Mind blowing food -Chicken Shwarma -Beef Kabobs -Barbecue Chicken Pizza -Baba Ganoush read more

Almarah Mediterranean Cuisine - Side salad - Mediterranean Near Me - Austin, Texas

See all

Food is very good, service not so good... I can tell people come for the food alone. The place is nice and has a nice layout. However, I'll think about coming here again because I didn't feel a good vibe with the service. We had to go look for someone to show us the table even though the place was empty for early lunch. Then, to get drinks or even the order was a problem. It took so much longer than usual. Our waitress was rude, and seemed bothered that we showed up. Then someone else came as the waitress and she was preoccupied with other tables and barely checked on us. A regular lunch which would've been one hour became almost two because of the lack of service. My friend had to stand and look for someone to give us a box to take out the good we couldn't eat because it was getting late and also to get the check because No one came in to check on us at all. It was almost like pulling teeth to get a regular service let alone good service. Again, the food was really good, and that alone was the only positive. read more

Almarah Mediterranean Cuisine - Mediterranean Near Me - Austin, Texas

See all

Checked the place out based on Yelp reviews and was absolutely floored. Clean space, friendly staff, quick service, and excellent food! We ordered the half order falafel with hummus, mint lemonade, lamb kabob platter, and beef kabob platter. Everything but the salad came in large Texas style portions. I requested the beef be cooked to medium and the temperature was perfect. Tips: Substitute the tahini in the kabob platters for tzatziki and request garlic sauce on the side. The garlic sauce enhances the flavor of rice. read more

See all

Almarah for my vacay comeback with my son! Lamb chops of course are divine. Service great. Had take out for work for the coming week. Always clean and with friendly, professional staff! read more

See all

Wow! This place is such a gem in Cedar Park. I was honestly pleasantly surprised by how good everything was. The food is super fresh and really tasty. The appetizers were amazing. The cheese rolls are a must, and the cream baklava comes out warm and fresh. The shawarma was a little dry, but the pickles and sauce totally made up for it. The service was great too. Both the host and the server were really kind. The beef kabob plate was very tender, so make sure you order it medium rare. And the hummus might actually be one of the best I've ever had. Total chef's kiss. The place was packed when we got there, so not surprising as to why! Plenty of seating for big parties or to just stop on in, casual and great food! read more

See all

Last time I visited Almarah was in 2019, and a lot has changed in Cedar Park since then. So I wanted to give them another shot to see if they have maintained their quality after all these years since I had some fond memories of their food and service. The interior of the restaurant has undergone a slight makeover, with new lighting, dark blue walls, and new chairs. It's also very clean and well-maintained, so it's clear the staff takes great care of the space. As for the service, the waitstaff was excellent--they frequently checked in with us and ensured our drinks were refilled, so no complaints there. Moving on to the food, my family and I shared a half-order of the Falafel appetizer, which also came with Hummus. The falafel was made to order and incredibly fresh, with a crispy exterior and a crumbly yet moist interior. One common issue with deep-fried foods is that the oil can leave a bitter aftertaste if it's not fresh, but I'm happy to say that wasn't the case here. The falafel's flavor really shone through, with the aromatics standing out. The hummus was smooth and tahini-forward, with less tanginess than I typically prefer. That said, it was still delicious. For my main entrée, I ordered the Gyro plate, which came with pita bread, Greek salad, tzatziki sauce, and basmati rice. The Greek salad was fantastic, the greens and vegetables were fresh, and the dressing paired wonderfully with the olives and feta, offering a nice balance of salty and acidic flavors. The pita bread was baked fresh, with a slightly crisp exterior and a light, airy interior. The basmati rice had light notes of turmeric and garlic, though I would've preferred just a touch less oil and a bit more salt. The gyro itself was excellent--the ground beef and lamb were moist, rich, and perfectly charred. It was also seasoned generously with garlic and onions, and the tzatziki sauce provided a nice acidic contrast to balance out the richness of the gyro. Overall, I can definitely see why this place is still popular. The staff is friendly, the food and portion sizes are great, and after all these years, they're still delivering excellent quality. I'm honestly surprised I haven't come here more often. read more

See all

Absolutely phenomenal service and great food, the salad has the best dressing the reminds me of back home, the rice the beef the chicken moist and tender! Omar is a great host providing us with some complimentary baklava for our first time and since we drove from Dallas he made it special, thank you everyone great restaurant to come to, they offer 100% zabiha Halal food here so not to worry on ordering anything. read more

The restaurant is tastefully decorated with a classical middle eastern vibe and spacious seating. The menu card is huge, filled with mouthwatering pictures of the dishes. However, I was unimpressed by the food and service. While everything we ordered was freshly made, it lacked the sauces that make these dishes flavorful. The falafel sandwich was extremely dry, served with a bitter tahini sauce. When asked if they had mayo or any other sauces, the server said he'll check on it but didyeven come back with an update. I have had better falafel wraps at local food tucks and will be choosing those over this restaurant. read more

