It started with the lentil soup. I was not expecting to eat every drop, and here I am with an empty bowl. Hardy, flavorful and comfort food. Then the chicken shawarma elevated the experience. Before I remembered to snap a shot, my mouth was full and happy! Perfectly seasoned, just enough to be comfortable, delicious! Great spot to eat with a family or to enjoy people watching while you dine. Excellent all around. read more

Aladdin Cafe - Aladdin Lentils Soup - Greek Near Me - Lawrence, Kansas

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Well, Aladdin Cafe used to be our favorite gem... last night I took my wife & son to Aladdins for me and my wife's Anniversary dinner. our Appetizer the Halum cheese had been a favorite for my wife... however the cook literally just fried it in a skillet and overcooked it. previously this dish was only slightly seared on grill (Arabian cheese). Furthermore the presentation was sub par it looked as though the vinaigrette bottle ran out as they were decorating it So we had only half the normal flavor from the sauce and none of the flavor from the crumbly ovecooked cheese. We had loved the previously authentic Mediterranean lentil soup BUT this time the soup was not seasoned well! It tasted like plain lentil soup with not enough curry/ turmeric seasoning and too much black pepper and it was not blended well and it had NO shredded carrot which is Traditional for it to have! And Zero saffron flavor I also was not happy with the rosewater Lemonade w/ saffron it was not the original drink we fell in love with... This time it was an artificial lemonade no real lemon juice, too much sugar "no saffron taste" Rosewater taste was there but was off-putting in an artificially flavored dyed drink! Our main Entree was the SHISH TAOUK The chicken chunks did not have the consistency of slow cooked over charcoal chicken, the chicken was quite firm, possibly it was all breast meat? However it did taste good and authentic otherwise! my Turkish coffee was okay not exceptional. We had ordered an extra bowl of soup for son but the black pepper taste was too strong for him to eat it! With 20% tip because I do not punish a good waiter because the cook or Restaurant failed, Our bill was $75.36 needless to say without some major recipe changes and better cook we will not be back! read more

Came here before a concert across the street at the Granada. There was only one server on staff, but once he got caught up with his orders he had a conversation with us. he didn't know much about the menu/ specials but he was able to pivot find our answers. the gyro was great, not overly dry. I also had the turkish coffee, for $5 you get a cool little coffee server and high octane coffee. I will probably be back next time I go to the Granada. read more

Aladdin Cafe - Greek Near Me - Lawrence, Kansas

Very flavorful. Chicken and beef was soft. Quiet restaurant, no wait on weekday. Everyone was nice and helpful for our first visit read more

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Great falafel, reasonable prices, and exceptional hummus. My go-to for Mediterranean takeout.

I think Aladdin is the most underrated place in Lawrence. The food is fabulous. I could live on their lentil soup until the end of time, but really everything is great. Only drawback is no alcohol for sale, but you can bring in your own wine, so no big deal. read more

Stop what you're doing get to this place and make an order ASAP! I just had the Souvlaki chicken sandwich with extra cucumber yogurt sauce and it was so good. I had to stop in the middle of my sandwich just to make a five star review. Run, don't walk!!!! Come get it out a little slice of heaven! read more

This is now my favorite restaurant, everything was so delicious, the Atmosphere and service along with the food really makes you want to come back again and again. It's a great place for kids as well. read more

This place is amazing. One of the best restaurants in Lawrence. Nothing fancy. But, the servers are always attentive and the food is excellent. A group of 7 went about 6:30 pm on a Sunday and were seated immediately. It's not flashy or modern and I absolutely don't care. We shared the hummus which is presented beautifully and simply. We also shared the Zaater (Manakeesh) which is warmed pita with olive oil sprinkled with thyme, sumac, and sesame seeds. I could honestly eaten this as my main. I had the Souvlaki Chicken which was a wrap (keep the paper ON while holding, trust me) with a side of the house soup. I will always recommend this place to everyone. read more

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I love this place. The gyro platter with lentil soup is my go to meal. All the starters are really good, but I stick to the hummus and Falafel, both amazing with their soft, warm pita bread. Best Mediterranean food in town by far with an owner who is present and cares about his restaurant and his customers. Go here read more

