Dimassis Mediterrenean Buffet

OMG! I just noticed this was open again on my trip to Austin this past weekend. It's been closed for like a year or so. Besides the absence of any lamb in the buffet (it was there before), it's as good as ever. Try the fried cauliflower, maple (or whatever it is) eggplant, and the salads. At 12-13 bucks, it's a bit pricey, but it's fine for the rare times I am in Austin. I'm no expert on Med. food, but this is great. I hope they are successful this go 'round. more

This place is RARELY busy when i go in, which is good for me, but i really think they deserve more business! They have lots of seating, outstanding food that is original to mediterranean cuisine. And although i limit myself to one plate, you can eat as much as you want! If you're super hungry this is the place to go! I have never been disappointed. My family loves it. It's quick, and the food is fresh and delicious! It's very under-rated restaurant if you ask me. By the way, I'm 16 and I even recommend this to hungry teenagers. more

We tried this place at dinnertime last week after searching for 'something new' to eat. I have to admit, I'm not familiar with Mediterrenean cuisine, but I'm all about trying new things. We were pleasantly surprised with this place! Pros: great selection/buffet Cons: decor & music more

I highly recommend Dimassi's on Research Blvd. in North Austin. They have a plethora of delicious vegetarian items. Fresh produce is used to create various middle-eastern salads and spreads--like Hummus and Baba Ganoush. It is buffet-style and there is plenty to chose from. There is a hot dish/entree bar and a cold dish/salad bar. For my money, standing above all is their Tandoori chicken. Might be the best I've ever eaten anywhere and I've been around. Definitely miles ahead of any strickly- Indian restaurants in Austin (about a half-dozen of which I've dined at). The Tandoori chicken is the most moist, succulent and satisfying I've ever had. Great Flavor and well prepared. Drinks and dessert are also included with the meal. So, for the money (about $12 per person) you can't be Dimassi's. more

I'm not sure where to begin. We had a bad feeling from the time we arrived--there were only 2 tables occupied which is usually a sign. Every single item on the buffet was terrible. We stopped on the way home to eat at another establishment due to the food being inedible at Dimassi's. I felt like a fool paying our tab for 2 which was around $30. Avoid at all costs!! Pros: cleanliness Cons: food, atmosphere more

I don't usually visit buffets anymore -- excepting for a very few brunches around town, I usually find myself feeling a little sick from visible lapses in food safety/prep and poor food. However, I was curious about the concept of a Mediterranean buffet and had to give this one a try. I LOVE the foods from the region, and sadly Austin has a gigantic hole where this cuisine should be -- what is available is boring, bland, mall gyro food. Sad to say, this restaurant does not fill that gap nor does it change my opinion of buffets. One thing about Mediterranean food is that it is assertive -- powerful flavors using seasonings that don't even require much in the way of expense. This is why I don?t understand why every single item in this buffet tasted like I was eating it with a head cold. The only remotely decently-spiced item was the beef kefta, and that was so dry I literally choked while eating it. No amount of watery hummus could help that chunk of meat go down easy. I tried three types of chicken: fried, roasted, and skewered. Again, bland, and fairly tough, except the skewer which on the first bite was actually tender. Then I realized why it was so tender...the inside was pink. The cucumber, olive salad had no olives; the three rice options weren't bad but the man behind the counter told a lady with wheat issues that she could eat the vermicelli rice b/c he hadn't put any vermicelli in it; and the labeling for dishes was misplaced or missing. I and the lady behind me burned our hands on a serving spoon that had been resting over part of the buffet where a pan had been removed and the steam underneath allowed to flow free. And dishes often were missing spoons requiring people to mingle spoons in different dishes. Dimassi's is simply no different than your typical low-end buffet -- bland, dull, questionable lapses in food handling/prep. Add some hummus and pitas and you might as well be eating at a Golden Corral. more

I'll start off with what I did like. The place is very clean and the staff is nice. Basmatti rice was great especially with the pea and carrot sauce. That's were it ends. The tabouli could use a little more cracked wheat. Humus was not good, needed a little more lemon juice and tahini. Several meat and chicken dishes were cold and the pitas were old and hard. Baba ganoush tasted burnt and bitter. The rice pudding had too much rose water and tasted like hair conditioner. Baklava was too soggy. Food was mislabled. I paid $12.98 for dinner and I felt robbed. Pros: Clean and nice staff. Cons: food more

This place is the best kept secret around!! Pros: kosher Cons: so you've got to get up and get your own tea... so what!!! more

What a gem! We were pleasantly surprised today when we stopped by for lunch. Everything on the buffet was very fresh and very tasty; amazingly so and a pretty good value at $10 a head (all you can eat and drink). Lots of meat and veggie dishes to make everyone happy and the deserts are to not be missed. Often buffets sport greasy food or food lacking in quality. This is not the case at Dimassi's. The only time I have ever had Tabouli that fresh was when I made it myself. The Baba Ganoush was particularly good and the Baklava almost started a riot when it was running low. Good thing they are quick to refill all the dishes and everything was hot/fresh (did I mention I was very impressed by the freshness LOL). Very good selection on the meat dishes and we liked the pulled beef and the lamb plus a strong variety of vegetable dishes so that a vegan could eat here and never hunger again. The manager stopped by and chatted with us. He is a 40+ yr Austin resident and has had his hand in a couple of restaurants around town. Fortunately, they are looking to open a south location soon and that will be awesome! This is an excellent venue for big groups as it is a huge restaurant and sports several big round tables. We will be going back and taking clients with us. Pros: lots of light, huge dinning area, fresh food Cons: Location... too far north but worth the drive for us south austin folks more

We went about three weeks after Dimassi's opened and liked it a lot, despite the fact that there were a few flaws (not enough serving spoons, not enough bussers to keep the steam tables tidy, out of soup bowls). Upon returning about a month later (and at the same time of day, 1 p.m. on a weekday), all of these problems were resolved. Plenty of well prepared food, various assortment of salads, vegetables and. meats. About 10 bucks weekdays per person. If you are into this kind of food (hummus, tabouli, lamb, etc.), I recommend you try this place. more