See all

After two hours of fitness, I worked up a huge appetite. Thus, I thought a "to go" Mediterranean wrap would hit the spot. I ordered a Shawarma chicken wrap that I thought I could eat on the way home. First time at Almarah...it's near my gym. Inside the restaurant is airy, spacious with a Mediterranean feel. It reminded me a bit of restaurants in Istanbul. There was one customer up front who was super friendly. I asked how was he doing and replied, "I'm great because the food hear is great. It's so good I ate hear for lunch and now I'm back for dinner." Wow...that was a huge green flag. My order was literally ready in 10 minutes. The wrap was so huge I decided to wait until I got home to share it with my husband. We both enjoyed the wrap as it was tasty and quite filling. Almarah was great dining experience and we will definitely be returning. read more

See all

A decent middle eastern spot. They have lunch menu from 11-3 M-F. We stopped by on a Friday for lunch and i got the chicken shawarma sandwich with side of Fatoosh salad and hubby got the lamb shawarma sandwich with Greek salad. Their bread is spectacular & the size of the sandwich is BIG. The sandwich can easily be split into two meals. Both our sandwiches were flavorful. The fatoosh salad was a little overly tossed in the lemon olive oil dressing the lettuces were mostly all soft. The Greek salad was light and just needed a tad bit of salt. Overall it's a good spot to grab food and try different middle eastern menu items. I have tried few in the areas and by far this spot was our favorite. read more

See all

We went here on Saturday mid-afternoon for linner. There were no diners when we got there so we were seated immediately. The server got our drink orders and then we proceeded to order our entrees. Next thing we know our server leaves for the evening without advising us of the shift change and our entrees come out but our drinks are no where to be found. We ask our new server when we should expect our drinks at which point he asks us again for our choices. Finally when our food and drinks arrive we start enjoying our meal which were the lamb and been kebab plate, pizza and falafel appetizers. The food was decent but nothing special. However during our entire dining experience the wait staff never came to refill our drinks or provide additional napkins until we asked for it. Its unfortunate that a decent Mediterranean restaurant had such poor service that I would never seek out this restaurant again. read more

Almarah Mediterranean Cuisine - Falafel Half and side salad - Mediterranean Near Me - Austin, Texas

My wife and I came into Almarah for the first time for lunch. It was a Saturday Afternoon, around 2:30 PM. The restaurant was not busy at all at this time and we got sat right away. The ambience was warm and the restaurant is a good size with plenty of space between tables. Definitely good for groups of 4 or more. The service we received was okay. The young waitress was not very attentive--only when we placed our order, was brought our food and paid our check, no drink refills or checking in throughout. Regarding our food, to start we ordered the "Hummus," it was a delicious start to the meal, and the pita bread it was served with was so delicious and soft, we could have eaten many baskets of it! For my entree I ordered the "Beef and Lamb Shawerma" Plate: Marinated and grilled strips of lamb and beef, served with basmati rice, tahini sauce, Greek salad and baked pita bread. The quality of the food during this visit was also just okay. It honestly didn't taste fresh when we received it. It wasn't horrible either though--the meat was mostly tender, but along with the rice it came out lukewarm, as if it had been sitting a bit before being brought to our table. The pita and hummus were definitely delicious, highlights of the meal. Overall it was an okay visit, not sure if we'd come back or not. Maybe we'll give it a try if we're in the area again. read more

See all

Wow!! Hurry here and try their lunch specials! Lovely decor, friendly folks, and delicious food - the Trifecta! The chicken shawarma and humus were especially outstanding!! read more

Almarah Mediterranean Cuisine - Simple but pleasing decor - Mediterranean Near Me - Austin, Texas

See all

Service was great, Mohammed was prompt with service . Food was okay, chicken shawarma was just a tad bit dry. Really loved the flavor of the basmati rice and hummus . Went there for dinner on a Sunday night and there was no wait, place was clean and ambiance was good ! read more

Great experience at Almara! Cozy ambiance and authentic Mediterranean food. I tried the mixed grill platter and an amazing $12.99 deal with beef or gyro chicken, fries or salad, and a drink. Also loved the hummus, baba ghanoush, falafel, and the refreshing mint margarita. Desserts baklava and kunafa were delicious. Definitely recommend! read more

Almarah Mediterranean Cuisine - Mediterranean Near Me - Austin, Texas

We returned back to Almarah and had another great experience! The staff were so great! Knowledgeable about the menu, spices and flavors. The restaurant was busy but the staff were very quick and on top of everything! Our table had a variety of foods which included: hummus and pita bread, gyros, beef plate, chicken plate and also falafel! Everything was fresh and delicious! This is a must try spot! We will continue to come here! read more

See all

Fantastic food with huge selection of fvegetarian dishes, and very friendly manager. Highly recommend this place.!

