Would not recommend. Came in with my husband to try a new place since we always go to the same or similar places and was seated quickly by our server as there was no one inside except 3 people at the bar. Whom I assume was the owner or manager manned the bar, and kept the 3 people at the bar entertained with laughter. I ordered the lamb plate while my husband ordered a gyro plate. After the 15-20 minute wait our food came out and my order was completely wrong. I waived down the owner/manager and said "get ma'am are you the owner" and she said "well I wouldn't be behind the bar", which threw me because that's not what I asked you. I immediately said to the waiter to cancel my order. She didn't apologize or say anything else but yelled out to the server, "hurry up and make sure the chef doesn't make the lamb chops". Then she went back to entertaining the people at the bar and the chef (middle eastern man) came from the back and started hugging the bar attendants. Mind you our server was new so I wasn't too upset by his mistake, my issue was how she handled this situation by making me feel as if my dollar wasn't worthy and I can almost guarantee it was because of my race because there was no one inside who looked like me. But she had her nose inch high up into the other people's behinds. I left hungry and highly disappointed with the treatment, keep any follow up apologies or "we can do better", "hope you come back"... I wouldn't dare step foot inside again, you don't treat people in this manner... ever. And spare me because you have a cook in the back who is black, I wouldn't recommend this place to anyone with melanin in their skin. Never coming back. read more

Horrible, had a pick-up order, said food would be ready at 7 (ordered food around 6:30) waited for 45 minutes to get my foo. When I got it the pizza was cold and the taziki sauce was flavorless. Do not Recommend read more

Terrible service. Place is old and musty. Probably mold. Very dirty. No sense of Customer service. Ceiling leaky. read more

Arabesque - Mediterranean Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

When I saw the menu I knew I had to come and try them out. Service was excellent, everyone was friendly && the restaurant is beautiful. Amazing food. Lamb chops was on point! Make sure to ask for extra glaze ;) We had tabouli salad, kufta (beef), & New Zealand lamb chops. For the drinks, we just had pink lemonade & sweet tea :) read more

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The food was pretty descent. The best and most favorite was their hummus and Naan, everything else didn't make the cut. Served us more rice and vegetables than meat. The service was amazing. Our waiter was amazing, he was very tentative but not overwhelming. The ambience was very welcoming and clean too. The pricing was a little higher than ither businesses. I will definitely be going there again, but just for hummus and naan. read more

Holy smoke!!! Specials tonight were seafood ravioli with a pesto sauce and a seared yellow tail tuna over rice and salad. My wife and I ordered both because we couldn't decide. Both dishes were ABSOLUTELY OUTSTANDING! Staff and bar service is over the top!! read more

Everything I've tried has been amazing!! Service is great. Food is phenomenal and they make a delicious raspberry martini! Highly recommend to give this place a try if you haven't.. read more

Amazing food. Good service. Lamb and appetizer sampler made the entire experience. Comfortable dining. Covid safe preparations. Great experience. Beautiful presentation of the sampler for two. We added the lamb skewers to get that extra authentic taste. A HUGE damascus bread piping hott, had me kissing keto goodbye. Generous portions of chicken, beef, and lamb came out on the tray. Dim lighting makes this a great place to have an intimate night out. Nothing has really changed here since covid. The appetizer platter has babaganoush, hummus, falafel and stuffed grape leaves. From inside on a cold novemeber day, it definitely felt like we had been transported to Morocco or Lebanon from right here in Columbia. The menu is huge but if you are not sure what you want, get these two samplers. It's perfect for two people and makes a memorable meal. The only reason it isnt 5 stars is that they had an extremely limited beverage supply. No sours, no porters, no lagers, and no stouts. We were able to get our drink fix later in the evening but I think good drinks would have made dinner that much better. Definitely check them out. Ps- always stop for a second to admire the chalk art on thier entry board. It is always a beautiful disney character that last 4-5 times I have been in. Someone with real talent must put that up there every week or so. When I'm in that strip mall, I have walked the extra few steps to check it out just to see what they have created for that week. read more

Good food, authentic Lebanese, but the tea was not! I ordered the hummus and tabouli with chicken. The hummus was seasoned well with lots of tahini! The tabouli was very flavorful and the chicken chunks topping it were juicy and had great grilled flavor. I also tried the pistachio cake and it was nice even though I don't like sponge cake. I ordered the hot Lebanese tea. I was brought a cup of super long steeped black tea. It was SO BITTER!!!' read more

Authentic middle eastern food, good location, comfortable Al around. One of my favorite places in Columbia, good food and good service every time. . read more