Aladdin Cafe - Aladdin's Gyro Platter - Greek Near Me - Lawrence, Kansas

This is like a store & restaurant in one. The decor is amazing and this place is very intimate, so if you are wanting drinks and a loud atmosphere you may want to pass. However if you want great food in a relaxed environment come on in! This was my first time trying Rose Lemonade, it was different but very refreshing. I ordered the chicken Shawarma with a Greek salad. The salad came out first and it was pretty good, the dressing was amazing and tasted like it had a lemon base. The chicken Shawarma was okay the meat was definitely seasoned to perfection, and the vegetables were pretty fresh; I wasn't thrilled about yogurt sauce. Although there was a hair in the first Shawarma I received he told me it was the hair of the ginger? Still it was remade, but I kind of lost my appetite after that one. My husband only eats Halal and he loved everything. So you received an extra star for that, I will be back to give it one more shot and hopefully update this review with better results. read more

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This restaurant is incredible! I partially grew up in a Balkan nation, eating very similar food to what's offered here. The food brings me right back home!!! The hummus is delicious, the best I've had in town. The spinach fillo pie is divine!!! Better than my grandmothers (don't tell her I said that!). If you're looking for a quiet and delicious (earth shatteringly delicious!) meal. I would go here. I went twice in a week! The dolma made me drool! Perfect consistency. It tasted as if it had just been made that morning. Everything was crazy good. Samir is an incredibly professional waiter. He is ready whenever you need him, but gives patrons space to eat their meals and speak to each other. I wish I could've tipped him more! Next time I get money I will! The rose lemonade was perfect. It's less sweet and more lemony. A good balance. My dad started taking me here when I was young! We both still go there all the time. I forgot to take a picture of the food. Here's a picture of me and my dad! This is how happy the food makes us!!! No alcohol needed :) read more

Great service from wonderful young woman. food was very good. They have a great spicy special sauce that can be ordered. The curry was delicious for those who did not want to spice. A surprise was the amazing salad dressing on the salad. Servings could use to be a little bigger but delicious and helpful people. read more

They do all the things. Some of them well. Some of them less well. Still, they do all the things. So, if you want the things, its a place you can go. And sit on the patio. Peeps are friendly. read more

A friend and I have lived in Lawrence 2 plus years without ever giving this place a chance, and we were deeply regretful about that decision. In some ways this quiet restaurant was better than Mad Greek. It's like maybe a secret of Lawrence? We came in the summer, and I may have wished I had gotten the lentil soup and curry chicken with carrots and potatoes on a cold day because it would have been that much more committing. The pita was yum! If you never order anything else, ORDER THE STUFFED GRAPE LEAVES . This review is from a New Yorker, and a native to the state of New Mexico. Have fun!! read more

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Food was amazing. Servers were nice. Prices were good. Only suggestion I have is I wish the place was decorated a little more to enhance the experience. Was a little plain. But other than that, was a good choice! read more

Aladdin Cafe - Raja Dip - Greek Near Me - Lawrence, Kansas

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I am so glad we stopped in at Aladdin. Everything was fresh and very tasty. The sampler is a must and the spanakopita was so good. We got the Chicken Shwarma and the lamb gyro. Both were tasty and well seasoned. Will definitely be there again when we come back to Lawrence. Highly recommend. read more

So good! The falafel, hummus and tabouleh were very fresh and flavorful. Lamb gyro was excellent. The pita was slightly grilled which really took it up a notch. So many good things on the menu! Can't wait to come back. read more

Everything was very tasty. Appetizer plate with hummus, baba ghanouj, dolmades, and the red stuff and hot green stuff that goes on both was very good. Gyro meat was succulent and well seasoned. Dining room even after football game day was sparsely populated which we wanted during these times. Very low-key and relaxing. read more

