This place thinks much more of itself than anyone else does. The food is not bad, and they have some inventive offerings in the summertime (fish, in particular), and the courtyard is lovely. It's a wee bit pricey, but only because I don't think the food is not worth the money. There are definitely restaurants that charge much more. My favorite memory of this place is showing up with a friend immediately after coming off the fireline, filthy, and still in our disgusting smelly uniforms. It's funny the way they assumed that we couldn't choose our own wines with ease and taste. Hah! read more

To sum this place up in one word... whoa. This place is FANCY and EXPENSIVE. We came here after my best friends graduation and we dropped almost $500. The food was alright... The appetizers and desert was amazing. Very pretty, decorated very nicely, tasted epic. I think we had the stuffed mushrooms... and not sure what the other appetizer was. We all shared the deserts they were great. All in all, good place... don't walk in the door without being ready to drop $100 on dinner. read more

First off, to rebut these overwhelmingly negative reviews: note that each of them were expecting a "fine dining" experience and ordered typical "fine" foods (steak, salmon, chops, etc). This is not that restaurant and I do not think they are trying to be that restaurant. Cafe Soriah is best when you take it for what it is: a cafe! Complaints about a noisy coffee machine or a small restaurant are obviously ignoring the fact that this is a small, loud and typically happening cafe. The drink menu is great, decently priced and I (nor anyone i've been with) has ever received a poorly constructed cocktail. The service staff is also extremely welcoming and nice, and I've never experienced anything that hints at the "outrages" others have described here. Personally, I like to have a full water glass and each and every thing i've ordered here has been correct and served promptly - so I can hardly believe that the "disappointed" reviewers can represent a typical dining experience at Soriah. Cafe Soriah excels at being a cafe - light meals, good drinks and great atmosphere. The outdoor area is one of the best in Eugene, as is the front of the restaurant/bar area. The quality of space here is really unmatched in Eugene, and because of this, I prefer to enjoy those two spaces and to consider this restaurant as not promoting the typical "fine-dining" schtick, and rather providing Eugene with something it would not otherwise be able to enjoy. For sake of comparison, I would relate it to the character/atmosphere of Perugino but with a fuller, more diverse food selection and a full bar that is open into the early hours of the morning. read more

When I first heard of this place from the Eugene Weekly's list of best restaurants in Eugene, I just simply had to try this. Sadly it was less than what I had hoped, filled with lousy service and subpar food choices. As one of the few distrinctive culinary options in Eugene, I expected more variety but was disappointed that it wasn't so. There aren't many Mediterranean / Greek places in the area, so its presence is definitely needed to intensify the lack of cuisine diversity Eugene doesn't have. With high prices and subpar food, its hard to love this restaurant let alone support the hype that brought me here in the first place. read more

Pretentious, over priced. Kind of muddled dishes. Some how such places are embraced without real critical analysis. I would save my money and eat somewhere more delicious and less expensive. read more

Dinner for five last night was amazing. From the salads to the calamari appetizer to the steak Diane and the sea bass. All cooked to perfection and a wonderful array of flavors with excgreat service. I will definitely be going back more often. Thanks for a great experience Cafe Soriah. read more

I'm sure Cafe Soriah is a very romantic place to grab dinner in Eugene...when you are not sitting next to a screechy group of post menopausal women drunk on cocktails. I'm sure the beet salad would be even more fantastic....if it came with beets. Those were the only pitfalls of our recent visit to Cafe Sonowyoubroke. On the plus side: 1. I'd imagine you would have to look far and wide to find a wait staff as classy and responsive as the gentlemen working on the night we visited. They even folded my napkin when I left to use the loo! 2. I'd make a rack joke regarding the lamb, but it was much too tasty to tarnish with child like humor. 3. I'd seriously challenge my fellow yelpers to locate a waiter in Eugene that looks more similar to Jemaine from Flight of the Conchords than the guy who helped us on a Thursday night. 3. (Continued) We were waiting for the waiter to bust out a guitar and serenade us with a Kiwi accent. Instead we just heard shrieking and jokes about things that sag from the neighboring table. read more