I wanted to have some authentic Lebanese food and I ordered a kefta with salad. They brought me a regular burger patty. I was very disappointed. You only need to add spices to the ground meat... I made my own today. read more

Arabesque - My homemade kefta burgers. - Mediterranean Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

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Great food, Grace our server was hilarious and very helpful with our dish choices. I've always wanted to try this place and so glad I got to! read more

I love Arabic food, and as such, I love Arabesque. You can't go wrong with the chicken shawarma. Their grape leaves taste very delicious, and the bread and hummus/baba ghanoush is great as well. read more

This was surprisingly food. I have rode past this restaurant for years and always wanted to try. It was worth the stop. The staff was friendly and greeted as soon as I walked thru the door. Dealing with quarantine I was unable to enjoy the restaurant experience but as soon as it's lifted I definitely will sit down and enjoy the Experience. read more

Arabesque - Outside of restaurant - Mediterranean Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

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Very cool ambiance with pillows in the booths to make it feel like a more authentic Middle Eastern atmosphere. Parking lot is kinda tiny but that can't be helped considering the area. All of the food was delicious and our server was very friendly and helpful with providing details on different dishes. I noticed some items came out slight different than described on the menu. For example the entrees said they came with rice but instead it came with some really tasty potatoes instead. No complaints because I preferred those anyway! Portions were generous, I'll be having the leftovers for lunch today! read more

My husband and I went in on a whim for dinner and we are so glad that we did! The food was absolutely delicious! We had the Damascus bread, pizza and fettuccini Alfredo with chicken. Everything was flavorful, rich, and seasoned perfectly. Our waitress Brittyn was excellent and the food came out quickly. We will go back very soon. read more

This gem was one of the first restaurants my wife and I visited when we moved to SC. It is our go-to for Mediterranean food. The hooka bar was a great experience; I was saddened when it was closed after the pandemic. The atmosphere and service have always been exceptional when we visited. There was one incident a few years ago when we ordered mojitos, and after three poorly made attempts (they were bitter and sour), the bartender felt that he needed to come to the table to "teach" us how mojitos are made. Of course, with a quick internet search, he would have known that simple syrup is used to sweeten it. If not for his inability to make a proper drink and his poor and condescending attitude when we had to send them back, this would be a five-star establishment. read more

A great addition to Devine street, some of the best Arab / Mediterranean food around, and a very unique decor! read more

Arabesque - Mediterranean Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

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What a lovely experience I had at Arabesque! Great food, great experience! Thank you Shelly at the bar for the great recommendations and top notch serivce. Found this place on Yelp and took a few days to finally stop in but Im so glad I did! I will be back! Try the mixed meat grilled plate read more

So they were out of a number of things we wanted to try, which was a bit disappointing (and to be honest colors a bit of this review). Our server was also super inattentive and a bit rude when we inquired about an issue with our pizza (it was supposed to have pepperoni on it, but it came without pepperoni. Then she tried to tell us that on the menu, that particular pizza didn't come with pepperoni. It was a whole thing that would've easily been solved just by looking at the menu, but I digress). We started with the Arabesque appetizer sampler with hummus, baba gannouj, falafel, damascas bread, and grape leaves (we wanted to add the Kibbeh, but they were out). The appetizer sampler was delicious. I don't usually like baba gannouj, but I really enjoyed this one! The falafel was a bit dry, but the grape leaves were very tasty, and I can't get enough of that bread! For an entree, I got the lamb shawarma, which was overwhelmingly flavored. They put way too much sumac or lemon or some combination of spices on it, and it was nearly inedible. The rice was good, and the cabbage was also good and the portion sizes were big enough that I was able to fill up on those. We also ordered the Arabesque pizza, which clearly states that it has pepperoni, but we were given a pizza with no meat on it. I'm sure for Columbia this is a pretty good (or perhaps the only) Middle Eastern food option, but compared to other places I've been, it just was very disappointing. read more

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This is the second time I've been here and it hasn't disappointed either time. The service was great. Very friendly. But it's the food that is the star! I had Arabesque hummus which is all of the best things combined. It's a plate of super tasty hummus with grilled chicken pieces on top. But the Damascus bread... OMG the bread. This bread makes me sad to be a WASPy Midwestern American and that I just had this bread. It makes me sad for myself for the past 47 years of not having this bread. I don't normally take home leftovers when I travel because I'm in a hotel. But I'm taking this back for an evening snack!! read more

Arabesque - Mediterranean Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

Food was amazing, fresh, authentic and delish. Service was quick and our server was pleasant. Many vegan, vegetarians and meat options which are also healthy. read more

Great restaurant! Had many different vegan and vegetarian options, and I would encourage it to add even more! Had a unique selections of items and had a fantastic house wine for $5. read more

