You MUST, MUST, MUST try Cafe Arazu if you are in the Evansville or Newburgh area. I'm very skeptical of most restaurants in this area because lets be honest, most places have terrible quality foods that only fulfill the standard American diet demand. I've also been spoiled by incredible Mediterranean options in Colorado. THIS PLACE BEATS ALMOST ALL OF MY FAVORITES AT HOME! Yes, you heard that correctly. Let me start from the very beginning of my visit to Cafe Arazu. As soon as I walked up to the entrance I knew it would be a great experience. The location is the heart of downtown Newburgh right along the river. We were greeted instantly by a super friendly employee that gave us the option to sit outside. Our view consisted of the sunset and the flow of the river. (It's a bit dirty but that's beside the point!) Our server, Adam, was a true delight! As soon as we were seated, he made sure to notify us that he would be right back to assist us. I ordered a pot of Moroccan Mint Tea to share with my friend. Adam picked the mint right from the garden! This already won me over before I even looked at menu any further. The tea was so delicious and soothing. Honestly, it probably was one of my favorite things about my visit here. The only downfall is that they don't have very many vegetarian options here. This was surprising to me, as most Mediterranean options in my area offer plentiful options for those of us who don't consume animals. I was hopeful that they would have a vegetarian platter to try out a few different options. I opted to ordering the few appetizers that were vegetarian. Nonetheless, I was so satisfied with everything here. If I'm ever in the area again, which hopefully I won't be, I will make this the first stop on my list! read more

Cafe Arazu - Mediterranean Near Me - Newburgh, Indiana

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Awesome food and atmosphere!! The staff is always friendly and go out of their way to make this one of the best restaurants, in Newburgh!

Great food and super service. A lovely spot for lunch. The soup (mulagatawney?) special was terrific and my gyro was great.

Always a fun time at Arazu! The atmosphere, service and food is top notch! We've never had a bad experience. I really enjoy the chicken kabobs and the Polynesian chicken and of course the views of the Ohio River are lovely. read more

We have had some good experiences at the Newburgh Cafe Arazu in the past. Unfortunately this was not a repeat performance. After we walked through the patio and saw a number of open tables, we registered with our hostess. We waited for our table past the time we were told and saw others who came in after us get seated on the patio sooner than we did. In addition, after we brought this to the hostess's attention, she said that she was just going to call us for a table. Unfortunately the promised waitress didn't show up until after other tables (seated after us) were served by another waitress. In order to get things moving quickly, when the waitress did show up, we ordered the appetizers, entrees and hot tea. The falafels were good, tasty and different than before. The shrimp appetizers were very good also. Unfortunately, the tea didn't show up until we reminded the waitress who apologized and came back saying that the tea we ordered wasn't available anymore. We ordered a substitute which was tasty, but, again, not up to previous standards. Previous tea order had a lovely selection of sweeteners and additives. This one had prepackaged commercial sugar packets (probably covid protocol, but still disappointing). Our entrees were also disappointing with the Butter chicken not as good as we make at home and the accompanying rice not fully cooked. The steak and potato dish had meat that was not as warm as it should be and the roasted vegetables were not fully roasted. The potatoes were the best part of the dish. So, the service and the food were both disappointing. I'm not certain that we'll be back. When you go out with your wife, it's not a good idea to make a big stink and ruin the night. The staff at Cafe Arazu needs to get their act together. Next time I'll think twice about going back. read more

Great atmosphere and food! We had the hummus started which was great and the lamb for our main dish. Would definitely recommend this little spot. read more

My first time trying this busy spot in Newburgh. Unfortunately seated near the bathroom so there was a strange stare & interaction for everyone involved each time they needed to take care of their business. The food was incredible, the wait time was nearly too much but on a busy Saturday night, it's to be expected. Our poor server seemed new, but she tried her best & was pleasant the entire time. I ordered the burger platter and was highly impressed. read more

Cafe Arazu - Burger platter, wild rice, & potato wedges. - Mediterranean Near Me - Newburgh, Indiana

