I really wanted to love Beirut and will give it another chance, but my first impression wasn't great. I came in as a solo diner and was seated quickly, although my table was kind of nestled underneath the high outdoor bar. That meant hearing some of the bartender's phone conversations. I ordered a glass of Lebanese rose wine and liked it! But my meal wasn't impressive. The vegetarian grape leaves (one of my favorite dishes, generally) were OK, although several were split up on my plate (but hey, it happens). I thought the flavor was underwhelming; there was a lot of acidity but nothing else. I also ordered a side of "extra crispy seasoned potato fries" which just turned out to be generic crinkle fries with salt. Definitely wouldn't order those again. I thought maybe there would be some sort of twist on them? The big frustration was service. The restaurant was far from full when I went -- I counted maybe a dozen seated tables. After I finished eating, I spent more than 30 minutes trying to get my waiter's attention to get my check even as I sat with my plates pushed away, glasses empty, and credit card out. He walked by multiple times to wait on and check with other tables, and I saw at least five other employees working in the front of house and walking by me. Even when I got his attention for the check, it took quite a few minutes to get it, despite him walking out to other tables. (Although I will note he seemed busier than the other employees!) My check before tip came to $24, which felt on the pricey side for what I got. I hope I'm wrong, but I got the vibe that I wasn't exactly their favorite type of guest -- a solo diner who wasn't smoking hookah. (I noticed another solo non-smoker go similarly unnoticed by staff.) Maybe they heavily favor regulars, too. But they weren't at capacity, and I'd have gotten out quicker had I been able to pay. Maybe it was just an off night. But it's just not a great feeling to be ignored. read more

My wife and I tried their lunch buffet for the first time and overall, it was a good experience. At $15.99 including a drink, it's a solid deal. The food was tasty, but we were disappointed with the limited meat and fish options. Roasted chicken was the only choice available. I like protein so I ended up just loading up on chicken. We were hoping for a bit more variety in that protein area. read more

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I had never been to Beirut or heard of it until we received an ad in a magazine we got in the mail but once I saw it I knew we had to go! The ad told us of some of their specials one of which being ladies night on Wednesday which gets them half price drinks and half price Hookah which is a deal we did not want to pass up on. We arrived around 6:00PM and had no issue getting a table. Just a heads up if you want hookah you do have to sit outside but we took a spot inside for the time being. We of course had to start with some appetizers. We went the Hummus it's a must, the Grilled Potatoes, and we also wanted to try something new that we had never had so we got the Sambousek which is Homemade fried rolls stuffed with beef, onion, and pine nuts. Come on you had me at fried rolls stuffed with beef. The Hummus was great some of if not the best I have ever had. For sure the top for Jacksonville. They of course also brought out fresh Pita Bread to go with it and even got us more when we were running low. The Sambousek was very good also, maybe a little dry but paired well with the Garlic Sauce (which is amazing) that came with the Grilled Potatoes. I had a tough time figuring out what I wanted for my entree because there are so many options and everything sounded amazing but I wanted something that gave me a taste of a few things so I went with the Mixed Grill which come with Combination of Lamb Kebab, Taouk (Chicken Kebab) and Beef Kebab which comes with veggies, and fries or rice. I will say all the kebabs were great but my favorite was the lamb one. I just had the most flavor I have have really just been into lamb lately. After dinner we got a hookah and enjoyed that I good amount. I had been years since I had had one. We had an amazing dinner and hookah time which gave us a lot of time to catch up with our friends. Beirut is for sure a great place to check out, have a great meal, and spend time with friends. Plus make sure to check out the specials as well. It's so worth it! read more

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Fantastic food! Wonderful service! Thoughtful and kind employees, clean and beautiful restaurant. Clean parking lot. Honestly everything was great! Ordered the appetizer platter and the grill mix. I am a bid dip person and each one was sublime! I am not the biggest hummus fan but theirs was light, well flavored and very good. The babaganoush is a favorite of mine and theirs was wonderful. The labneh dip with garlic was wonderful! The fattoush was very good (sorry if my spelling anywhere is wrong) The rice in the grill mix was fantastic! Had such a wonderful seasoning. The chick touk was lovely! Very well seasoned, moist and super tasty. The beef kabob was grilled to perfection and was very good. The lamb was very good! The meal came with plenty of bread. I will absolutely return and highly recommend. read more

Great food for a great price! We came on a Wednesday when ladies drinks are half price so I enjoyed a nice glass of wine with my food. I ordered the chicken shawarma plate which was delicious and tons of food, I actually enjoyed the leftovers the next day for lunch. Our server was super helpful in us deciding to order the hummus and sambousek both were incredible! read more

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Good food and atmosphere. Love the outdoor seating area a lot and all of the servers are very attentive. Highly recommend!