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The pizzas are DELICIOUS!!! Plus they're half off on Thursdays which makes me love them even more. I really need to come get that special more often. 5 stars for the pizzas and the atmosphere. I love the decorations and the cozy feeling that the restaurant offers. I gave them 4 stars instead of 5 because for the first time I ordered something other than pizza and was a little less impressed. I ordered the chicken curry and was disappointed by the amount of chicken I received. The dish as a whole wasn't very large. I wouldn't of had leftovers even if I tried! read more

It's always a good time at Arabesque! I usually come here on Thursdays when they have half off pizza and discounted appetizers. Their happy hour is also normally really good with a wide section, with my favorite being the Moscow Mule. I came in tonight for dinner around 8 and they were pretty busy. We waited about a minute before they sat us down in the back dining area at a table that had pillows behind us. For entrees, we ordered the Chicken Kabob and Beef Curry. Our food came out in a reasonable and the portions were huge! My friend and I were starving and we couldn't even finish all the food. The curry was flavorful and blended great with the rice and vegetables. The chicken kabob was tender and not too dry. Our service was also really good. I thought that their spiciest curry wasn't spicy enough and so our wonderful waitress Hannah went back to the kitchen and told the chef to make the hottest concoction he could imagine. Five minutes later, this mixture of at least 10 different spices and sauces comes our way that we could smell across the room. Surely enough, my tongue was on fire, but I was impressed that the staff would go out of their way to accommodate for my tastes! read more

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Found this on Yelp and sounded good. The restaurant itself has a bit of a throwback feel of an old club. Dark red chairs and mood lighting around the bar. A bit dated but also a bit campy. The back part of the restaurant is okay with wood tables and booths. Nothing special. The food was solid. Had the chicken shawarma over rice and it was outstanding. The potatoes that came with it delicious. Spicy too. All in all a good experience. Food was wonderful. I would go hang out here at the bar but would definitely be back for the food. read more

Food was great and service from Ian was awesome! Super chill vibe with comfortable seating.

Best lamb chops in the south! Ask for extra glaze, you won't regret it. They have a half-off pizza night, and live music on most Fridays. Great bartenders and by far our favorite spot in Columbia. read more

Arabesque - Steak Night Special. Any time they have a special, it's worth ordering. - Mediterranean Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

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Two friends and I ate the chicken shawarma on Sunday 4/9/23 and then were extremely sick Sunday night into Monday afternoon. This is the only meal we had together that day so we pinned it to food poisoning. When calling to inform the restaurant and hopefully avoid this happening to other customers, we were rudely told off. When inquiring about a refund we were offer 1/3 of the receipt price in a gift card. It is very upsetting to be treated like this as a fellow service industry member. We have been to this restaurant multiple and are sure we will never be back. read more

Food: 5/5 Service: 5/5 Came here after a long day of bar prep studying because I skipped lunch and had zero energy for cooking. This was my 1st time here, but definitely won't be my last! My waitress was amazing! I was watching Barbri videos when I came in and she let me pick where I'd like to sit, so I asked for a quieter area. The restaurant is nicely decorated, typical Middle Eastern restaurant style but much nicer than the others downtown. Hands down best falafels in Columbia! (And yes I've tried Boeshreen, Sahara on Main, Al-Amir/The Epicurean, Pitas, etc). These were the only falafels that didn't taste frozen or pre-made with that used vegetable oil after taste. They were fresh and crispy and the tahini sauce was great! (Had to get some sauce to go). I asked for vegan options and my waitress showed me several including the Mujadara, which I'd never heard of. It's basically rice and lentils that are cooked/taste similar to Hoppin John but topped w/ fried onions (if you can imagine that lol). So glad she recommended it, and I'll definitely be having it again. My only critique is rice and beans should never be $12 ‍. But other than that, everything was great! read more

AMAZING AMAZING AMAZING!!! Loved the food, atmosphere, and service!! Most authentic in Columbia.

Good food and service. Quality is high and food is delicious. We enjoy this locally owned and managed restaurant.

