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Tastey food at a reasonable price

4 Posted on 03 / 17 / 2013

Casbah is located in a fairly touristy area a bit outside of San Francisco. The menu was clearly marked with a separate vegetarian section. Vegan & gluten free items are clearly marked with great variety.

The food is medeteratian with all of the flavors you would expect. The menu specifically says no msg and no preservatives. Given the light flavors of the veggies, I don't doubt it!

It was a random Sunday evening and they had a really talented guitar player sitting in the corner playing quietly during the dinner hour. Great atmosphere

Definitely worth going off the beaten path to try.

Pros: Great atmosphere, menu clearly marked, Moderately priced
Cons: Off the beaten path, Touristy feel to the area

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Fabulous Food. This is a five cow place!

4 Posted on 03 / 03 / 2013

Being a family of vegans in the Livermore Valley is difficult, due to the lack of available restaurants. We were excited when they opened and now go regularly. The food is incredible. They have an entire page of the menu that is vegetarian/vegan. The hummus and baba ghanoush are perfect. We have now tried all of the veg options. My favorites are the stuffed eggplant or the eggplant stew. We order everything with soy balls. The sauce for both dishes is very similar with yellow lentils, however, the stuffed version has mushrooms, tomatoes and onions added. Since I like the additional vegetables, Ben, the owner, has happily accomodated me by adding them to the eggplant stew sauce. My husband gets the coucous dinner, warm with soy balls. The two teens like the mediterranean pasta and the eggplant stew. Try the hot tea, it is a delicious cardamon black tea. The vegan coconut cake is delicious, as well. It can get packed on the weekend, so call ahead to reserve a table. Ask them to make you a salad with their house mix, tomatoes, cucumbers and their homemade orange dressing. It is fabulous. Crisp, light and sunny citrus all in one bowl. This is a must try restaurant.

Pros: Incredible food, Lots of vegan options, Extremely sweet owner, friendly staff
Cons: Their current location can be too small., They won't let me rate it five cows.

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Went there while visiting family in Livermore

3 Posted on 06 / 01 / 2012

They had a few vegan things on their menu, but my husband and I both decided to try the falafel pita with tahini dressing. I also got the Casbah cooler.

The falafel was really good, the veggies were fresh, and the pita was home-baked and warm, but the dressing left something lacking. I had to get the waiter to bring me a second cup of it and even then I felt like it was a bit bland and dry. BUT it was decent and the price was reasonable. The Casbah cooler was interesting. It was basically cucumber flavored water with a tiny bit of sugar and fresh mint. Very light, I almost felt like I was drinking water. I honestly don't think it was worth the $3 I paid for it, but it was interesting.

Not a huge fan, but since it's in an area where there's not much else to eat I think it's a viable option.

Pros: In an area with not much vegan food

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great soy meatballs and vegetarian plates

4 Posted on 03 / 01 / 2012

My husband is vegetarian - I finally found a restaurant local to Livermore with a menu that doesn't taste to me like sawdust - I had soy "meatballs" that I like the taste. I was amazed and glad I found a place we both like the dishes! Marsha Victory

Pros: good taste, friendly, fast service

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We felt like guests in chef's home

4 Posted on 02 / 12 / 2012

We had an amazing experience! We were wine tasting in Livermore--familiar grounds, but we don't live in the area. Serious vegans, we checked HappyCow and decided to try Casbah. We're very glad we did. The saffron rice was perfection, as were the dolmeh and Med stir-fry. Benjamin (owner) treated us to a special serving of FESENJAN, a fruity, nutty, vegan soy mixture that was as good as it gets! We felt as if we were guests in his home. The restaurant serves only Livermore Valley wines. I would give 6 cows if I could.

Pros: Many vegan options, Personable chef, Amazing food

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Delicious and healthy too!

4 Posted on 01 / 27 / 2012

This is a Vegetarian/Vegan friendly restaurant. The owner was Vegan for many years and knows his stuff! The Last page of the menu is strictly vegetarian/vegan, however the chef was more than happy to veganize an eggplant dish we found on the 'regular' section of the menu as well. Just ask for what you want, chances are they will do it.
My favorites are the Hummus, Falafels (light as a feather) and the Fesenjan (pomegranate walnut sauce). Soooo good, we hadn't tried it before but, the owner brought some to our table to try. Now I'm obsessed. The eggplant is delicious, as are the stews made with yellow split peas in a very lemony tomato sauce. Oh, and the Baklava is amazing!
We've been there on Sunday afternoon's as well when a Bellydancer performs. Very fun. Highly recommend!

Pros: Very good authentic food, excellent value, Very friendly helpful owner and staff
Cons: Has meat options too