I have been dining at Aladdin for over 20 years and there has never been a fail. This family owned business has delivered excellent food and service over the years and still take the time to say hello. There's a large dining space up front and a small space in the back. The middle eastern decor makes for a nice ambience. There's even a small shop in the back where you can purchase middle eastern snacks. Their hummus is excellent. Their meat is halal and If you like chicken try the chicken Shawarma which comes with a side of saffron rice and grilled vegetables. The chicken is so tender, flavorful and just melts in your mouth. I don't eat much meat anymore but once in awhile I will crave this dish. Thank you Aladdin for all the wonderful years of great food and service you've given to Lawrence! read more

The food was delicious! I ordered a vegetarian sampler. The service was great. The prices were reasonable. The location felt tucked away and cozy, even though it's right there on Mass Street. I'll go again and take others to introduce them to this gem. read more

We ordered take out from Aladdin cafe; we got the dill chicken wrap, kids chicken, and grilled cheese. My sandwich was flavorful with the sauce and the chicken was perfectly cooked. The sauce that comes on the dill chicken is super good and plentiful on it ! The kids chicken was dry and very thinly cut but had good flavor. My son was left wanting more especially on price. The kids grilled cheese was good; they use the pita as the bread which my kids really loved ! The fries were forgetful, I'll definitely be getting everyone rice as a side instead of fries next time ! All in all everything was fresh, the portions were good minus the kids chicken meal. I'll have to go in and sit down to eat to get the vibes. I'll be looking forward to having a sit down Meal here soon ! read more

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Spending 9 years in Detroit we have been ruined by the amazing middle eastern food there. We have tried many restaurants over the years and not one came close. That is until we happened to see this place, and gave it a shot. I have to be honest. This is as good as Detroit. And honestly much better than most in Detroit. We have found our "go to." Thank you for the great service and amazing food!! read more

I came here with 9 others around 12:30pm on a Saturday. There were maybe 4 people eating here at the time; otherwise, it was pretty empty. We sat in the back because we had a large group. The menu had a variety of items to choose from and we all took awhile to decide before our waitress came by for our orders. I ordered the Shawarmah Platter ($10.99) with chicken. I was debating if I should order that or the Curry Chicken ($10.99) but went with the Shawarmah Platter. It came with a choice of salad or lentil soup and I chose the lentil soup. After a few minutes, the lentil soup came. It was not bad and I would probably go with the lentil soup again after seeing that the salad wasn't really special. The pita and hummus were good and that was gone pretty quick at our table. The Shawarmah Platter came out and it looked good. It tasted great in my opinion and I wasn't disappointed in my choice. I would recommend that if you can't decide what to order. The Morocan Cous Cous looked good as well as the Beef Kabob. I'll have to try one of those the next time I'm in Lawrence and want some Mediterranean food. The food was good and service was good as well. Come check it out! read more

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Did I order wrong? With all the rave reviews here on Yelp I think I expected more. Oh don't get me wrong, my food was okay, but what it wasn't was over the top like I expected. But it was a Tuesday night so maybe the low volume was keeping the amazing food from coming. We got a great seat in the front windows of the restaurant. It's very causal more like sitting on benches with cushions than an actual banquette. The menu was vast and given my dining companions are not very adventurous with food, I was happy when they both found something to eat. My server suggested I have the Gyro plate so I went with his suggestion. Unfortunately it didn't deliver on the rich, moist meat I was used to. The meat was dry, the rice was dry and I had to ask for some pitas to wrap it all up in. Maybe I should have gone with the gyros sandwich as this meat really needed some tomatoes, or sauce to make it less dry. But it was tasty. I also LOVED my rose lemonade which only needed a little vodka to liven it up (this place is BYOB so stick a bottle in your bag) All in all, my friends liked their food so I need to go back and give this another try especially given the ratings on here. read more

The best hummus and pita I've ever had!!! Nothing else was that remarkable - dry chicken, undercooked fries, flavorless rice. But the hummus OMG!! Go just for the hummus! read more

SOOOOOOO Tasty! Came here on Labor Day. All other restaurants closed and I'm SO glad we came in. I was visiting from NYC where the Mediterranean food is amazingly good. This was better than most places there! The two brothers working were the absolute sweetest and took great care of us. An absolutely wonderful place for a slow and lazy lunch. GET THE ROSE LEMONADE!! read more

