We've been hitting up Mediterranean restaurants like nobody's business on this leg of our spring…read morebreak, in part because of our proximity to many, and in part because my progeny and I are currently obsessed with babaganoush in its many variations. For this particular dinner, we were also focused on finding a truly vegetarian friendly restaurant where we could take our dear friends. Kabobji was a wonderful choice for vegetarians, omnivores, and carnivores alike. It's a large restaurant with plenty of booths and large tables for gathering with friends and family. Someone I suspect to be an owner was working hard alongside his wait staff and displayed a sense of genuine hospitality. Above all, the restaurant has a rock solid kitchen. The falafel ($13.99 / 5 pieces) here were ****STELLAR****!!! They're shaped like Indian medu vada (fried with a hole in the middle), probably for the same reason: to allow as much of the surface to fry to that perfect golden crisp as possible. And Kabobji's falafel were, in fact, awesomely crisp and well textured, made from soaked chickpeas in the traditional style, perfectly sized, nuanced and subtle in flavor -- some of the best we can remember having. (For reference, we love Nish Nush and Tanoreen for falafel in NYC -- and I think our neighborhood must be one of the major international epicenters for falafel.) Also excellent: the baba ghannouj ($10.99 for the small size), just a bit chunky, enriched with a lot of tahini, a moderate amount of garlic, a touch of lemon. This is how we like to make it at home. The vegetable ghallaba platter ($20.99) was simply made with thinly sliced onions and bell peppers, a small amount of zucchini, I think, and a touch of tomato. I would've loved to have had a spritz of lemon or sprinkle of sumac for a more acidic component, perhaps a little less onion. Note that this dish works better as a main course when accompanied by something protein-y like hummus, but it was pleasant to eat alongside our other orders. A convive, who went with the mixed shawarma platter ($27.99), found it to be a generous portion size and enjoyed it, especially with a side of well composed fattoush salad (+$5.99 to upgrade). Beef shish kebab ($14.99) and lamb shawarma ($15.99) wraps were both excellent and moist, a good balance of protein and vegetable. I didn't try them, but the "cheese pies" ($12.99) turned out to be pitas covered with a large amount of melty white cheese that some young children might enjoy as pizza. (Mine probably would've found them to be "too cheesy," but they're mutants.) They came three to an order. When you dine in, they bring a big basket of warm pita / pida to the table -- quite a generous touch!! I think it's house made and of course went beautifully with our food. Bottom line: GREAT FALAFEL! Great, low-key, family-friendly vibe. Good for vegetarians and non-vegs. Go.

I love this place! I remember when I was 26 I came here once's and I felt in love! Come and enjoy!…read moreYou're going to loveeeeeeeeeeeeeee it!

This was a great late night spot for food. It was fast and tasty. The service was nice as well. The…read morekafta sandwich and chicken shawarma tasted good, but the sauce definitely helped and added flavor. I'll definitely be back again for a late night snack.

Looking for a good lunch spot on Bird Road you should give Lebanese Guys a try. We had great fresh…read morefalafel wraps and fries. It was definitely worth the stop.

Terrible place with zero respect for customers. We called ahead to ask if they could prepare food…read morefor us, and they confirmed that they could. The restaurant is listed as closing at 10 PM, so we arrived at 8:50 PM. When we got there, we were told they wouldn't make anything because the chefs had already left. How does that even make sense? Why say one thing over the phone and then do the complete opposite in person? The staff is unprofessional and rude, and clearly doesn't care about their guests. It honestly feels like no one there wants to work. I do not recommend this place under any circumstances. If you don't want to waste your time and nerves, stay away.

Food was amazing! Our service was top tier. The experience and friendliness were second to none.read more

I stumbled upon this place accidentally for lunch today, and what an amazing find!…read more Had the Uzbek bread, dumpling soup, meat, pies, noodles, and seriously the best Turkish style liver I've ever had. Inside is very clean and well decorated. Everything is super fresh, and the flavors are very well balanced. You can tell the chef puts heart and soul into the food.