We have been coming here with my mother for many years and always have a good meal. Monday night was no exception. It was a very nice meal and we had a great time. My mother loves their calamari, so that started our meal; as usual, it was very good. We couple the appetizer with champagne cocktails; great combination and they were well made. We shared a spinach salad. I would have liked the dressing a bit more sparse, but it was good and my mother loved the strawberries with the salad. It was a nice touch and very good. My Mother and I had the lamb tumeric. The lamb was very tender and the sauce was very flavorful. It made the lamb wonderful. This was a very well done dish and we both enjoyed it. My mother of the sparrow diet almost finished the dish. Rebecca had the ribeye with peppercorn butter. She enjoyed it, even though her medium rare felt a bit rarer than she wanted. However, she enjoyed it. We passed on dessert, having ice cream at home. It was a great meal. With my mother moving soon, it was a perfect way to visit it for perhaps the last time. We enjoyed our meal and the family have many fine memories of dinners here over the years. We will miss it. Go try it; this is a wonderful place for dinner. read more

I've eaten at Cafe Soriah twice, the most recent time being two nights ago. My date and I came here for her birthday dinner. I had called ahead and made a reservation, although it wasn't necessary. I also mentioned that it was her birthday, but nothing ensued from that either. Our server seemed inexperienced, nervous, and a bit rough around the edges, although he was earnest enough. To me, for a restaurant that's "one of the better ones" in Eugene, that's not understandable. He could not offer any insight into the wine list, for example. This is a hiring/training issue. My date had the steak diane, which was delicious and prepared perfectly to her liking (medium/pink). The "burgundy brown sauce" had a strong flavor of browned butter which was tasty but just short of overpowering. I'm not familiar with the preparation, but looking up a few recipes I didn't see anything that suggested browning the butter, so I'll just guess this is their chef's creation. We would both order the recipe again although I did find the sauce a bit strong. I had the lamb Beirut dish- cubes of lamb served over couscous with vegetables. I was thinking there would be more of a sauce, but there wasn't, so it was a bit dry. Good flavors though and most of the meat was tender. We ordered a bottle of red wine and both really enjoyed it- it was the Red Rhone blend- Chateau de Brague, 2010 Superieur (FR). We enjoyed that enough ($28) to see if we can get a bottle from our wine shop. Overall, this was a pleasant meal. The service was intermittent (not busy that night) and the server not of the caliber I would expect in this place. Three stars because it did not represent a good value to us although the food was good. I would likely return, but primarily because the alternatives are so few and far between- not because we were wowed. read more

So, my boyfriend and I had been here once before and we loved it. We went back to celebrate a fun night expecting the same quality, we were sadly disappointed. Our appetizer, the calamari, we had to send back because it was dry and chewy. I'd never sent anything back before. The second batch of calamari was admittedly better. However we didn't get it until an hour after we had initially ordered. While the second batch of calamari had won me over again, then the main courses came. We ordered the cod and the flank steak medium rare. The flank steak was over cooked. By no means medium rare. When it came to my cod, the rice was mostly undercooked and hard. The fish was dried out and burnt along the edges and the veggies had been just warmed in butter and not actually cooked. While the food was underwhelming to the point that we will not return, I do want to give a shout out to the waiter and the staff. They were great and friendly and even when we sent back the calamari they were understanding and quick to right the wrong. read more

There's a reason this is a Eugene favorite! The food is delicious and just inventive enough not to be intimidating to those who haven't had these flavors before. Chef Ibrahim is incredibly gracious and friendly--it's obvious that he takes special care for his menu and his guests! This place is perfect for a special evening, a grownup family dinner, or showing out-of-towners a local favorite. read more

For me, there is nothing not to like every time I go here. The intimacy, the bar, the private patio, "Ib" the owner cooking table side, the consistancy of perfectly prepared food, and difficulty of choosing only one dinner. It's hard not to order steak diane every time, so we go more often so that we can try other things too. I've learned to not even peak at the menu until I hear what the daily specials are. They make everything from scratch and you won't find a microwave in the kitchen. The meals are flavorful and beautifully presented without being too cute. Tis has to be on your Eugene restuarant bucket list. They have fine dining figured out, and you will leave with a wonderful memory of your experience. Don't make the mistake of spending a few dollars less at some the other wanna be nice places, take your someone special to Cafe Soriah for the best meal ever. read more