This place has really gone downhill. Years ago, I remember the food being good. But when I returned recently, the food was mediocre, at best. We went on a Sunday and were discouraged from ordering from the menu. The server told us that they only had one cook that day and he was mainly taking care of the buffet today. Okay whatever, we'll try the buffet. It was passable, I guess. Another annoying point was that we had a large group of people (nine) and there wasn't really anywhere for us to sit all together. We ended up sitting near the front door which blasted us with cold every time someone entered. It was uncomfortable seating, as well. Especially, when we had to get up and down to go to the buffet. It was difficult to get in and out. Next time I'm back in town, I think we'll be skipping Aladdin's. It's sad, really. Because I used to really enjoy this place. read more

We were in town for orientation and wanted dinner. Previous visits to Lawrence had resulted in delicious meals and so this night we chose Aladdin. Obviously I should have read Yelp reviews. The young woman who seated us did so with no attempts at "small talk" such as "our special tonight is.." or "Your server will be right with you." or even more importantly, "I'll be your server tonight." So we sat there with our menus and a minute or two later, she sat another couple and then proceed to take their order first. O.K. So she then came to our table and proceeded to take our drink and dinner order. Drinks came out soon enough and were shortly followed by the Halum Cheese appetizer. It wasn't bad, but the Saganaki at the Mad Greek beats it hands down. Then came the soup, which she hadn't mentioned and when she sat it down, we had no idea what it even was. It was tasty, I would go so far to say the best thing that we ended up having. Then out came our meals. My daughter had the Gyro platter and I had the Shawarmah sandwich. Her gyro meat was very over cooked, the seasoned rice had some red sauce on it that was very unpleasant and the cucumber yogurt sauce was so thin it ran off of the pita bread. Speaking of pita bread, three little triangles of it seems rather skimpy. My sandwich was fine, but I had rice on my plate as well as the red sauce. In addition to these items, I had also ordered the tabuoli salad because it is one of my favorites. The first bite I took was like eating a salt lick. Thinking I had just hit a pocket of salty, I stirred it up and tried again; salty. Not just a little salty, but lots of salty. So I pushed it aside to start eating my sandwich. I would tell the server when she stopped back. She never stopped back. Not to refill the drinks. Not to check on our food. Not to pass the time of day since there were only three tables in the restaurant. She only came back, dropped the check and said she would take it when we were ready. So the take away here, stay away. read more

One thing I love about Aladdin Cafe is that you can get some insanely delicious food that isn't all deep-fried and gut-busting. This was a regular for me in Lawrence back in the day, and I love the lentil soup paired up with a gyro & hummus. The soup is always hot, well-seasoned and some of the best around. The gyro isn't that greasy meat like you'd find at a food court -- it's legit, well flavored lamb and beef. Hummus here is some of the best around, particularly the portion of it that has diced jalapenos over the top. For about $5, it's the perfect table app to start off with. The atmosphere is just okay. Scratch that it's GREAT if you love Middle Eastern music videos.. but if you don't like 99% of us, it's kinda strange and sometimes pretty empty. It does make for a nice takeout option if you're not feeling it. read more

This gem became my new favorite place in Lawrence. I had the Lentil soup and the Baba ganoush for starters and Alex our waiter offered me some tea or Rose Lemonade, I went with the tea because I had a sore throat but my friend ordered the Rose Lemonade and it was simply fantastic and refreshing. The soup was excellent, and it hit the spot. For the entree, I ordered the Aladdin Gyro platter and it did not disappoint at all. The rice was very flavourful and everything was just spot on. The meat and the rice came with roasted peppers and carrots that were cooked and seasoned just right and they complimented my meal to perfection. I am definitely a fan of this place. The food was great and the service exceptional. read more

Aladdin Cafe - Aladdin Gyros Platter. ( comes with soup or salad, I highly recommend the Lentil Soup). - Greek Near Me - Lawrence, Kansas