I'm not typically one to write Yelp reviews but this was quite an experience... It had been awhile since my boyfriend and I had ate at Arazu. We remembered the spot for their amazing cakes so thought we'd try them out on a Saturday night with the intent of doing a full three-course meal (app, entree, dessert). To start, it took two hours to get seated when we were initially told 45-50 minutes. Once seated, it took another hour and a half to finally get our entree. Three and a half hours after arriving at Arazu, we finally got to the best part - dessert. We ordered three pieces of the lemon berry cake and one piece of the chocolate to go because we were ready to leave. It took 30 minutes to get said cake. Once it arrived at our table, we were told that they were out of the lemon berry cake so they gave us some frozen lemon berry cake from the freezer. They said to wait an hour and it should be good to eat. The chocolate cake was a very small slice (and the only edible slice of cake at this point) in comparison to the lemon berry slices. After four hours, we finally left with our frozen cake. Overall our entree and appetizer were great. It didn't quite make up for the fact that we were there for four hours though. We also, didn't expect to leave with frozen dessert from a restaurant. That was a new one for me. If we waited for our cake to thaw out our overall dining experience with Azaru would amount to about five hours total. The food is great and normally the cake is as well. Just anticipate spending an abnormally large amount of time here if you plan to have dinner here on the weekend... We'll likely be getting take out next time. read more

I am in Evansville for business for a month. Another coworker was in charge of picking out a dinner spot and this is the gem we were taken to- Cafe Arazu. Words cannot do this place any justice. We were right along the Ohio River and were seated in the back terrace- best spot in the house! The views are just incredible! It was a perfect evening to enjoy the sun setting along the river. 5 stars for the views alone! The restaurant has done an amazing job of setting the tone with a nice pergola and fountain to compliment the scenery. We started with a nice glass of Malbec and Chardonnay. Perfect way to unwind after a stressful day! We then were brought out a delicious garlic bread with an olive oil Parmesan dipping sauce. The bread alone I could've had seconds of- so drool worthy! We shared a plate of falafel- by far one of the best I've ever had. The falafel was full of flavor and was more baked than fried. The sauces were soo good with the aioli adding a kick- not too spicy but just perfect enough! I ordered the lamb as my main entree. I love lamb but was nervous as it is a dish that can be very gamey if not cooked well. The server suggested medium for cooking preference but I decided to do medium rare. The rest of my group chose medium so my dish was the tester to see which cooking preference was best. HANDS DOWN- medium rare is where it's at! My coworkers agreed and wished they had chosen the same after tasting my dish. Medium was good too but medium rare just allowed the lamb to melt in your mouth! The lamb was served with a side of veggies such as zucchini, tomato, and assorted squash. The veggies were cooked perfectly- they were soo good! I opted for the carrot cumin rice instead of the traditional basmati. I almost changed my order because I am not a huge fan of cumin and wasn't sure if I would like it. Let me tell you- I am so glad I stuck with it. The rice was DELICIOUS. It had a nice hint of carrot but I barely if at all tasted any cumin. It was garnished with parsley and a generous scoop of the garlic tzaziki was served along. Words just cannot do this meal any justice. By far one of my favorite meals. I told my husband I might not come home because I was in paradise! I highly recommend to save room for dessert. As hard as it is, please do it! Trust me, I had to push my plate away because it was so dang good I could've kept eating but my coworker said dessert is a must. I ordered the pineapple carrot cake. OMG- so FREAKING good. I would run an extra 2 miles at OTF for just a slice of this cake. The cake had pieces of pineapple inside and the cream cheese frosting was no doubt homemade. It was perfectly rich without being too sweet. I feel like sometimes cream cheese frostings can be too sweet- this was a perfect ratio and paired well with the cake. The service was absolutely great! We had the sweetest server who was able to accommodate all of our requests to separate tabs for our needs as it was for corporate travel. If you are looking for a perfect night to unwind and enjoy then look no further! read more

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My husband and I love this place! The food is always consistently delicious and good-sized portions. We've tried most of the menu and everything is wonderful. However, the lamb is a family favorite of ours (even our 3 little guys love it). The desserts are made in-house by the owner and something you definitely want to save room for! They have a good wine and tea selection and good seasonal cocktails. The wait staff is always super friendly, especially Lainey, she's our favorite! It's like going over to a good friends house for dinner! Highly recommend! read more