The Lamb was delicious. Although it was a Spicy curry it wasn't too hot. Great with a lager. #Dave Lister read more

Cafe Soriah - A group of us having lunch. - Mediterranean Near Me - Eugene, Oregon

I am thrilled by the prospect of eating at Café Soraya, and I heartily give it five stars in advance. Especially after reading the reviews about the steak Diane. The gallery of photographs of steak Diane get a little gross, after a while. Hey, it's a sloppy dish. read more

We came to Soriah on our 11th wedding anniversary, 10 years to the day after spending our 1st wedding anniversary here. Simply put, it's clearly one of the best restaurants in Eugene. We arrived for a fairly early dinner and were impressed by the service and attentiveness. We have a 20 month old at home (our first) so a dinner out is something of an anomaly for us. Thankfully, our rare night out was not wasted. We sat out on the patio, which was nice on a 80 degree night, and really gives off an intimate, cozy vibe. Our waiter was easy-going and engaging. We ordered the stuffed zucchini appetizer, and my wife got a glass of wine while I enjoyed a Pimm's Blushing (which was very tasty...basically a Pimm's Cup with sloe gin and ginger. Very refreshing with a nice bite from the ginger, but the gin gets lost a little in the drink and I think the ginger should be diced finer...big chunks got stuck in the little straw and made it hard to drink at times. Still worth a drink). I ordered the steak diane and my wife had the salmon du jour. The steak diane is the stuff dreams are made of. Big steak with homemade brown gravy and mushrooms. If I could eat this three meals a day, I probably would. The salmon was basic in the preparation (grilled, with a little butter) but the cut of fish was very well proportioned and the flavor was outstanding. Also, we pitched in for dessert. When Ib is cooking (the owner), they usually offer flambes in addition to their dessert platter. We got the peaches which are basically flambeed in liquor and spices and served hot over ice cream (serves 2). My wife liked hers so much that she took the peaches home because she couldn't eat it all and polished it off the next morning during breakfast. There are probably a handful of really good restaurants in Eugene (mine include Marche, King Estate, and Koho Bistro) but Soriah definitely makes the top 5. We'll be back for certain. read more

We have done takeout twice while they have been unable to be fully open. Both time the food was great. Their takeout menu has been carefully chosen so all items travel well. We look forward to eating on their patio again. read more

Friends brought me here for my 40th birthday dinner. Steak Diane was simply amazing, hand delivered by the chef. A quaint little place with great service and high quality food. Looking forward to going back. read more

Cafe Soriah - Best friends and best Steak Diane around. - Mediterranean Near Me - Eugene, Oregon

I decided to give this place another shot and decided to come here with my fiance for a date night. By far one of the worst service I've experienced. My fiance ordered a cocktail drink and after receiving our appetizer (calamari) and watching two tables who came in after us get their drinks before her, we ask one of the waiter to check in our drinks. More than 15 later, still no drink. Finally after being in the restaurant for 40+minutes and watching the other table get a refill of their drinks and looking at the bar to see that the bartender was not there and the bar itself is empty, we told the waiter to cancel the drink. When we finally got our food (once again, only after the two tables that came in after us got theirs), our waitress told us she would like to apologize for the bartender as it was busy. Completely disgusted with this place and this will be the last time we come here read more

Great place to grab drinks with friends whether you are sitting outside or in (obvi outside it better!) Also, this is a great date place! If you have a date that is not quite a dinner date, just like drinks and apps, (aka you are not sure if you want to commit to the full amount of time it takes to eat dinner with this person...) then this is a great atmosphere to do so in. Both comfortable and classy, with only a hint of pretentiousness. read more