This wonderful place hasn't disappointed yet. The service today was exceptional. Omar was great! We ordered kibbe, falafel, tabouli, baba ghanoush, chicken shawarma; mint tea, two kinds of baklava, harissa, and ghoriba. It was all amazing. We were so full and content. Looking forward to next time. read more

I ordered chicken kabob dinner plate and kofta kabob lunch special. The kofta kabob was undercooked and raw in the middle, yecch. Chicken was well cooked but lacking in flavor. I called to complain about the kofta kabob and Denise said I can have cash back or re-cook. I had already lost my appetite after a mouthful of raw meat so I said cash back but later in the pm. I went back at 7 pm and asked about the cash back and the young man at the register offered to give $1.99 and said that's what the kofta kabob itself is worth and the hummus and salad is what is expensive and accounts for the rest of the$16.99 price. I told him to keep the money as he seemed to need it much more than I do. Pretty small minded if you ask me. So end of story, I got two mouthfuls of bad taste, one for the food and one for the service. I'll not be asking for a third taste. read more

Fantastic menu with many hard to find options. Ordered a number of appetizers as well as main courses and everything was delicious.

We ordered mint tea, lamb kabobs plate, chicken kabobs plate, and a half order of hummus and bread. The tea came first which we were not expecting at an Arab restaurant we would have liked it at the end of the meal. The salad was okay but the lettuce was so plain I wish that was elevated with something beyond the worst and flavorless iceberg lettuce you have seen. We were surprised to see such large plates with such little meat and rice- presentation could've been better, and for price point, I'm used to more meat. The flavor of the chicken was so good, but the lamb was very dry and didn't have good taste. Service was also quite slow and we got the bread after our entrees, but I was just sitting and waiting for the bread to eat the meal, and they forgot about the hummus we ordered so they brought it out after the main items, which again, weird, and also the hummus did not taste the best. Good design inside the place, but not the best food for sure read more

After seeing a promising post on IG, I rushed to DoorDash to order that delicious looking chicken...sadly it was overcooked/dry and flavorless. As a chef I absolutely hate spending money on food that disappoints. The salad was huge, dressing was nice and the Dolmas were delicious! I can't speak on the customer service obviously since I ordered through DoorDash but the food looks great so I'm open to giving them another shot. Great price for the portions they give but that chicken pissed me off so bad the way it was described on IG hyped it up! Said it was flavorful with roasted onions etc. nothing as described. But again the portions are great and I want to try the other dishes read more

See all

My partner and I were excited to try this place but it was nothing special. The food looked better than it tasted and was not very flavorful. We had the mint lemonade, the chicken wings, mixed platter and musakhan. We ordered the baba ghanoush, but it never came out so we ended up cancelling. The service was extremely slow and took a long time for food to arrive. The waiters were friendly but took very long to bring food and take orders. The inside was nicely decorated and the seats were comfortable. But probably never returning. read more

See all

We just grubbed down on the family meal that was an infinite feast of yumminess! Silky babaganoush, bright tabouli, super-yummy hummus, moist falafels, punchy salad, fresh puffy pitas... and that was just to start. Then came a huge tray covered in freshly baked pita stuffed with steaming rice, chicken & beef kabobs & lamb koftas. We literally used steak knives to cut into the main dish. Our server was the sweetest young man I forgot his name but he made our amazing dinner even better! Best time to eat here for us is Sunday evenings. No big parties to rearrange chairs and tables just a chill beautiful atmosphere. read more

I hate writing this review but feel the need to be honest about my experience. Had lunch with a friend, for the first time yesterday, at Almarah. We asked for our hummus appetizer to be served first and requested that our lunch specials come out later. Our server brought everything out together, instead. When we reminded her we wanted lunch specials to come later, she shrugged and walked away. The lunch special was cold by the time we got to it, very disappointing. I don't understand why the server didn't offer to take the specials back to warm them up but she didn't. We asked for coffee and were told you only have expresso. For those who don't drink expresso, that was disappointing. My friend decided to try it but when it was served she was told we don't have cream or milk. At that point, we made the decision to leave. Our server never asked if we wanted dessert. We just assumed you didn't have any. A server should be trained to offer options and discuss choices and consider the customer's needs. Our server didn't do any of the above. She wasn't rude, just seemed poorly trained and uninterested. I think, if you want to stay in business, you have to consider the customer's needs and try to honor their simple requests for warm food and a shot of milk in their coffee! I've lived in Austin for decades and never seen anything like this. I understand now why the restaurant was empty. read more