The perfect mix, quality, flavor, color and friendly. You have the opportunity to find all these things together in one place. The perfect place to celebrate everything, the friendly staff is always available for you. Enjoy the sunset in the patio or in winter a delicious coffee inside. read more

Favorite restaurant in Newburgh. Been coming here for the past 9 years and this place NEVER disappoints! Service is great, food is even better. If you go for dinner, I would highly recommend getting the Persian Eggplant Dip and Pita as an appetizer; it has very unique flavors that pair well together and is popular amongst our family since there is a vegetarian version available as well. As for dinner, if you are a seafood lover, the Blacked Mahi Mahi is a must try. The fish sits on top of a mild flavored coconut rice, is topped with mango salsa to give it a sweet twist, and served with grilled bok choy for a crunchy/savory finish. Very delicious! read more

Cafe Arazu - Blackened Mahi Mahi - Mediterranean Near Me - Newburgh, Indiana

While visiting family in town, we decided to try out Cafe Arazu as they offer gluten free menu items. Upon arriving, I requested a separate GF menu from our waitress. It was a single piece of paper with listed menu items. I found it helpful to have the original menu handy to read the descriptions of each entree. I ordered the Kubideh and my husband ordered the Lamb Entree, both gluten free. Unfortunately, my food arrived served on top of hidden pita chips/bread. I didn't notice until after I started eating. My server was notified immediately and was quite apologetic. She asked if I preferred a brand new meal or the removal of the pita. I requested a new meal as I have Celiac Disease. Everyone raved about their individual entrees. Unfortunately, my meal arrived after everyone had finished theirs. Thankfully, we were enjoying our time so much it didn't matter. The hostess came by with a fruit platter and to apologize again for the inconvenience. My meal was amazing and I would visit Cafe Arazu again the next time we are in town. If you have Celiac Disease, do proceed with caution. read more

Great food and service love the ambiance...inside or outside Enjoyed our lunch date with my sweet friend also would be a great romantic date for lunch or dinner read more

Excellent food! Definitely worth a visit! Not to mention, awesome desserts! One of my favorites!

Absolutely wonderful! Quaint little restaurant with a pretty outside patio. The waitress was helpful and sweet...always there to provide good service. I HIGHLY recommend the lamb...it is to die for outstandingly delicious!!!!! A must try and we will definitely be visiting there every chance we can!!! read more

Such a quaint little restaurant with tasty food and great service! The carrot cake finished our meal off ..it's a house special...delicious read more

Always an amazing experience. Great menu and we'll thought out specials. Cocktails are on point and service is great with personable and attentive staff. Great for a romantic dinner, just a drink & appetizer or friends get together with a river view read more

Seeet little restaurant with excellent desserts. I enjoyed the asparagus dip with pita. Service is friendly and fast.

I love coming here when I'm in town! Such a charming atmosphere and fantastic menu. I usually get the falafel or curry chicken salad, but today our server (Adam--who was AWESOME), said that the daily special (Yum yum shrimp wrap) was incredible. And it so was. Their fries are ridiculous. Their red lentil soup is fantastic, as was today's soup of the day (African peanut stew). My mom and sister always get the mint tea, which comes with such a cute service. Highly recommend! read more

Cafe Arazu - Daily special: yum yum shrimp wrap and fries. AMAZING! - Mediterranean Near Me - Newburgh, Indiana

This place is consistently excellent. Highly recommend the chicken shawarma, the gyros as well as the bruschetta.

Excellent restaurant in cute town- after going to the recommended " Texas Roadhouse" which should be renamed " Texas roadkill" in my opinion- we made a stop at Cafe Arazu- food was great- not typical Indiana food if that is what you are looking for, but creative, well prepared dishes. Highly recommend driving to Newburgh and trying this restaurant. read more