Went here for my birthday. We had a party of 5 and everyone was well satisfied. The food was very good as well as the service. 2 ordered the Ribeye steak and it came out right to order. 2 ordered tangine lamb and they said it was very good. I had the prawns and they were great we had a leisurely dinner and desserts Never felt hurried or pushed to leave. Super waiter. Hope I can get back there again. read more

We were hoping that Cafe Soriah would be an "Oasis of Flavor" in the "Eugene Middle Eastern Food Desert." Instead what we were served resembled something that had dried out in the sun for time immemorial at an archeological dig. We arrived for lunch a half hour after opening on what I believe was an unexpectedly busy Friday and probably should have walked out as soon as we heard from the over stressed, attitudinal server that "the soup of the day was none, they were out of saffron rice and had no sliced lamb for the lamb Shawarma wraps or plates. You are a Middle Eastern restaurant If you can't keep sliced lamb on the menu at 12:10pm wtf? Unfortunately, we didn't run then. My husband ordered the Lamb Sambosik plate.We have had similar pasty stuffed dishes before and on this one the spices barely covered up the freezer burn taste. The pasty was way overdone and the ground meat was old and dry. They must have also been out of the tahini-lemon sauce it was suppose to be served with because they "plopped" oily hummus, bland Baba Ghanouj and some spicy jalepeno salsa(now it's fusion) on the plate instead. My dish, Chicken Tatator Plate was 5 tiny pieces of chicken jerky with Pomegranate Molasses straight out of the bottle brushed on with same bad accompaniments. For $14 it did not even come with rice( I heard they did still have white rice). I need to mention the pita... it was like something Moses carried out of Egypt in a hurry. The Pita we buy at Walmart is infinitely fresher and more tasty. Hopefully, someday there will be a really good Middle Eastern Restaurant in Eugene but until then we will continue to drive to Corvallis to the excellent Little Morocco. It is half the price, 10x better food and you could get there in about the same amount of time it took us to order and be served at Cafe Soriah. read more

My mom and sister were in town for graduation and I was really craving mediterranean food. None of us had ever been to Soriah before so we ordered almost all of the small plates and the lamb tumeric to share. The calamari was BOMB! The other dishes were delicious too, but if they mention the calamari when they list the specials... get it! The cocktails were great too and our server was super funny. We didn't order dessert but we saw the platter and everything looked super good. I'd say 5-stars except there was this weird 15 minutes where we sat at the table waiting to give even our drink orders. After that, though, everything went smoothly and the waiter was great! read more

The host greeted me the minute I walked in the door. I was sat, and right away came my waitress, Claire. She was great! Let's start off with an appetizer, it's free if you check-in, I had their calamari. Apparently it's the best in town! I believe it. I always rave about the calamari at my place of employment in San Diego. However, now I have to say this is my first choice. Ib, the chef/ owner, brought out my calamari and asked how I was doing. It's always nice when the chef makes his rounds! For dinner I had the ribeye. It was prepared medium which was almost perfect. I wish I had ordered it medium rare. I could only image how much more wonderful it would have tasted, that was my fault. I don't know what I was thinking. I had hints of garlic still lingering around on my pallet which added even more flavor to my plate. Great pairing! As a server, I really do appreciate a great ambiance when I'm out. The pricing of the food comes with a great setting, server, and food. People always say, you get what you pay for. I could easily paid much less for a ribeye at a chain restaurant, but got none of the above customer service! See you soon Soriah! read more

Excellent food and drinks - the other reviews here outline those in good detail, and I would highly highly recommend every single dish we've ever had there! Since they remodeled and added the extra space in the front, though, the service at table and bar has become incredibly slow. When they aren't busy, have staff on hand, and you wait more than 15 minutes to have orders taken, or more than 30 between courses, it detracts from the whole experience. Staff are nice if not overly attentive; we haven't had some of the problems mentioned in other reviews. The food, again, is wonderful. The drinks are terrific. If you have the time for a languorous meal in the evening, definitely go there! But the delays are what take this down to 3 stars for me now. read more

Beautiful place with excellent food and service. Food is made and prepared so well. The rack of lamb and steak Diane mmmmmm goooood read more

