I dine at Jerusalem Cafe in Independence, MO, about once per weekend. Their "hot plate" food is…read moreserved "piping hot", and very authentic Mediterranean choices of cuisine. The atmosphere is quaint, with open spaces. Obviously, my "repeat business" is a "tell" about my "5-STAR" rating.

(Parts from original review 10/13/2022) * OMGOODNESS!…read more We soooo enjoyed our meal here. This restaurant serves up huge portions and extremely delicious Mediterranean fare. I'm always taking food home. The fresh vegetables they served in our salads were positively the freshest we've enjoyed outside of our home. The Lamb was magnificent! Also the falafel and the hummus were the best we've ever had. Smooth and savory, without being too acidic and overpowering with lemon. The entire meal was unforgettable in a great way! We'll be loyal patrons for life! So glad they opened this location so close to our home. They also serve up the best fresh squeezed lemonade ice ever had... I ordered the mint flavored lemonade. However, they have cherry, strawberry, and blueberry as well.. all fresh made to order. Only one size... about 32 ounces... also enough to share! We highly recommend at "any hour", always hot, and always fresh to order! A must try!

The restaurant was fire and blew my taste buds away since the food was extremely good with no wait…read morefor a table on a Friday evening being even better and I got to sit outdoors in nice weather. The server was knowledgeable about which dishes to try and they recommended the beet pkhali dip so I had to give that a try. That Georgian beet dip was super good that I would order seconds. The classic hummus dip with flatbread was yummy too. The kebab platter with jujeh kabob, koobideh kabob, and adana kabob was the star of the show since all kebabs were flavorful and tender. The Persian butter rice was fire and one of the best rice dishes I've ever eaten to the point that I would eat it every day for the rest of my life. The only downsides are that it's not open during lunch and it's expensive but it's worth it. Overall, I would definitely return to this restaurant whenever I'm back in KC and I would recommend this restaurant to anyone visiting KC. It was definitely worth about a three hour drive from Wichita and I don't regret it. It's easily one of the best restaurants I've ever eaten in KC and probably my entire life.

So it's super quirky. A mix of all sorts of places de orate this place. Your eyes will definitely…read morehave a lot to look at. It's inside a home that's over 100 years old. The staff is very new generation hip and the bartender was very sweet and mixed up some sweet cocktails. The food is sort of Mediterranean with dips and pita but honestly the seasonings are Indian and baba ghanoush is not what you've seen elsewhere by any means. The mixed dip platter was good although I couldn't distinguish each The kebab my friend ordered was good according to my friend. I ordered the grandfather pizza. It showed up after we ate the appetizer and my friend finished his entire meal. Oddly enough the dough was completely white but the cheese was melted There was what appeared to be cherry tomatoes distributed all over the top. It wasn't....it was little spots of ICE COLD tomato sauce I was taken aback. I asked my friend to taste it to wait on his expression. I've never ever had that happen. Perhaps the cook forgot about the pizza and added it in hopes that I wouldn't notice since it came out after we were done?? I'm not sure. But the bartender who was also our waitress didn't charge us for it Not sure I'd go back but maybe for a cocktail. It is cute and interesting. . When I took a bite

This place is small and cozy, I came here for dinner on a weekday, the place had a few people it…read morewas clean but nothing extravagant. Food was delicious we got a mixed appetizer and a mixed grill all the meats and sauces were so tasty, fresh well seasoned well cooked. They made everything fresh and it took some time but it was worth the wait because everything was so tasty. Staff was super kind and busy but attentive

I was finally able to check out Kari's and I wasn't disappointed. There's parking nearby for…read morecustomers. The space is medium ish with tables and booths throughout. When we first arrived there wasn't any music playing and it made it a tad uncomfortable. They did eventually turn it on and it was a definite improvement. Service was a bit on the slow side but I think there was only one person working and maybe another person who showed up later on. Everyone was friendly. I started with some hummus. It was good but there was a lot of olive oil on it. I really liked the grilled pita it came with. I also tried the chicken schwarma sandwich. It comes with fries but I asked to swap them for the lentil soup. I ended up with both fries and soup due to a mishap. The lentil soup was ok. It was a little different than what I'm used to. It wasn't bad but it wasn't my favorite. I did like the fries so I'm glad they were there. My favorite was the chicken schwarma sandwich. The chicken was super tender and had a slightly cinnamon flavor. It paired great with the garlic sauce. And the pickles were really good. I'm definitely going to return to get that again. I had a bite of the gyro meat and that was really good too. I want to try that one too!

If you're visiting Kansas City, make time for Aladdin Cafe…read more The owner and chef is one of the kindest people you'll meet, and that care comes through in every detail. You feel welcomed the second you walk in, and somehow that warmth makes its way into the food too. I've tried just about every Mediterranean spot in Kansas City, and this one stands out every single time. It tastes the most authentic and the least commercial by far. Everything feels fresh, intentional, and made with care. Nothing tastes rushed or mass produced. There's real love in the food here, and you can taste it. Their dolmas especially take me right back to my grandmother's kitchen. That kind of food memory is hard to put into words, but if you know, you know. Comforting, fresh, flavorful, and made in a way that feels deeply rooted and genuine. With the World Cup approaching and so many people coming through Kansas City, visitors need to know about places like this. These are the local spots worth seeking out. The kind you leave talking about afterward and craving again the next day. And if they have the mint lemonade, order it. The rose lemonade is always incredible too. If you can get both, mix them and thank me later. A true Kansas City gem. You won't regret stopping here.

I had a great takeout experience here! I ordered online and it was ready when it said it would be…read more I had the Solvaki Chicken and an order of hummus. If I would order the hummus again, I would get extra pita. The hummus was some of the best I have ever had, so smooth and fresh. The chicken was great as well, I really enjoyed the sauce. The side salad and rice would usually be nothing to write about, but these were superb. The salad really is that good! This place now has a spot in my takeout rotation.