Cafe Arazu - Mediterranean Near Me - Newburgh, Indiana

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I really wanted to rate this place higher, but let me explain. First, this is a review for take-out. With how highly rated this place was, it sounded like a great meal to share with my grandfather and 3-year old son. Grampy was on board and my son loves rice and meat. Our order was ready on time - hummus platter, chicken kabob plate, and beef kabob plate. While I was waiting for my card to be run, I surveyed the place. Cool ambiance, cool decorations, good crowd, good vibe. Patio was awesome. Wish we could have eaten there, but Grampy doesn't get out much these days. I get home and open the order for the first time. Five pieces of meat per kabob order. Five? Not much rice. Like, less than a cup per order. Plenty of veggies. Hummus looks good. Hmmmm... My son doesn't eat much. Grampy doesn't eat much. After looking at pics online, seeing HUGE kabob plates, I just knew we'd have more than enough. I just knew we'd have leftovers. We had barely enough. And I could have eaten more. I probably could have taken out both kabob dinners. The food was great. Chicken was perfect, beef was great but chicken better, rice of the day was excellent (better than normal rice), veggies were perfect, hummuses (is that a word??) were all delicious.. It was just the portions. The kabob meals were practically appetizer-sized. If I'd have dined in, this might be a 5-star review. Why skimp on takeout orders? Are you saving a takeout container? I paid as much as folks who dine in, you know? I just felt gipped. It left me with a bad taste in my mouth, even after excellent food. I wish I'd taken pictures to illustrate, but we were starving and the food didn't last long. Bottom line: piss-poor takeout portions. Sad face. read more

Came here on an off night. Very nice ambience. Great service. Good selection of wine and beer. Food was good... not exorbitantly flavorful but tasty. read more

Since we have moved to Indiana we have tried so many different places to eat. Hard to remember some, will not go back to others. Cafe Arazu was great. Good food, good staff, good experience. Try the Falafel, the gyro salad, or the Chicken Schwarma, and the Cuban Cigars are great. Definately recommend trying if located near Newburgh, Indiana or happen to be passing through. read more

I can't believe this place has been under my nose for so long and I've never seen it! Take it from someone who has been to every ethnic restaurant in Evansville, this is the best Mediterranean food in the area: hands down. I had the gyro which both juicy and savory with a side of some wonderful potato wedges served with a sauce you can't go without. I also had some iced chai, a drink I'm always skeptical about when outside of an Indian restaurant, but it was actually very tasty. The service was also awesome with our server knowing every little thing about the dishes. Trust me, you have to give this place a try. I'll definitely be back soon! read more

Cafe Arazu - Gyro and potato wedges (substituted for fries) - Mediterranean Near Me - Newburgh, Indiana

Something changed. When Arazu on Main in Evansville closed, I would regularly drive to Newburgh for the Tuscan Beef salad. I ordered it last night and it had one outer onion layer, a sliver of a red pepper & none of the potatoes that make the salad so unique. I don't know if the cook was unfamiliar with the dish or if they have been instructed to cut back but if this is the way it is going forward, I'll sadly have to forgo future trips. read more

We took a short road trip to Evansville last night and ended up coming home through Newburgh leading us to Cafe Arazu. The intimate atmosphere and decor set the mood perfectly for the type of food they offer- Mediterranean fair. My husband and I both ordered the kubideh and it came with two shish kabobs of lamb and beef, basmati rice, seasonal veggies, and tzatziki sauce. It was delicious and felt light and healthy! The prices were fair and the portions were more than enough. We will definitely be returning! read more