If I were to do this again, I'd go back for more of the Uzbek dishes, specifically, since it's a…read morecuisine that's harder for us to come by, the kitchen seems to do these very well, and the non-Uzbek dishes we tried were of mixed success. The menu is a melange of Russian, Turkish, Uzbek, and generically Mediterranean offerings. To start, we had the Mediterranean-leaning "combo platter" with baba ghanoush, hummus, and tzatziki ($16) and the Russian-leaning herring with potatoes ($15; "tomato, cucumber, carrot, mushroom, cabbage, kimchi"). These were so-so. The baba ghanoush and hummus were both extremely smooth, almost whipped in consistency, almost unpleasantly salty. (We love salt and don't shy away from it at all -- but this was excessive.) I personally love a few chunks of eggplant in my baba ghanoush (like a beautiful Jordanian version I had earlier in the day from a stand in Aventura Mall) and a lot more tahini in my hummus, but of course these are stylistic differences / preferences. Tzatziki was very garlicky. The combo came with sliced cucumbers and a bit of pita -- but not anywhere near enough for our family. We did end up eating the surfeit of spreads with our main courses, so all ended well. Herring with potatoes was nothing like the menu description. Instead, it came with, yes, just pickled herring and roasted potatoes (and a huge, huge mound of thinly sliced raw onion, a few sprigs of parsley, a sprinkle of dill, a sliver of lemon). The baby potatoes were nicely roasted, but the pickled herring was quite mediocre, a touch mushy, and almost certainly not prepared in-house. The only distinctively Uzbek dish we tried was the Fried Lagman ($19; "stir-fried hand-pulled noodles in a mix of beef and vegetables, served with eggs"). I can't speak to its authenticity, but it was made with well-textured noodles topped by tender, well seasoned beef, bell peppers, grape tomatoes, and very thinly slivered omelette. The progeny who ordered it enjoyed it very much. Beef shawarma ($19; "cooked on a vertical grill, served in pita bread with tomato, cucumber, lettuce, yogurt sauce, and spices, with French fries on the side") was beautifully presented, a generous portion of thickly-sliced meat wrapped in a very thin layer of flatbread (lavash and not pita?) with a crisscross grill pattern. The Beef Kebab ($24; served with french fries and tomato sauce) was moist and tender, well seasoned. I think the slightly bland tomato sauce was meant for dipping, but the beef didn't need any accoutrements. Fries were fair, either undersalted or not salted at all. I wish we'd held on to the ketchup that had been served with the fries that came with the shawarma. The grilled branzino ($38) was nicely prepared, a medium-sized (about 1 lb) fish beautifully grilled and drizzled with reduced balsamic, served with salad, rice and a side of lemon. The skin was crisp, the fish fresh. Note that food is brought out as it's prepared and some mains may come more quickly than others. We didn't have a huge problem with this as our manners free family is under orders to eat food when it arrives, while it's hot, rather than to wait until everyone's food arrives. Also, we generously poach from one another's plates, and the last one to get her food hadn't been all that hungry for dinner to begin with. The eat-it-as-it-arrives policy turned out to be a good one since the lag time between arrival of the first main and arrival of the last was about 40 minutes. The first few to receive their meals would've had to eat their food stone cold. Sim Sim doesn't serve alcohol, but does have a beautiful tea service and hookah, and allows diners to BYOB without corkage. (All the Russian diners around us seem to have gone the BYOB route and ordered a hookah, which we also didn't see advertised in house.) It's in a strip mall as most restaurants are in this part of Florida, but has pleasant-enough outdoor and indoor seating areas. The outdoor seating is beach style. Think: white plastic chairs and tables. There was a single low wooden Uzbek style dining table on a platform outdoors and perhaps one indoors as well, IIRC. Our wait staff was very pleasant. One server gently pushed salad and Uzbek bread on us, which we declined, but sort of wish we hadn't after watching nearby diners who were probably of Uzbek descent. We're dining with vegetarians on our remaining days in the area, who wouldn't have enough protein options here, but do wish we had time for a return visit. Bookmarked for our next trip.

A nice, pleasant and intimate Turkish restaurant that cusomized my liver dish due to my allergy,…read morehas really awesome doner and islander dishes. Family run, everyone was great and accommodating. I would be there everyday if we lived in Miami.