The hummus was delicious, I really liked the pita bread too. Cheese rolls, falafel and grape leaves were great, too. Chicken kebab had flavorful meat but needed a better dipping sauce and more veggies. Service was slow. Outside eating area was nice if hooka smoke doesn't bother you. read more

Our taouk (chicken kebab), which we got with rice, was very dry. There was only a small quantity of vegetables with it on another skewer. On the side was some lettuce and radishes, neither of which I liked. There was a rather spicy sauce on the side, which I skipped, and a hot red sauce on one of the pieces of pita (too hot for me). I wouldn't get this dish again. I did like some of the dishes I tried from my companion's mezze platters, in about this order: a ground beef dish (maybe hummus with meat) was delicious; the baba ghanouj was really good; the hummus was good; and the potatoes were pretty good too. Saturday evening in the patio it was loud, which isn't my thing. The belly dancer did the rounds about three times, so now I've seen that. There were some space heaters in the patio, which was enclosed with plastic curtains on a 60-degree evening, but only one was on, so it was cooler than I'd like, wearing two layers and adding my jacket later. If I came back, it would be when it was quieter and warmer. read more

The food was delicious and plentiful! Wasn't sure what to expect but we will definitely be back. We had starters of humus and Labneh w pita and then the chicken shawarma and the grilled salmon platters. Our server, Adonis, was very attentive and the owner came by to check on us, too. We were there for an early dinner so we missed the entertainment-belly dancer-maybe next time. The music wasn't too loud so we could easily carry on a conversation, too. read more

I love the patio for the great music and perfect ambiance. The staff is family oriented and you will feel like your home vibing to the traditional music and exceptional dishes as well as the amazing hookah. Beirut never disappoints!!! read more

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Having never tried Lebanese food, I didn't know what to expect. I took a chance by asking the waiter for a good introductory dish. I ended up with 2 skewers of meat and fries for $18. Not what I call a good experience. The beef kabob tasted exactly like Salisbury steak and the chicken was almost like jerky. My wife got the lamb and she wasn't real happy either. We won't be back. read more

Not impressed with the beef shawarma from here. Beef was slightly overcooked. Flavor wasn't bad. Rice was good. The restaurant itself is nice. Great casual spot. Friendly service. May give them another chance. I love Lebanese food so I'm a hard grader. read more

14 Family Members went here to one of my Son's favorite restaurants. I now know why! The service was fantastic and the food was incredible! Tried a taste of numerous orders, and each one was delicious!!! Will be returning soon to this fabulous restaurant!!! read more

Started myself off with an assortment of hot mezze: Grape leaves stuffed with meat & rice, beef shawarma served on house-made hummus and pita, little beef filled (like empanadas almost) fried pastries called Sambousek. My husband had their Soujouk sandwich (which was HUUUUUGE!) that came with fries (to his joy because the man literally lives for fries)...their description of this is their own Mediterranean beef sausage with garlic, lettuce, parsley, onion, sumac, tomatoes and pickles. He said it was really good but wasn't close to the same as what we had with a similar name down in Tampa at the other "Mediterranean" restaurant. The very friendly and helpful young man who said he was from Jordan told us this is Lebanese food served in this restaurant and what we ate down south was definitely Egyptian food. For an entire table filled with way, way more food than we could eat (five boxes to take home), we came away with so much food to take home, so much food in our bellies and a bill for right around $60. Well more than worth it, in my opinion. For the delicious samplings, more for yet another meal and a chance to experience something different? Well worth it! The restaurant was neat as a pin and had tons of seating inside and especially, outside. Most people sat outside but I'm kind of particular about eating bugs with my food, so we sat inside. Aside from the loud music and the lack of attention from our waiter, everything was on point and very good. I especially recommend their hummus, which had a distinct hint of something like peanut butter (probably due to the roasted almonds) and a kick of lemon. It had to be the smoothest and most creamy hummus I've ever eaten. The dish came with my beef shawarma on top and most likely had some tahini drizzled on top. When either eaten straight from the spoon or put on the pieces of pita, it was a mind-blowing delicious experience! I'd go back just for that particular dish and never have any regret. The baklava were different from what I've ever had before, but still quite good...so step outside your norm sometime and try them out! We've done it several times and believe me, I have to drag my husband kicking and screaming most of the time, but he's enjoyed each experience and found so much he really loves! read more