FOOD: A+ Fantastic. Maybe the best Mediterranean food that I have ever eaten. Certainly, I have never had better. Ordered: Hummus, Aladdin's Gyro, Lentil Soup, Beef Biryani, Chicken Kabob, and Baklava. SERVICE: A+ Alex was extremely friendly and kept our water glasses filled while checking in regularly. AMBIENCE: B The decor is not luxurious, but the space is clean, the booths are comfortable, and the atmosphere is quiet enough to easily carry on a conversation. OVERALL: A+ One of my favorite restaurants in Lawrence. read more

The hummus was the highlight of my order and it was delicious. Overall the meal met my expectations.

Yes, another update on Aladdin, this time to remark on the fact that they have the best *rosewater* lemonade I have ever had. Come to think of it, it's the *only* rosewater lemonade I have ever had, but no matter! I've never seen it anywhere before, or I would have ordered it. Over the summer, I'd order the very thirst quenching and delicious raspberry iced tea (just the right amount of sweetener, that is, not *too* sweet). But oh, this rosewater lemonade... To add on to that, I think Aladdin's babaganoush is the best I've ever had. Never been too big a fan of babaganoush, even Sahadi's in Brooklyn (which makes the most most incredible hummus in the world, I daresay), but Aladdin's tastes smokey. Mmmmm! If I may be so crass, hummus, babaganoush and other garlicky Middle Eastern food tends to uh, stay with you all night. I think the rosewater lemonade is practically a digestive. If I may be even *more* crass, I'm burping up roses, people! I cannot believe I am writing that! I feel like Princess Jasmine or something. read more

Why don't I eat at Aladdin Cafe more often? No really, why don't I? It's f-ing great! Aladdin's Cafe makes some of the best middle-eastern/Mediterranean food that I've had in the area. I'm a big fan of their baba ganouj, falafel, and hummus. I typically get a baba ganouj and falafel pita sandwich, which comes with rice and starts with lentil soup. I absolutely love the lentil soup, and it's the perfect start for the meal. I wish I could make lentil soup like this at home. Depending on the group we will sometimes also start with baba ganouj and pita before the soup course. The pita sandwiches themselves are big and tasty, and are conveniently wrapped up on the end with paper so you don't inadvertently drip sauce on your shirt or pants. You will be so focused on eating that this is very likely to happen. Something worth noting -- on a recent trip to Aladdin Cafe, our waitron told me that they do not have a liquor license, but they do allow customers to bring in their own (i.e. wine, beer). So if you have a Syrah that would go great with lamb kabob, bring it with. On a second note, Aladdin Cafe also has hookah for those who are interested. I believe one must use the hookah outside due to the Lawrence smoking ban, but they also operate a small hookah lounge next door, which might comply with technical specifications of the ordinance to allow indoor use. read more

Today was my first visit to Lawrence. I had to know about this Rose Lemonade. It really is exactly that. It's sweet and tart like lemonade but then has this perfumey rose flavor. It was quite unique and I was glad I tried it, but did not fall in love with it. It was actually in a dispenser that you can see as soon was you walk in and it is very pretty: A orange-yellow color. One of my lunch companions said the flavor reminded her of "old lady perfume". Our coffee drinking companion really like the Turkish Coffee. We were intrigued by the Hookah, but not enough to try it. Heard people on the street talking about meeting up there and saw several others using it on that patio though. Looked like fun...but I'm not a smoker even if it is disguised in that genie bottle bong thing. The food... well I took Caitlin's advice since she used to work there and all and ordered everything she recommended. We got the Raja dip (biggest hit), halum (mmm...), and stuffed grape leaves (not impressive) for appetizers. Soft pita bread was provided in addition to the specially flavored pita that comes with the Raja. Falafel and Cauliflower, Dill Chicken Sandwich, a Gyro and Shawarmah Taouk is what we ordered for our main dishes. The falafel was a bit salty for me. The Shawarmah had a grilled flavor and unique potato sauce. No complaints on the Gyro. The Dill Chicken had a good flavor to it. Those meals came with rice and choice of lentil soup or Greek salad. The lentil soup was said to be too bland (and too pureed) but the special hot sauce (it's mainly crushed green pepper) gave it some personality. I put a little of the hot sauce on my salad and it was good on it too. The salad itself was pretty good, mainly the green dressing. It has a tangy vinaigrette flavor, which I happen to enjoy. For dessert we got Tiramisu, Kunafa, and Bakalava. Had I visited the little store in back before ordering the desserts I might have thought twice about ordering them. They are kept in a fridge (for who knows who long and possibly frozen before then) and microwaved prior to serving. The Baklava was so tough it took two people chiseling away just to break it into bite size pieces. The flavor, once cut, wasn't bad but it was too hard. The Kunafa is greasy and not dessert like. I couldn't even finish half of it. The Tiramisu was tolerable but it was covered in chocolate and that can do a lot for dessert. The appetizers were the highlight of the evening. The dessert was the biggest let down...sigh. read more

