Big Marina Grill & Deli

01/14/09

Best Mediterainian/Mideast Buffet

by JCSLCL at Citysearch

The food & service is great! Many items to choose from. Always fresh and tasty. . . Very authentic menu. A very good value. Lamb shanks, stuffed grape leaves, gyros, curries, taboli, fallaful, many salads and deserts.

• Pros: Great variety, easy parking.
• Cons: None

06/28/09

All the gangsta of Holy Land, minus the English language

by Maiero at Citysearch

If you like the Holy Land, you probably have never had good lamb in your life. And if you go to Marina expecting anything even remotely edible, you can expect a third term for George W. in the near future.

If you are white, you should steer far, far away from this place. Your car will most likely be scratched in the parking lot and you will be stared at by the staff and will find yourself having to deal with racism.

Don't even try to redeem a coupon for this place either, you will be treated as though you are in a bazaar. You will have to haggle.

• Pros: Somali people's clothes
• Cons: Everything else, namely racism

08/06/08

Best Middle Eastern Food in the Twin Cities!

by nadya123 at Citysearch

This is an amazing restaurant with the best buffet! If you like Holy Land, you HAVE to try Marina. It is a million times better. Their hamburger, gyros, spinach pies, tea, hummus, falafel, everything is excellent! I highly recommend the buffet. For only $9.99 (dinner) you get appetizers, entrees, dessert, drink, and tea.

• Pros: Everything
• Cons: None

01/24/07

Very good buffet

by omall004 at Citysearch

I've been to the "Big Marina" (as opposed to the little marina in NE Minneapolis) twice now, both times on Sunday for lunch. They have an all-you-can-eat buffet or you can order from a menu. Both visits I opted for the buffet. Typical items are: a few soups--on this visit was a yellow split pea and a meat and potato stew of some kind--I tried the split pea and it was delicious, but a tad on the salty side; Several salads including tabouleh, baba ganoush and hummus, fresh fruit, lettuce, and many others I didn't try; Breads including pita, biscuits (in the American sense of the word) and rolls; Appetizer type things: chicken wings, spinich and cheese in phyllo, fried eggplant slices topped with a chopped vegetable mixture that included hot peppers; Several main dish options like rice and gyro meat, barbecue style ribs and lamb shanks; and a few Desserts options that were delicious (custard in phyllo and a shredded phyllo dessert). They finish the meal by offering mint tea. The wait staff was as attentive as they needed to be (refilling drinks and removing dirty plates). The ambiance is OK (big fountain in the middle of the room and fake grapes hanging from the ceiling left over from the previous restaurant, El Bustan), but it is clean and well cared for. They have several larger tables that could accommodate a bit bigger group. Over all, I recommend Marina, and I'll be back...

• Pros: Great Buffet
• Cons: Cheesy fake grapes starting to fall off the ceiling