We had a large party, so we ordered family platters at the suggestion of Abraham (the owner). Amazing lamb chops, beef, chicken and rice all cooked to perfection under a layer of homemade bread. We also had appetizers and dessert and Turkish coffee. Delicious! No one left hungry! The service was excellent and the owner was very accommodating. We were seated in a private room that had TV's with Arabic music. Everyone in our party had a great time! We will definitely be back! read more

Almarah Mediterranean Cuisine - Family platter after the bread topper was removed. Included shrimp, beef, lamb chops, chicken and rice. Delicious! - Mediterranean Near Me - Austin, Texas

Food quality is always fresh and delicious! The staff are wonderful and authentic. I love to end my meal with baklava which is the best! We love this reataurant! read more

Awesome authentic, and interesting food choices, and the service was fantastic. Nice ambiance, roomy open plan seating.

3pm middle of the week, the staff acted like it was 9am and they hadn't opened yet. Weird smell upon entry. Two female employees sitting at a table, and no one greets incoming customers. After I finally get someone to input my order, she walks off to go back to texting on her phone before I can get the receipt. I won't be back and would not recommend. read more

Excellent service. Options were great. The servers were so kind. You can try everything on the menu and it is 10 out of 10. Ambience was nice and family friendly. read more

We absolutely love this Mediterranean spot and have already been almost 10 times this year! The food quality and portion sizes are fantastic for the price, and the service is always spot on. With so many great options, we'll definitely keep coming back! The Musakhan Plate is my favorite!!!! So flavorful. read more

See all

Delicious gyros and hummus. An authentic Mediterranean experience. Rhese are probably the best gyros you can find in Austin. Service was impeccable and prices were reasonable. We will xome back to try other items on the menu. read more

Hands down - one of the best Mediterranean food I've ever had ! I couldn't take pics but I'm sure to visit again and add pics. It's a bit high priced but totally worth it. We tried the combination shawarma plate and chicken shawarma plate and the portion size were good. Ambiance was good, though we had takeouts. There was ample seating and the front desk staff were nice . Service was on time for the takeout order, haven't tried dine-in . One of the best in the area! read more

The interior is charming, makes you feel like you are in a Mediterranean or Italian country. The food was just okay. We ordered potato as an appetizer and they came out after our meal. I was looking forward to falafel, it came out last and was so over cooked I was barely able to cut it, when I put my fork in it it crumbled. We really wanted to love this place but it just wasn't for us. read more

Was recommended this place by a friend native to North Africa. The food was good, the decor was classy, but the service was weird. Before we even sat, the server asked us what we wanted to eat. It was 6:30 on a Saturday so they weren't trying to close up or anything. We told him we needed a few minutes to look at the menu, which he had not even handed us yet. He came back with the menu and again asked us what we wanted. We again told him we needed to actually LOOK at the menu. He walked away and came back with a broom. He swept around us while we looked over the menu. Other folks came in and were seated. We placed our order shortly after that. I really enjoyed the food but probably won't go back. Idk what that guy's problem with is was but I hope he has decided that the service industry is not his ministry. read more

Great food, we love that they are open late! Kaseem, the new manager is super friendly and helpful with the menu!!

Friendly staff checked on us several times. Refilled water without asking, checked if we needed anything else. Loved how big the place was and the chairs were comfortable. You can eat outside as well. Food was fast and flavorful. Wished the tzatziki sauce wasn't as liquidy and the rice had more flavor. However, portions were a good amount, service was great, and place was clean. read more

See all

We picked up to go and they were very nice and brought the food outside for us versus making us go inside (immunocompromised) We have dined at Almarah for years but this is the first time we have gotten to go. The portions were very small. I don't remember thinking that during dine in so maybe it was a limitation of their containers, but it was absolutely noticeable. I give the meal 3 stars and the service 5 stars so rounding the overall experience to 4. read more

See all

Wonderful vibe with nice music, great variety of food including desserts, and tasty cuisine. My entire family went for dinner and they accommodated seating. read more

I realllly wanted to love this place! I hd very high hopes. I grew up with Lebanese and Persian food around Southern California so i was dying to try this place. The waitress didnt seem top interested, after sitting with empty glasses for over 15 minutes we asked a young man to refill my husband and sons drinks. We ordered gyro and shawarma sandwiches which according to their menu came with fries or salad. Neither was provided. They say they have a beef and lamb shawarma plate but there was no lamb. Prices on the photos online of the menu have changed also None of the food came out at the same time. Everyone had their food with the exception of my sons pizza which came out about 30 minutes after everyone elses food like it had been forgotten. The manager did offer us desserts on the house for that but doesnt change the fact that other than 1 other family who was there before us, the place was empty. Food tasted mediocre at best, we wont be back read more