We saw a coupon in the paper for $19.95 instead of $26.95 for the dinner buffet on Friday and Saturday nights. The coupon encouraged us to try Ali Baba for the first time, so we made reservations for Valentine's Day on Saturday night. When we got there, we were told we might have to sit at a table with another couple because they were so busy. Fortunately, we avoided that scenario and got our own table. It was nice to experience new foods, however, we didn't get to enjoy the food much when the entertainment began. The 1st show was good - a traditional looking belly dancer. But we felt a little awkward when she kept asking us to clap to her dancing while we were eating. The 2nd show was a white lady who was wearing a short denim skirt, sparkly bra, cowboy hat, and cowboy boots. She was dancing to Shania Twain and then got off the stage and started giving private dances to the dinner tables to the song ""Cotton Eyed Joe."" It was awkward because we felt like we were at a toned-down strip club with all this provocative dancing. After the 2nd show, the DJ began demanding audience interaction. He wanted us to come up on stage and dance. Then he demanded everyone at the restaurant get in the ""train"" line and dance around the tables. I'm not saying this is bad, it's just far from what we expected. We were hoping for a romantic Valentine's dinner with authentic belly dancing entertainment - not a toned-down strip show with a bar mitzvah DJ trying to get us to put down our forks and join the dancers on stage. The last straw was when the manager did not want to honor our coupons, which was what actually brought us into this restaurant! He said Valentine's Day is a special night so the coupons don't apply. But how were we supposed to know that? The coupon said ""Friday and Saturday Nights"" with no exclusions. And yes, they charge a 18% fee for ""service,"" which didn't make sense because we served ourselves at the buffet. We will never go back.
Pros: Authentic food
Cons: Awkward ambience and entertainment and poor business practices.
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