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On a drive through Kansas, you don't expect good Mediterranean food. Much less a buffet of it, perfectly placed on your road trip route at lunch time. I mean, I think angels were singing when I found we'd make it in time. The buffet was full of fresh pita, creamy hummus, fresh falafel, three different meat dishes, a lentil soup, two different kinds of salad, and rice pudding. They also had baba ganoush (sp?) but that stuff makes me want to hurl so we won't talk about it (not theirs specifically, all of it...I just don't get it). It was the perfect pit stop and worth every bit of the $9-12 they charged us (when I called they said $9.95 but it ended up being a little more than that). It's okay, it was good. And they had Bollywood music videos on so that was entertainment included:) read more

Aladdin Cafe - Lunch buffet!! - Greek Near Me - Lawrence, Kansas

Have been going to Aladdin's Cafe since the current owners converted it from Jerusalem Cafe many years ago. I eat Mediterranean food across the country and this is still some of our favorite anywhere. Carnivores, vegetarians, and omnivores like me have plenty to choose from. Eat at a chain restaurant like the one down the street and then eat the same kind of dish here and they don't even live in the same universe that's who "real" the food at Aladdin's is. Some of our favorites are (forgive the inevitable spelling errors): lentil soup, chicken shawarma(even the Agengers have figured this out!), smoky baba ganoush dip, any of the pita wrap sandwiches (from lamb's meat to vegetarian hummus and felafel), Jasmine combo, halloumi cheese appetizer (baked cheese on dried seasonings), grilled cauliflower dish on saffron rice, grilled lamb strips on hummus, the spinach krass pastry, and on and on it goes. Great ambience, friendly staff, cooks, and owner, just two locations, one here in Lawrence and one in Kansas City near the Med Center. Great family business with dedication to tasty food. read more

Aladdin Cafe - Incredible lentil soup and a view of Mass Street in downtown Lawrence, Kansas. - Greek Near Me - Lawrence, Kansas

Slap me on the wrist cause I've never eaten at Aladin's in KC. I was doing my required walk down Mass Street, one I've done several times. I remembered I'd bookmarked Aladins on Yelp. I walked in, and was immediately seated. There is outside seating as well. i was given a menu, and sat there, trying to decide. I should've gotten the babaganouche. But anyway, there'll be another visit for that. I chose the eggplant parmassean in the pita wrap. I also chose the Greek salad. I don't even like salad. It's useless in my life. I often don't care for the taste of dressing. blech. And soup has no place in my life either. It's another blech. So, I opted for the salad as my side, and decided to try to eat it just once. The dressing wasn't good. It was sour, and tasted like I don't know what...next time, I'll order it without dressing. The pita wrap was good. It had eggplant, and some kind of creamy cheese, with other vegetables. I like eggplant.....why I didn't order babaganouche, I still don't know. The pita bread was fresh and thick. The wrap was worthy of 5 stars, as was the service and decor....uh, hookah pipes, which is fitting for Mass. Street. read more

I love Mediterranean food so the Aladdin is now one of my favorites. Lawrence has at least three really good Mediterranean cafes so I'm really happy because I love Mediterranean food. read more