Nice people. Extraordinary food. Close to the beach, but away from the noise…read more Stopped to eat before heading to the airport. The spicy ezme was a delicious start. My chicken wrap was a perfect lunch. I dipped my french fries in the ezme. Great idea. We ordered the Pasha Kebab with Lamb. It was tender and flavorful. The grilled eggplant sauce that it nestles in was amazing. Happy bellies. All the stars.

Highly recommend chebureki only at Oasis Good price ,…read moreexcellent service. Take you chance to get there to try it

I ordered the khinkali, and while the flavor was good, the ground meat filling contained an…read moreexcessive amount of cartilage. Finding hard, chewy pieces occasionally can happen, but it occurred often enough that it noticeably affected the texture throughout the meal. At times I was picking cartilage out while eating, which took away from the experience. Whether this is an oversight in preparation or part of the meat blend they are using, it points to a quality-control issue with how the ground meat is handled. The kitchen needs to do a better job trimming and preparing the meat before grinding and serving it. Aside from that, the service from the waiter was excellent, truly 5-star, but this issue kept me from rating the overall experience higher.

This Israeli restaurant is fantastic! I had the assado pita, and it was absolutely…read moredelicious--juicy, flavorful, and perfectly seasoned. The fresh ingredients and warm pita made every bite a delight. Great service and a cozy atmosphere. Highly recommend!

Five stars, and I'm saying that confidently, even though the rice at a place literally called Rice…read morewas, ironically, the most disappointing part of the meal. And yes, I know how wild that sounds. But hear me out, because this experience was about way more than just what was on the plate. From the moment we walked in, the energy was warm, welcoming, and honestly infectious. The staff made us feel like regulars even though it was our first time. There was laughter, conversation, and this genuine sense that the people working there actually enjoy being there. That alone already sets Rice apart. And then there was Joanne. I'm pretty sure that was her name, but even if it wasn't, she knows exactly who she is. Absolute queen behavior. She welcomed us like family, checked in on us, brought the food to the table with pride, and somehow made a casual dinner feel like a VIP experience. That level of hospitality is rare, and it deserves recognition. Service alone was a perfect five out of five. Now let's talk food honestly. The meats were very good. Flavorful, well cooked, satisfying, and clearly the strong point of the menu. Everything came out quickly, which I appreciated, and overall the meal felt solid. The rice, however, was a bit of a letdown. I would honestly rate it around a five out of ten, which stung a little given the name of the restaurant. It wasn't inedible, just underwhelming, and it stood out because everything else was better. Would it stop me from enjoying the meal? No. Would I hope they improve it? Absolutely. The restaurant itself has a modern feel overall. The restroom was clean, which always matters, even if it felt a bit outdated. No bad smells, no mess, just clearly maintained, and that counts for a lot in my book. Pricing wise, this is where I paused for a second. I'm from Los Angeles, and the prices here felt very competitive with LA. Portion sizes were also similar to what I'm used to back home. Miami overall has felt slightly more affordable during this trip, so this spot landed more on the higher end for me. That said, the nonstop to go orders told me everything I needed to know. People clearly love this place, and they keep coming back. At the end of the day, Rice earns five stars because of the people, the atmosphere, and the way they make you feel when you're there. Not every meal has to be perfect to be memorable. Sometimes it's the warmth, the laughter behind the counter, and the way you're treated that makes a place worth supporting. I may think twice if the rice stays the same, but I walked out smiling, and that says a lot. If you value great service, good energy, and flavorful Mediterranean food with heart, Rice is absolutely worth a visit.

I'd been wanting to try Rice for a while, since I love the concept of a Mediterranean build-a-bowl…read more(and feel that South FL has lacked options for it compared to other large metro areas). I finally made it in and unfortunately, left a little disappointed. It's possible I just ordered poorly, but the chicken I chose for my protein (I believe it's called the "slow-cooked chicken") was shredded a little too finely for my liking and had a hard-to-describe flavor I don't typically associate with Mediterranean food. Also, it was served at a tepid temperature, further diminishing the experience. I'll return for one of the cubed meats, or perhaps the snapper; they looked decent and might be the way to go here.