Cafe Arazu - Mediterranean Near Me - Newburgh, Indiana

Cafe Arazu has been on my list to try to a while, so I was very excited to finally go! The location is darling, I've only been to Newburgh a few times, but this strip of businesses is really charming. Cafe Arazu fits right in as the location of an old ice house (as noted by the plaque on the front of the building). The interior is stocked full of middle eastern flair including many handmade tapestries that are actually for sale. The vibe is relaxing, a bit exotic and easily lets you forget about where you actually are. I know for sure I'll be coming back based on the atmosphere and location alone. There is a gorgeous patio with bistro lights facing the river that even in this cold weather made me want to sit there. This is probably a wonderful place to go with friends during the summer. There is an extensive drinks menu with options including a pots of Moroccan mint tea, chai, caramel mocha, wines, fun cocktails and beer. We went for lunch are were excited by the menu; in retrospect I wish we could have tried a bit more. It was nice to see the number of vegetarian or veg-possible options on the menu. I ate the portabella pesto and goat cheese wrap with french fries. The wrap was quite good and the best parts were the crisp lavosh bread and the extraordinarily fresh taste of the filling. The french fries with my meal were very standard, and I'm not sure if these are made in house. I may opt for a different side in the future. The portion size was really perfect for me, but my dining partner felt like his portion left him a bit hungry by the end of the meal. He did, however, enjoy his gyro thoroughly! We finished our meal with desserts including a homemade chocolate torte and baklava. The baklava was above average served at a nice temperature and still crisp! The torte had a great flavor and wasn't overwhelmingly chocolaty. I loved that the torte had such a range of textures, making it very fun to eat. We went mid afternoon, so reservations were not needed. The service in general was just a bit slow, but I think it comes with the territory at this type of establishment. Due to this pace of service, I would recommend getting an appetizer to tide you over if you are very hungry. Manna is still my favorite for a cheap bite, but the combination of the food and atmosphere at Cafe Arazu make it date-night worthy. Honestly, Cafe Arazu is in a category by itself. Overall, a solid dining experience that has me looking forward to my next visit. read more

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I LOVE Cafe Arazu! This is always the first place I choose to go when I come home for a visit! I've never had a bad meal here. Their patio is a wonderful place to enjoy lunch or dinner and cocktails! Their Tuscan Grilled Beef Salad is my go-to at Arazu! A salad with steak AND potatoes? Yes, please. The Chicken Schwarma and Gyro also never disappoint! You HAVE to order their roasted potatoes with a side of their chipotle sauce! SO GOOD! I guarantee that no matter what you order, you'll leave satisfied! read more

Cafe Arazu - Tuscan Grilled Beef Salad - Mediterranean Near Me - Newburgh, Indiana

My wife and I stopped in for lunch last Wednesday, Both meals were awesome, I had the Gyros with the House Salad, my wife had the Chicken Sandwich and House Salad. The atmosphere was very pleasant and we are already planning our next trip to Newburgh. read more

Absolutely THE best! Don't miss this place! Menu-Food-Service cannot be beat! A regular stop for me!

Thank goodness for this place in the area. We're in town for a touring show and it's pretty sad to come to a small city like this with limited food choices. This restaurant is a complete pleasant surprise in the cute little town of Newburgh. Mediterranean is the theme here and everything we ordered were delicious. The patio is adorable with flowers, plants and twinkle lights. Chicken shawarma was great. Curry butter chicken with rice was creamy and buttery. Bruschetta was great according to my friends. Hummus platter was yummy. Kabob was also amazing. The desserts all looked pretty and delicious, we had some small bites from friends ordered them. I'm just so thankful a nice establish exists here so I don't have to eat at fast food, awful casino food or Cracker Barrel ;) read more

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We stopped in while in twin for work as we heard good things about it. The place was full of flies; we even had a fly in our wine. The bartender was not friendly about it either. The food was average at best. If it wasn't for the great service I would have given it 0 stars. read more

This is one of my favorite restaurants in Newburgh/Evansville area! I specifically love the Newburgh location. It's so quaint and lovely inside. And everything on the menu is delicious! And the desserts are so good as well. It's so nice to sit outside in the summer, and sometimes they have live music. 10/10! read more

Great meal and food service. Such a cool spot! We ordered two different steak dishes - both were fantastic. read more

Cafe Arazu - Mediterranean Near Me - Newburgh, Indiana

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Atmosphere perfection. Food-full of flavor. Service by staff has much room for improvement.

Date afternoon with hubby! Such a cute place and delicious food. My husband had the steak salad and I had the pork wrap with fries. Everything was fresh and worth the time it took to prepare. Servers were friendly and always available. The garden area was also cute! Worth every bit of 25$ total! read more

Cafe Arazu - Pork wrap with fries - Mediterranean Near Me - Newburgh, Indiana

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Great food from the Middle East area. I've never had anything that I didn't here.Beef Kabob Plate is my favorite.

This was one of our favorite places We won't go back for a while I think our server was on medication Very poor service The food was still good I'll try them again in a few months if they are open read more