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Nice place the buffet is small but still worth the money. Food was excellent and service was nice will definitely be back for more. read more

Beirut Restaurant & Spirits - Baked chicken with lemon lentil soup salad some kind of beef stew and the fried chickpea balls - Lebanese Near Me - Jacksonville, Florida

Hubby and I were in the mood for middle eastern food. Beirut had been on our radar for a while so we decided to give them a try. We arrived for an early dinner and were seated in the outdoor patio area. We started with a couple beers and shared an order of cheese rolls. This was a great appetizer. Crunchy spring roll style rolls filled with yummy cheesiness and fresh parsley. For dinner, hubby ordered the beef shawarma platter. I ordered falafel and hummus with chicken shawarma. The hummus with chicken shawarma came out first along with a basket of pita. This was super yummy. The hummus was flavorful and very smooth. The chicken was tender and seasoned well. The falafel was fried perfectly and moist on the inside, so good with the tahini sauce. Hubby's beef shawarma platter was very good. Perfectly cooked rice, plenty of flavorful beef strips, tasty pickled veggies. Service was friendly and kind. Great meal and ambience at Beirut. We will be back! read more

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I've been craving lamb chops for awhile now and the reviews warranted the drive. We wanted to sit outside but this place does hookahs at night and it was pretty smokey outside, inside was dark and there were a couple of TV's on, But you don't care about that. You want to know about the food. The lamb was AMAZING!! And when I say amazing I mean seasoned to perfection, cooked to perfection & very good portions. The rice was a basic balsamic but even it was great. This will be my go to for lamb chops from now on. Per the reviews their shawarma is amazing also, so I will definitely try it out. read more

Beirut Restaurant & Spirits - Lamb Tenderloin Rack - Lebanese Near Me - Jacksonville, Florida

What an amazing dining experience! The food was wonderful. the staff was attentive and helpful. And the hospitality was unparalleled. I brought a bunch of friends from NY, and they were all very impressed. 100% would recommend to anyone looking for a great meal that is different from any of the same old fare we are used to! read more

I got 2 sharwarma wraps and it was phenomenal 10/10 I loved it it was amazing service I give it a 8/10. Recommend.

The best part of this restaurant was the people. Our server was welcoming, warm, and attentive. He cared about the people and that they were satisfied with their visit. We went for lunch, around 2, on a Saturday and there were only a few other people there as well so it was a relaxing and calm environment. The food was delicious and tasted freshly made. We also had Turkish coffee after our meal and it was wonderful, also definitely freshly made. read more

Beirut Restaurant & Spirits - Chicken Skewers - Lebanese Near Me - Jacksonville, Florida

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The food was AHMAAAAZING! There was a ton of variety, and everything was super fresh and came out quickly. The service was warm, and I can't wait to return! read more

Great restaurant and bar that serves authentic Lebanese food. Service was prompt and pleasant on a late Sunday night. The chicken was a bit on the hard side, and not tender; But tasted great. The music and ambience reminded me of my days in the Middle-East! read more

Full disclosure: I'm obsessed with the chicken shawarma bowl, and lentil soup here. The food is freaking fantastic and the service is fast and super friendly! The way I scarf down my meal every single time I order here is embarrassing, but totally uncontrollable. (Judge not) The chicken is so tender and flavorful, also, that basmati rice is cooked to perfection. Beirut is where I belong! read more

Service was excellent and the food was authentic and delicious! We will definitely be back again and again!