Note that they are JUST a market, not a restaurant, but the offerings here are delicious and the…read morestaff is terrific.

Excellent authentic food, grocery store part was very cool. They had things you can't get anywhere…read moreelse.m

I feel bad for the sorry souls that haven't tried this place. I would honestly just let this family…read moreadopt me and stay here for the rest of my life. This is a textbook hidden gym and I would eat here everyday if I could!! Doesn't look like much from outside but once you walk in you feel like you're in a different place and the family that owns this place makes you feel right at home! They're super kind and caring. The food is outstanding!! I had the baba ghanoush, sample platter, and original kanafa and everything blew me away! It was all so fresh and tasty!! I've never had kanafa before but it was crazy and I would recommend trying it if you haven't, it was really fun as it's just very different from the typical desserts in the United States!!

Still house sitting for my aunt want to try another place near her home decided I wanted…read moreMediterranean this place is close by they were doing a special if I buy one I get one free so I got two lentils and two Mandy chickens very good very flavorful nice little shop lentil soup very Savory very thick the juice the black berry juice it's like a soda almost very good I love grape leaves these ones were pretty good they were a little warm kind of like and cold sometimes and the Mandy chicken fell off the bone good veggies kind of wish the rice was cooked a little better but otherwise would recommend

Hello, I visited this place yesterday because I've never been in the be spot. I walked in the front…read morethe owner I am assuming was outside smoking a cigarette and didn't say hello. Then I walk in and he walks right back in I go over to the counter and see a empanada looking pastry I asked the man what did it contain and he responded without even looking at me! Even though o come on head wrapped very reserved I felt like they were watching me it literally creeped me out!! I paid for my couple of items and left never to return. If you are not their ethnicity don't bother bb

Olive cafe has moved to a new location. Menu has been expanded with wonderful food and options…read more They now carry a wide selection of food items with shelves are nicely displayed. Well organized and great variety

I went here for lunch in a Saturday. The base was bustling! There are many options of plates that…read morecome with hummus, salad and your main, it's right inside the city market so it's a little hard to find but go look for it. I had combo chicken plate it came with so many sides and was so delicious. The falafel in this town is amazing honestly super fri crunchy and flavorful! The chicken rice and salad were all delicious, fresh, and seasoned well all around $18 but worth it for the amount of food you get. The resturant is super cute! Def check it out

Chicken sandwich is OUT OF THIS WORLD!!! I've been thinking about it non stop since we left. Staff…read moreis friendly. Food came out hot and fast. There's the perfect amount of yogurt sauce to cool it down. Definitely top 10 best curried chicken I've had!

I didn't prepare well for this review. I was in this shopping center (on the corner of 151st at…read moreInterstate 69) and happened to see this small place, but after grabbing something to go, I felt a duty to tell everyone how good it is! I ran in and got a sesame falafel bowl. I got rice as my base and added hummus, tahini, Taziki, cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, feta, and olives, I think it may be the best falafel I've ever had!!! It's definitely one of the best! The sesame on top (and I believe there was sesame oil involved too) was amazing! There was a bit of heat to the falafel and it made it delicious. Not too hot but a little kick. The flavor was incredible and they were cooked perfectly. Fluffy inside and crispy on the outside! I did manage to take one picture of my bowl! It's a small place but has several tables to sit inside. You order and pick up at the counter. It was very clean and had a nice, cozy, easy going vibe. They don't have a large menu but still quite a few great choices. I want to try some of their other dishes but it's going to be very difficult to not order the sesame falafel. You can also order just 5 sesame falafel. I imagine there will never be a time that I go to Falafel Express and not have sesame falafel even if I get it as an extra! It is going on my special list of yummy places!

This truly taste like I traveled across the world. All ingredients are fresh and offer dietary…read moreoptions such as Halal, vegan, and Gluten Free! The owners love their food and the taste speaks for it. If you are vegan, enjoy the falafels!!! Don't forget to try the Toum sauce. Some of the best in the Midwest. I can't recommend this place more and truly deserves more than this review. Also, VERY clean!

This very might be my favorite restaurant ever. I am a sucker for delicious tapas and immaculate…read morevibes, and Extra Virgin has them both! With a nice outdoor patio right off a streetcar stop and a fun and fancy indoor, I always have so much fun here for dinner and drinks. I have been here for casual dinners, dates, anniversaries, and everything in between and have loved it every time! Everyone is always so kind and helpful, recommending their favorite plates and how much food should be enough for your party. They rotate out some of their plates periodically, keeping the menu fresh and new, while also keeping the classics that I love. My absolute favorite dish that I get every time is the grilled ricotta and bread as an appetizer. The ricotta is perfectly light and the bread is charred to perfection, I highly recommend it. Some other dishes we love (some not pictured): the cucumber salad, raw oysters, sautéed mushrooms. You really cannot go wrong I dream of going back to KC to order Extra Virgin again.

Got it -- here's the revised version with that correction integrated cleanly:…read more We stopped in for a quick snack before waiting for the streetcar during the World Cup. We didn't have reservations and were dressed casually. The hostess was friendly and welcoming, and we were seated in what was referred to as the "other dining room," down a dark hallway into a musty, warm, and humid space. Service was prompt and courteous, but the food was very disappointing. We were served a cucumber salad that oddly tasted like peanuts, followed by six completely flavorless meatballs--no seasoning at all, not even salt. The prices might be reasonable if the quality matched expectations, but it didn't. The contrast between the main dining room and the "other room" also felt stark and uncomfortable, as if it were a second-tier seating area. Overall, I would not recommend this restaurant based on this experience.