Humans have always had a fascination with fire. Archaeological evidence points to the earliest use of controlled fire approximately 1.5 million years ago. Now, of course, fire of a sort is in every car engine and every gas stove. Likewise, it's in popular songs from the Door's "Light my Fire" to Bruce Springsteen's "I'm on Fire." Is it any surprise then that restaurant names also follow a fire theme? In Tempe, Middle Eastern restaurant Flaming Kabob has recently replaced the now-defunct Urban Campfire. That's right; this standalone building just a block from the University / Rural light rail station has been the site of not one, but two, restaurants with incendiary names. Moreover, two tenants back, the site was home to Greasy Tony's, a beloved and divey pizza place. In other words, grease fueled a fire, and fire produced flames.
Flaming Kabob's Tempe site is the latest one in a growing local chain. The restaurant's first location was a repurposed Five-and-Diner in Mesa. Since then, new locations have been added in Chandler, Scottsdale, and now near the ASU Main Campus. At the University and Rural site, the decor has been refreshed since the changeover from the previous tenant. It's basically the same layout as before, but the walls on one side actually have flames on them in a bright mural vaguely remiscient of the Hot Wheels cars logo. The shaded patio is there, too, but it's unclear if it's going to be put to use as a dining area. Right now, all the action appears to be on the inside, where about a dozen tables fill a dining room of modest size. Take whatever table appeals and claim it. Flaming Kabob is casual and not yet crowded enough to need any sort of host station.
The restaurant offers several menus. Let's say it's a menu of menus, as confusing as that might be. The biggest is the all-day menu that is common to all four locations. It has the basics like gyros and baba ghanoush on it, but it also offers more ambitious lamb entrees with prices approaching $20. While these items may sell in some of the restaurant's more suburban locations, the Tempe site seems to emphasize a printed lunch menu and a chalkboard on the wall listing all-day pita sandwich specials that include rice or fries and a fountain drink for $6.99. Given the location near a college campus and the recessionary economy, that's probably a smart move. Unless you're in the mood to share one of the giant combination platters, stick with the wall menu or the paper lunch menu.
Even in the bargain basement section of the myriad menus, there's a lot of quality in what's being served. The pita sandwiches come stuffed with fillings like chicken shawarma, nicely seasoned and dressed with a garlicky sauce, and falafel, made on the premises and perfectly balanced between a crisp outer shell and a yielding inner core. The falafel also has a nice level of gentle spice which can be dampened with the accompanying tahini or amplified by requesting a serving of the restaurant's tangy hot sauce. When choosing a side, skip the fries unless you've got a serious craving for potatoes. Their mealy texture suggests the freezer bag rather rather than the farms of Idaho. Instead, order the rice, which is studded with golden raisins and slivered almonds in an appealing pilaf.
Among the starters, the hummus is creamy and airy -- just right for dipping with pieces of the accompanying pita. It's a little understated in terms of lemon or garlic flavor, though. It thrives when mixed with another appetizer like grape leaves or tabouleh. Flaming Kabob's version of the bulghur-based salad is excellent with a strong, but not overpowering, lemon taste, and an appropriate ratio of leaves of parsley to grains of wheat. The two soups are servicable but not the stars of the menu. Lemon chicken has scant poultry and clumpy rice. Lentil is thinner than elsewhere but has a zesty lemon taste. The fatoush salad works well with crunchy romaine, tomato, and a dressing with -- what else? -- a strong note of lemon. In one lunch special, the normal pita chips are replaced with pieces of grilled chicken.
Given the use of halal meats in the kabobs, kibbeh, kofta, and shawarma here, it's not surprising that Flaming Kabob has no liquor license; Urban Campfire's famous "blue collar beer cooler" is now full of fruit juices and bottled water. The big menu advertises a lot of fresh-squeezed juices, but orange is right now the only one straight from the fruit to the table. Order mango, and you'll get something decent but packaged. A few months after its Tempe opening, Flaming Kabob isn't much more busy than the previous tenant at this site. Some of the challenge may be the presence of so many other good Middle Eastern restaurants nearby. Nevertheless, it's hard to have too many good food bargains near a college campus, and if food quality has anything to do with it, maybe this restaurant can re-ignite the fire that has burned on-and-off for years at what should be a prime location.
921 E. University Dr., Tempe AZ 85281 | Map
(480) 921-4141
http://www.flamingkabob.com
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