I hate changing a review. Especially since my husband LOVES this place , and while maybe if we ate in - this wouldn't be a factor. However , we get to go , almost weekly. Our orders have been mixed up the last 3 times . My husband is the one who picks it up - and he swore that he would ensure it would be right this time. SURPRISE , I open my pizza box when he gets home - and it's the complete opposite of what I ordered. So either my husband is pulling a horrible prank on me , or this place can't get the orders rang in properly. We are going to take a break from here for a bit. I know we will be back. Hopefully with the correct orders or possibly dinning in. read more

Stop in Friday night. Parking lot was packed. Not enough parking space. The service was good. The kid wouldn't shut up but that's okay. Food was good. Not to pricey. read more

We went to celebrate a graduation! Everything that we tried was delicious. We had multiple cocktails, appetizers, multiple courses and dessert. Everything was lovely. We especially enjoyed the chef visiting our table at the end of our meal. We ended out visit with a shot and toast. Fabulous! read more

Very disappointing.... We were really happy, at first, when we drove up and saw that this restaurant is "Lebanese". And the interior was nice and warm feeling. The server seemed sweet and offered drinks right away... Lunchtime. The food was [not actually] ok. Nothing tasted fresh. Especially the tabouli, which we ended up paying $6.00 for a VERY small "side" (about 1/4 cup of wet salad) when we could have ordered a regular family style serving for $6.95! Ridiculous. The tabouli had waaaay too much lemon juice; it was soggy and old tasting. There was no way to order a side of lebneh. Only a full family style serving size? The falafel was not fresh, either. It was extremely hard, and tasted like it was fried more than once. Lastnight and Nextday - both my husband and i are very sick feeling in our tummies from the food. We had to skip dinner last night. Toilets today... yiCk! Too bad. We are super bummed. We LOVE good Lebanese food, and know it well, too, as we have family from there, and make these dishes at home... But we will never return to this strange restaurant. i think their forefather is rolling in his grave. read more

Came here on a early Wednesday evening to have a bite to eat. Neither my boyfriend or I have had Lebanese food before, but we never say no to food. We were sat immediately, given time to look at the menu and our server was very informative. My bf chose chicken shawarma and I had the pasha chicken. We also ordered some Damascus bread to split. The meat was perfectly seasoned, juicy and served HOT. Hummus was incredible, you can tell it's made in house. The bread was fresh and warm, complimenting everything else on our plates beautifully. We got to talk to one of the owners as well, Peter, who was delightful and humble. His food and hospitality represent this restaurant and the expectations I will now hold for other places on this street. We will be back here very soon, and with more mouths to feed!!! read more

You would miss this unique little place if you don't know about it. My husband had gone to training a few times at Fort Jackson. He always comes home raving about this place. I was unsure about trying it because I had never really had this type of food. But oh my goodness it is so good! Food: they have a wide unique selection of food. From lamb to chicken, everything is so good. You have to try the hummus as a starter. Drinks: they have happy hour everyday on certain drinks. Happy hour is 4-7. I got the black cherry cider. I was going to get a different cider but my waitress convinced me to get the black cherry one. It was so good! Service: The service here was so good. Our waitress always made sure we were taken care of: the only issue was it did take a little bit for the hummus to come out but our waitress apologized. Price: this place is very reasonable priced. You will pay $11-$13 per person and the portion sizes are good. Atmosphere: I love the atmosphere. It is very casual and relaxed. A lot of the seats are part booth with pillows. If you are looking for a unique place with great food then you HAVE to check this place out. read more

Arabesque - Mediterranean Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

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First time here but definitely not the last!!! Friendly staff, relaxed atmosphere. The pita bread was warm, pillowy and delicious! The hummus was so smooth and creamy. Falafel was beyond amazing! Golden and crunchy outside with a moist inside. The tahini was awesome! I got my chicken shawarma to go for supper but it looks and smells great! Ella B was my server and she was great too. I can't say enough good about this place. Check it out!!!! read more

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After hearing so many good things about Arabesque, I was finally able to eat here... after about 3 years! Located off of Devine Street, Arabesque shares a parking lot with Za's and Egg's Up Grill. While the lot seemingly has plenty of spaces, given the popularity of the three restaurants, it is often packed and tight. In fact, every time I have tried to eat here in the past, the full lot deterred me from even entering and I wasn't about to go out of my way to eat at different times, take an Uber, or park elsewhere just to eat at a single restaurant. It wasn't until we noticed by happenstance the lot wasn't crowded that we stopped by Arabesque for dinner on a Sunday and we weren't disappointed! We were honestly surprised at how empty the restaurant was, so we're not sure if the crowded lot is due to Za's, the weekday, the school year, or a combination of all of that. Anyways, the interior is nice and service was good. The food was delicious! We got the lamb shawarma pizza, chicken shawarma plate, and lamb shawarma plate - and it was all fantastic! The small pizza is enough for one and both shawarma plates were a good portion. The food was maybe a tad bit salty, but still great overall. We would definitely come back to try more given that the lot isn't too crowded! I would definitely recommend. read more

Arabesque - Chicken Shawarma with Hummus - Mediterranean Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

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