I traveled over a river to try their kibbeh nayeh (raw ground meat). It is a nice place and the smell of food is wonderful, and the passing plates looked appetizing but that's not what I was there for, I came for the raw meat. Sadly, it was difficult to get past the amount of salt. There were little other flavors present and the amount of salt, for me, made it hardly edible. read more

This place has you traveling to Beirut through your tummy! Unfortunately, my trip was shorter than planned, so I was only able to enjoy a couple destinations on their menu! Destination one...appetizers! Started with cheese 2 ways- grilled halloumi and cheese rolls - that's how your grill rolls! Be-leaf me when I tell you that the hot meat-filled and cold rice-filled grape leaves are grape choices! Final destination... the bar! Went with the hurricane... served strong! read more

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Came here for the Lamb, but was pleasantly surprised by a wonderful lunch buffet! The buffet is really an amazing deal with the variety of dishes you can access. The lamb did end up being delicious, although the veggies it came with fell a bit flat. The buffet though was totally awesome! Will come back for sure. read more

Beirut Restaurant & Spirits - Lamb Tenderloin Rack - Lebanese Near Me - Jacksonville, Florida

Service is good. This restaurant has potential, but our food was served Luke warm at best. The problem is that the chicken is cooked ahead of time, maybe even the day before, then warmed and served! We ordered 4 chicken items and one beef kafta, all of them were Luke warm and taste old. We were very hungry, so we did not care much, but this is unacceptable. We expected a lot better. Even though our waitress was very nice, she was not wearing appropriate clothing, I cannot believe her manager would let her show up to work with her entire belly naked, this is a sit down restaurant, we are not at a tiki bar on the beach! Just not a pleasant sight. The portions are very generous and they do not dime and nickel you, they brought some zaatar, pita bread and extra garlic without charging extra. Generosity is always appreciated at any restaurant. read more

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Another delicious dinner at beruit. We love sitting out on the patio, listening to the music and watching tv. Service was friendly and quick, food was delicious read more

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Disappointing Decline at Beirut Restaurant & Spirits in Jacksonville As someone who lived in Lebanon for years and knows authentic Lebanese and Arabic cuisine intimately, it's disheartening to witness the steady decline of Beirut Restaurant & Spirits in Jacksonville. A few years ago, this place had promise. The food carried the soul of the region and people-- rich flavors, proper preparation, and genuine character that brought memories back. Sadly enough Beirut has succumbed and watered-down dishes that betray the cuisine's essence. I was surprised to see the 5 stars recommendation but think this can only be written by people who have never tastet authentic Arabic food outside the US. After a particularly bad experience about a year ago, we stopped visiting, hoping time would bring improvement. Last week, we invited our guests and gave it another shot. What a disappointing letdown!!! The food arrived cold and bland -- far removed from the vibrant and complex flavors Lebanese food is known for and how it used to be. If there was any authenticity left, it came solely from the Arabic music playing in the background. Beirut Restaurant & Spirits was so promising a few years ago but unfortunately has lost its way and this a real shame. If you're looking for real Lebanese cuisine, this is no longer the place to find it. read more

Came in to enjoy the buffet lunch once again but unfortunately they did not have it this weekend, but no worries we know anything we order here will be good. The waiter was very nice, even said we would be fine just getting a small soup instead of the bowl because they were big enough and he was right, wonder how big the actual bowl is. We got some mint lemonade and he was so happy to inform us that he had made more than our two glasses and gave us refills for free! Awesome. He also suggested we come for dinner so we can catch the belly dancer show, we have been here at night before and it's a party, they light the place kinda like a club and even the guests are invited to dance. Love this place! read more

