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Cafe Balkan
Eastern European
The bureks sell out before the lunch rush is over, which tells you something about this family-run Balkan restaurant in north Phoenix. The menu runs to exactly the kind of southeastern European comfort food that improves overnight, including a goulash with mashed potatoes that does most of its best work as leftovers. Silky veal soup, warm lepinja flatbread, and a pastry case for dessert round out a meal that requires zero willpower to finish.
The awards strongest first
- Phoenix New Times 2025 · Best Balkan Restaurant · Best of Phoenix
One number, weighted & current 54
How we scoreThe dishes from the writeups
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Veal soup
“A silky veal soup pairs well with thick, warm lepinja, a Balkan flatbread.”
Phoenix New Times, 2025 -
Goulash with mashed potatoes
“The goulash with mashed potatoes has an incredible depth of flavor and tastes even better as leftovers the next day.”
Phoenix New Times, 2025 -
Bureks
“Cafe Balkan is known for its bureks, savory pastries filled with meat or cheese, but be aware: Show up after early afternoon and they may be sold out.”
Phoenix New Times, 2025
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