Everything food, service & ambiance amazing, any day of the week…read more Happy hrs are lovely Def recommend the outside patio in the Florida winter months

If you're looking for the very best, truly authentic Turkish food, you absolutely must try the food…read moreat Sumak Restaurant, the food is so good! This was our first time here and Ahmet, our server, took great care of us. We weren't familiar with all the dishes on the menu, but he took his time going over the menu with us, made great recommendations on dishes to try, and just provided us with great service overall. We started our lunch with two glasses of red wine from Turkey and the wine was truly spectacular. It was light yet full of aroma and flavor and went perfectly with our meal. Highly recommend trying a glass of wine you can't find anywhere else on a menu. We ordered the Turkish Pozza from the lunch menu to share and it was one of the best dishes I've ever had. It was truly one of a kind and I'll be back just for this dish, it was so good. Super thin, perfectly crispy pizza, topped with finely ground beef, onions, tomatoes, and parsley it was so full of flavor it was absolutely delicious. For lunch, the pizza was only $10 too, what a great price for a truly special dish. All I have to say is, try it, you won't be disappointed! For our meal we ordered the chicken shish kabob served with rice and it was also very good. The chicken was a little charred which I really liked. We also ordered a side of asparagus to go with our meal and it was delicious as well. For desert I usually stick to Baklava since it's one of my favorites but our server really recommended the homemade Kunefe and the Turkish Mariah Ice Cream and told us we had to try them together so we decided to try something different. The deserts came out topped with a little bit of pistachio and they were also one of the best deserts I've ever had. They should be served together on the menu because our server was right they went perfectly together. The ice cream was special in of itself, I've never had ice cream made from goat milk, but it was so good, you have to try it as well. It had a thicker, more stretchy texture to it, than regular ice cream and wasn't as sweet which I loved and it was just absolutely amazing. We didn't even know it was made from goat milk till after we tried it, I'm so happy we did. The Kunefe was really good as well, it arrived warm, and the crispy shredded phyllo dough was coated in sweet syrup and went perfectly with the ice cream. Perfectly balancing each other. Highly recommend. Overall, I was really impressed with the food at Sumak Restaurant and I look forward to returning another day soon!

With so many Israeli restaurants opening in the area it's hard to really find something that…read moreactually feels like Israel.. this is a place you call home. You walk in and there's generations of photos on the walls and employees that have been there since day 1. Food is always consistent and that's not something you come by these days. Salads are loaded on the table like you walked into an Israeli grandmas house and you can't beat the price for what you get. Screw the mainstream places that charge an arm and a leg that don't even bring you back to your roots. Go and enjoy what it's really like to feel well fed and at home

After our JCC gym classes, a group of us women headed over to this little hole in the wall that one…read moreof us highly recommended for their lemonade called Lemonanna - to go for. We arrived and there was a wait but it's a small little place so we waited outside until another group of people came and started smoking so we went inside ... When we saw that one of the tables was available and there was really no place to stand, one of us went over to start to sit down (as a solution) and the waitress whose name was Lulli or Lolli started yelling at us telling us that she had to clean first and I said yeah, but there's no place for stand and she yelled that we had to wait. Now, if you've been to Israel, you'll know that people are pretty rude. Kind of nasty they yell at each other we all know and accept it. And you kind of expect it if you go to an Israeli restaurant coz you're gonna get treated poorly. They act like you're bothering them. Of course it's not true of all Israeli restaurants but it's a generalization that's pretty spot on. Once you do get seated and she calms her ass down, you order the most amazing lemonade with fresh lemon, mint, and blended with ice that is to perfection. There's a spread already on the table of small little salads, chickpeas, carrots a lot of cabbage beets etc , to pick on while you're choosing from the extensive Israeli food on the menu . They have all the great Middle Eastern foods that you'll find in Israel . The hummus, the baba ghanoush, the falafel, the amazing is really salad with all the fresh herbs and the delicious fresh ingredients. Five of us spent about $22 each and had the best time despite our waitress and the leaky ceiling and the pretty dingy decor , but that's why we come here. Oh, and the tip is included in the price, which is probably why your waitress doesn't give a damn if you like her or not. We will be returning here for that Lemonanna and overlook Loli or whatever her name was.