach and meat--is a jolting dissonance of tastes. For dessert, try the makhloot, Persian ice cream rolled with sweet rice noodles. It's almost overwhelmingly sweet, but refreshing with juice poured on top, according to Iranian custom.