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Absolutely fantastic and if you like great food and great prices this must be your next stop. I would give them more stars if I could. My wife and I visited last night for a late Valentines Day/birthday celebration dinner since we were not together the day of. I am so grateful that I found and decided to book a reservation for us here. The process was super simple. I called in a week ago and booked a table for the two of us. Our server was Melissa and she was fantastic. She was really nice and patient as we took our time ordering and she made sure to explain what each dish was for us. We began our night with some drinks. My wife ordered wine and I have to note that they have some really nice wines on their wine list. They also have some common cocktails, but what really surprised me was that they had Arak on the menu. Arak is a middle eastern anise spirit i.e. licorice. I ordered an Oriental Nights cocktail that was made from Arak, Creme de Cassis, orange zest, and tonic. The wine was good and the Arak cocktail was nice. I haven't seen Arak served in the USA before so I was super impressed to see it here. This place is legit! We took a while ordering because the menu is extensive. They have a family dinner option way of ordering that we were about to order, but we wanted to try too much different stuff so we ended up ordering a bunch of different plates instead. We ordered the Mezze Vegetarian Platter which included hummus, baba ganouj, labneh, lemon potatoes, and fattoush. This in and of itself was a ton of food. The hummus was some of the best I have had outside of the middle east. The baba ganouj and fattoush was solid, but the labneh and lemon potatoes were really the show stealers of the platter. Oh god, actually I didn't even mention that the platter came with two falafels. Now I have never been that into falafels, but Beirut's falafels will convert you. They were so tasty with the sauce they had on top. At this point I also ordered a second cocktail called The Beirut Arak that consists of pomegranate juice, simple syrup, Arak, and club soda. The drink came with a cute little umbrella and you can almost close your eyes and picture yourself on a sweet beach club in proper Beirut. I am actually salivating as I write thinking about how happy this feast made me. The platter came with pita bread that was warm and made sure we could get every ounce of hummus, baba ganouj, and labneh into our mouths. We were feeling pretty stuffed at this point, but we had already ordered more food. We ordered grilled haloumi, mighty kafta, and soujuk. The grilled haloumi was good, but I will be truthful here and say I wish they added lemon on top. That would have made it better in my opinion. But haloumi is great by itself, so it was still amazing. They give you a good amount too! The mighty kafta is homemade kebab baked between bread. At this point I knew I couldn't eat more so I had to stop, but the mighty kafta was superb. I hardly touched our soujuk which is ground beef sausages. They come with a little bit of a spicy taste, but nothing crazy. I was so happy with this meal that I found myself dancing along to the music that was playing in the restaurant. Seriously this food is great. At this point my wife and I were wishing we had dressed in sweats instead of date clothes. Melissa came back and she surprised us with two desserts! We got to try Beirut Nights and the Osmaliah. Both have semolina pudding which is just perfection. The Osmaliah has some stringy buttered dough on top and it is just a wonderful pairing. We were pretty stuffed at this point, but we found the inner strength and courage to eat it all. The most surprising part of the night really was the bill which was super reasonable considering the food was of the highest quality and the service by Melissa was superb. I have been in Jacksonville about three years now and this is the best food and service I have gotten. I am telling y'all to go and eat here and enjoy some real authentic middle eastern cuisine. read more

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The food is amazing the service is phenomenal and the Ambience is just right... I went there for a communion dinner with my family phenomenal service treat you like family my son goes in there a lot and so does his in-laws and I was introduced to it and I will be back it's all the rave read more

We sat at the bar. Service was great. All the bartenders were friendly, funny, and helpful. Food was really good with lots of flavor and fresh. When we went it wasn't that busy but there were two large parties in the big rooms. I also had the Turkish coffee was was so good. We were too hungry and forgot to take pictures of everything we ordered. I recommend!! read more

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Food is delicious! Not familiar with that type but I love trying new cuisine. I was very impressed, very flavorful