Cafe Soriah - Yummy - Mediterranean Near Me - Eugene, Oregon

It should never take 20 minutes to acknowdge a table after the patrons walk in the door and inquires about the bar menu- especially when the place is near empty! Food might be good, but this place drips of pretentiuos attitude tonight. I will never come back. Service absolulely blows! read more

Good service can make average food into a memorable meal, just like bad service can ruin the chef's masterpiece. While Cafe Soriah's food has been unpredictable in the past few years the wait staff has deteriorated to the point that we won't return. I recently reserved an outdoor table for a family celebration only to leave embarrassed by the staff's rudeness. Eugene has many local jewels to show our visitors, don't bother with Cafe Soriah... read more

This was my first time at Cafe Soriah, I was greeted promptly and as I waited for my party to show up I sat at the bar and got a drink (it took a while to get, but it's worth the wait, since everything is hand juiced and delicious). Once my party showed up we were seated out back and the atmosphere was wonderful and their patio was so cute. We had a large party so it took probably an hour for everyone to show up but we all had drinks and appetizers in the meantime. The food took forever to show up, but again the flavor a were worth it. After the rest of my party had shown up we all ordered our entrees and more drinks, the entrees took upwords of an hour to show up, but again the flavor a are worth it. Why only three stars if the food is amazing? After the meal when the check came, there was an auto gratuity (makes sense) but some of us had to split it up and when it came time for me to sign me receipt I genuinely thought part of the 18% tip was added to my bill, so I didn't fill out the tip line, but the waiter had the nerve to not so nicely inform me that I didn't fill out the tip and that the gratuity was not in fact included on my bill and handed me back my book so I could readjust it. Mind you, I'm a waitress so I understand busting butt for a large party and being disappointed in a tip. But I would never in a million years hand a book back to a guest so they could readjust their tip. Long story short, don't come here unless you have a lot of time to kill, and be aware of waiters who might not be so nice. read more

Cafe Soriah - Through the trees drink! Cucumber, mint, lime, soda water. So fresh and perfect for a warm day! - Mediterranean Near Me - Eugene, Oregon

My fiance got the steak & mashed potatoes. I got the cheese ravioli. It was delicious. I would love to come back & try their fish & rice..it looked good from what I saw on other people's plates. I wish the salads came with more veggies (tomatoes, fermented onions, broccoli). It's just really plain. read more

Two words: Cherries Jubilee. Or maybe another two: Lamb burger. Or maybe a couple more: Summertime patio! Granted, it's been a while since I sat down for a full meal at Soriah, and I don't remember it being the pinnacle of my Eugene dining experience (we'll leave that to Belly). But Cafe Soriah holds a certain nostalgia and assuredness that you will be treated well. Yes, I'm sure that I could make cherries jubilee at home for a lot less, but isn't it more fun to have the owner, Ib, flambe it for you? The $11 lamb burger (bar only) is a tasty, affordable treat. The patio is lovely on a summer night. And I can't speak for the current scene, but I've spent many a rockin' late night at the bar cultivating some excellent relationships with the bar keep. read more

This is my absolute favorite restaurant in Eugene! It's good for special occasions and casual get togethers. Because it's in Eugene, you'll see a number of people in various forms of dress - from fancy down to shorts and flipflops in the summer. I love the outdoor seating and the relaxed atmosphere. Ib does table side flambes and grilled dishes (I almost wanted to try the shrimp dish he made, and I don't like seafood!) and it's so much fun to watch. There are great vegetarian options, yummy soups, bread, salads and desserts. I've heard that the fish and meat dishes are good too, but I wouldn't know from experience. They serve just the right amount too! I've been there once during their special New Year's Eve dinner and had the most fabulous food I think I've ever had. I recommend this restaurant for the whole family, for first dates, for groups, for special lunches with friends and for yummy drinks. read more

The food is the reason to dine here, not the setting. Best food in Eugene. Thoughtful preparation, expert execution. The Steak Diane IS the best steak in town. Highly recommend. Only drawback is the setting. Carpeted in the dining room reminiscent of 1993 dining. Also a bit endearing if you have any sense for nostalgia. read more

I sat by myself at the bar. It took a few minutes to get an acknowledgement from the bartender. The back patio was busy. I ordered the Falcon cocktail which was delicious. I also ordered the Trio appetizer which was so beautifully presented, and so wonderful that I ate most of it, regardless of the fact that my main course had arrived. The plate was surrounded by pickled carrots, beets, onions, asparagus, garlic and cabbage, all of which were yummy. The hummus and baba ganoush had lovely flavor. I took a photo. The lamb main course was very flavorful, and I took most of it home as the appetizer was quite large. The bartender offered another cocktail, which was served promptly. All in all, it was fabulous food, reasonable service, all completed in about 90 minutes. read more

Had the lamb burger. It was great. I have seen some here complain about price and atmosphere. I paid $14.50 for a lamb burger and a Pepsi. Not bad. The atmosphere is charming. In some ways rustic, in some ways still fancy. Outdoor seating, a back area that is more upscale. The service was very friendly. I heard about Soriah from Groupon and will be back! read more

My wife and I were visiting friends in Eugene and they brought us here for a late lunch on a Saturday afternoon. It was REALLY yummy! I had the very delicious lamb shawarma and my wife had the falafel plate... With that lamb and a very cold glass of Blue Moon beer, it was a delightful lunch!!! Be careful to state your preference for spicy or mild because the food can have a real kick to it... The service was exceptional. Our waitress told us she was new, but you would never have known it! She was a sweetheart who couldn't do enough for us... The ambiance is quite nice.. very lovely wooden bar with wood paneling and floors -- not what I expected for a Greek restaurant... The food, as delicious as it was, was very, very good, but not exceptional, so that is why I am giving it 4 stars instead of 5... Definitely worth trying if you have never been here, and if my wife and I lived in the area, we would surely be back... read more

Usually our visits to Cafe Soriah are perfect and I am hoping our recent visit was an anomaly. We have been dining there for years. My Steak Diane was a bit tough, as opposed to the usual "cuts like butter" and it was far too salty. Additionally the broccoli/brussel sprouts side was so under-cooked, as in raw, I could not eat it. I normally like both of these veges but not raw as a side to a dinner. Raw broccoli, in my humble opinion, should only be served on a veggie tray with dips. Please bring back the sauted squash and hold off on the salt! This particular meal was barely worth 3 stars but I am giving 4 for longevity. The chocolate mouse was yummy! The wait staff were all very friendly. read more

My favorite Eugene restaurant!! The steak Diane and calamari are to die for!! All the food is always the highest quality. I've been here with a lot of different people over the years who have ordered different things off the menu and they have always enjoyed their meal. I'm appalled to see that they only have 3 1/2 stars right now. I love going here to celebrate special occasions. The patio on a summer night is gorgeous and supporting a family restaurant always feels good. read more

Last night was a bit of a disappointment. We had an early reservation and because it was hot chose indoors over the patio. We were the only ones there and because of that I think our waitress kind of forgot us. Food was awesome but service not so much. Sat more than 10 minutes before she saw us, and my husbands requested drink refill at the end of the appetizer arrived AFTER we had finished the main course. Took 2 hours for dinner total which would be fine if that is what we wanted but seemed drug out. By the time we left people in the dining room were seated and had drinks much quicker and there were lots more waiters. Maybe 5:30 is too early? read more

This place is my favorite restaurant in he planet. I have had the opportunity to travel the world and I love coming back to this little hole in the wall cafe. This time around I had the Steak Diane that you could cut with a for oh and did I mention it was cooked table side. I also got the calamari appetizer which the do amazingly well. For dessert I finished off with table side bananas foster. This place is the best and I love it read more

We ordered pick up yesterday for dinner and I'm so glad we did. I had the Steak Diane, and it was the best steak I've had in memory. We also had the Chicken Casablanca, Hungarian Mushroom Goulash, Baby Trio, and Baklava. Each were perfectly prepared and delicious. We will definitely be ordering from here again. Don't let the virus stop you from enjoying delicious food, our take out order was brought to our car by a gentleman wearing gloves. read more