UPDATED November 28, 2018 It has become our annual tradition to come here the night before Thanksgiving, sit outside with a hooker and have the best waiter, Danny. Never will you find anybody more personable, professional, kind, and knowledgeable. He has a true gift at making people feel welcomed. The food last night as always was outstanding and the drinks, those strong were great! I cannot say enough about the food and the service from Danny which is why this is one of my top two places September 11, 2018 Tonight we had Carla has our waitress and I have to say right off the bat she was most friendly has the most beautiful eyes and was extremely friendly. She made sure that all of our needs were met and of course the food was outstanding. My friend who came with me has never had Middle Eastern food before and fell in love with the chicken! The falafel of course I've said it once I've said 100 times was great. Huge shout out to Danny Brad Emilia Jon and now Carla! Welcome to the crew Carla UPDATED August 29, 2018 A very dear friend of mine and I came here for dinner to commiserate the sadness we feel for a friend who moved to California. Came here for comfort food so that we could shed tears together for joy and happiness at the new opportunities our mutual friend has but also the fact that he's no longer here. This was her first time here for dinner To begin with Danny was our waiter and he is top notch. That is all I can say he is top notch! He's genuine smile, knowledge of the menu, and customer centric approach make a true asset. Also we got to have the opportunity to talk with Emilia, Just love her dearly! Her high energy and wonderful spirit just make you smile. Their new addition of Jon also made our visit excellent. He remembered me by name and that's a good sign of customer service when you know your customers by name. Now let's talk about the food! My friend got some type of combination of beef and sausage that she said was beyond outstanding! I had the tabouli which was extremely fresh the tomatoes were flavorful and a parsley was outstanding. I can never get enough of this place! Thank you to the management for an excellent restaurant excellent staff such as Danny Emilia Brad and Jon UPDATED August 15, 2018 tonight I brought a dear friend with me who has never had Middle Eastern food and after bragging about it decided to come here. I will first say that I was greeted by Emilia Who has the most genuine smile and sincerely understand customer service. She then handed me over to a new staff member, Jon. Customer service as you know is exceptionally important to me and I will say they did a great job with hiring John because he truly is customer center based upon his demonstrated actions. He maintained a great sense of humor understood the menu and frequently checked to make sure everything was to our specifications. He rates right up there with Danny, Brad and Emilia. Now let's discuss the food! My friend had the chicken kebab and she loved it! The flavor was outstanding she said it was tender and very filling. She also said she enjoyed the rice because of the seasoning they put into it. Of course I had my traditional falafel because no where do I get falafel like here other than what I had when I went to high school in Israel. Each bite takes me back. If you are looking for a great place for dinner that has outstanding customer service and flavorful and freshly prepared food this is your place!! Thank you again Jon (and welcome aboard) Brad Danny and Emilia, You're a great representation for this restaurant. UPDATED JULY 21, 2018 I took a friend of mine there as this was his first time eating Middle Eastern food. I bragged about the customer service that I have always received from Danny and Brad and how fantastic the food wise. Today we had Emilia Who is top notch. Her fantastic sense of humor and customer center service approach made this a fantastic visit. As always the food was out of this world I cannot brag enough about their falafel and how fantastic it is. My friend had the chicken kebab which he agreed was excellent. I'm not sure what I appreciate more about this restaurant the outstanding customer center service approach or the food either way you win! read more

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Another nearby restaurant that we have now visited twice in the past five weeks. During both of our recent dining experiences we have found the restaurant to be very clean and comfortably inviting. The staff is always friendly and very patient as we review a rather extensive menu with a wide variety of options that allows everyone to certainly find something to totally satisfy their appetite. During both of our recent dining experiences we enjoyed delicious meals composed of very tasty middle eastern options sure to please even the most selective of individuals! During both of our recent dining occasions, our plated portions were significantly larger than we expected. There is absolutely no reason for anyone to leave hungry! The entire experience is punctuated with a vast selection of beers, wine and other assorted cocktails that normally accompany any full service bar. We would encourage anyone who is looking for a different and entertaining type of dining experience to try the Beirut Restaurant with an open mind and an empty stomach! read more

Best falafel I have had in Jax in a long time. They were moist with a crispy coat and smooth texture interior. Paired with the Tahini sauce was the perfect start to our meal. We also enjoyed the fattoush salad w pomegranate molasses to give it a hint of sweetness. And the Lamb kabobs were tasty too just a little more cooked then I usually prefer but I'm a more a rare to medium rare girl. Definitely will be back for those falafel and our server was fantastic too very attentive and helpful. read more

Cool place with nice patio! We just tried to go Hooters nearby and left to come here instead. Great service, food, and hookah!

Likes-I liked the gyro, and grape leaves. It was good. The garlic sauce was also to my likening. The hummus was okay. The service was friendly. They have outdoor patio. They have hookah if you like indoor and outdoor Dislikes- Indoor hookah I am not a fan of smoking inside. Also the set up when you come in is a little confusing. (they have an unfinished wall when you come in. I thought you order at the counter when you walk up, Order is taken at table). read more