I've eaten at this El-basha ~5yrs ago and recall the food being good, but my experience last weekend was not so good. The service was quite friendly and attentive from the minute we walked in to the minute we left, very well done. However the food was just simply put not good at all. Ordered the stuffed grape leaves and Kibee balls - the grape leaves were quite strong in taste (maybe just didn't suite my palate) and the kibee balls were terrible, like it was made a week ago ago, frozen and then simply thrown in the deep fryer to heat up. My date had the lamb lollipops which he said were okay and I had the Shish/steak/chicken kabob mix. The only thing that tasted like it was made that day was the steak, everything else on the plate was bland and tasted old and simply re-heated. The ground meat was to be honest, horrible. I took only one bite. Very very disappointing. The pita bread was simply put terrible. Smelt stale and old, with one bite that was it for us. There are so many restaurants in the area so I probably won't be going back here by choice. As I mentioned earlier, the one good thing was the service. Very friendly and attentive so major points for that. read more

Go to El- Basha a few times a year and the experience is always great! Having a Mediterranean background I am somewhat critical. These guys alway deliver a great meal! read more

Great Lebanese food!! I've only been here a couple times, but it has been first rate every time. I only wish it was closer to Boston so I could visit more often!! The prices are reasonable and the portions more than adequate. The service was efficient and friendly. The only thing that surprised me was how few people were in the restaurant when I visited for a late Sunday dinner. Nothing to complain about though.. great food at a fair price!! read more

This place is highly racist in nature and rude. We went for lunch and the waiter took an order for sandwich. After about 45 mins wait he came with two plates that had rice in them. We were not sure if this was the sandwich material and whether we have to make our own. So I called the waiter and asked if this was the sandwich, he said no and he had brought an absolutely different stuff. It was Ok until then he said he will change it. But the main lady who was at the bar comes running and insulted me by saying I was making this up and I was being dishonest and I can eat this up and the waiter should not do anything. That was extremely shocking behavior. She was being highly quarrelsome and rude with us. Then she rudely asked the waiter whether we had ordered sandwich when he accepted she took the plates away. After which they just wrapped up what they had given before and served us. My friend had ordered Shawarma which was not even served. read more

Only place that has REAL Lebanese food and REAL hookah!!! They have great kibbeh balls and stuffed grape leaves. Their hookah lasts for hours and never tastes burnt. Love this place! read more

This place was THE Middle Eastern retsuarant in Worcester for years....that is, sadly, no longer the case. The Kibbe balls were delicious but the salad they were served on did not appear to be fresh. The hummus is good but not great and was a bit too thick. The Greek salad was mostly iceburg lettuce, mushy tomato and a few pieces of cucumber in an unpleasant lemon based dressing. My lunchmate's lentil soup was served with his entree of tabbouli and grilled chicken. The taboulli was good but the chicken was overdone and cold.....who knows how the soup was. Since the place was empty there really was no excuse for the bad meal timing. Oh, whatever you do do not order the "grilled vegetables" as they decided that "grilled" meant several pieces of raw onion, a mushy tomato and a handful of those nasty flavorless "baby" carrots that they sell in the supermarket....nasty. Oh the pita was hard. Try Shirazz for better food, Shirazz may be something of an eyesore but the food is usually very good. read more

We'll go here again for sure. We had heard good things about El Basha, but this was our first dinner there. Two of us had the Saiid, one lamb, one beef, both delicious but the lamb was best. Another had the stuffed grape leaves, excellent. And one had the chicken kebab, also very tasty. It was a quiet Sunday evening, so not too busy and outstanding service. We had the amazing Melinda as our waitress, and she could not have been more attentive or charming. She started us off with pumpkin martinis, which were excellent. The hummus was good, but the baba ghanoush was fabulous. Put this place on your "must try" list. read more

"PHENOMINAL FROM START TO FINISH" An awesome dining experience! Food was impeccable, very fresh and seasoned beautifully ! The timing of our meal was perfect! Service was spot on!! Kuddos to the chefs and thank you Melinda for your warm and great hospitality !! Can't wait to return!! read more

This place looks nice but the food and the service is horrible, not to mention dirty if you closely....

When we first arrived there was almost no one there (5pm on a weekday) which made me a bit nervous, but I am now quite shocked they weren't full. The portions were HUGE (I got the beef shawarma and it could have fed three people) and the quality was excellent. The sauce was really good, the veggies were fresh, and the meat was surprisingly tender. The service was fine, and the ambiance nice. I would absolutely go back. read more

HORRIBLE SERVICE! - El Basha Park Ave. First there was no one at hostess greeting podium- a glass of some type of cocktail sitting on the podium as well. 10-15 minutes someone appeared from the dining floor to seat us- they were respectful regardless. We were seated- no waitress for some time- finally being served , ordered a bottle of wine- fine. Started ordering food - mousaaka, lentil soup, lamb kabob, chicken Port Saüd. Took a while to come - no worries enjoying conversation with wife- then comes the apps- i ask for pita bread- 45 mins passes no pita bread- no main course yet- for some reason out waitress was taken up entertaining folks at the bar- most of the waiters were- it was out of control- The food was ok. After completing meal we asked to wrap up extras - waitress responded, "yes of course, ill be right back with these in boxes", waitress leaves with the plates - we order Lava cake desert ( DO NOT VENTURE THERE, it was like eating moist chalk. Waitress comes back with no food in take away boxes- and with check - collects card ( all happening in super fast time now) completes card transaction returns and say no rush - HOLY SH#%T, REALLY? IF YOU ARE WELL TRAVELLED AND AWARE OF PLACES WITH GOOD MEDITERRANEAN FOOD AND SOMEWHAT DECENT SERVICE IN CENTRAL MA, please let me know THIS PLACE IS HORRIBLE. read more

The lamb and other kind of meat kabob with a Lebanese name that I can't remember is AWESOME. So flavorful. The chicken tastes bland in comparison. You really appreciate the inherent flavor of these meats. I got some kind of salad that the waitress recommended. It was ok but at the end my tongue couldn't handle any more sourness. I also had a pumpkin patty type thing and it was pretty bland. Go with the meats (except chicken) and you'll be wowed! read more

Mmmm my mouth is starting to water just thinking about El Basha. This is an excellent Middle-Eastern restaurant in Worcester which is consistently great quality. There are two locations, however I prefer this one to the one on Park Ave...They offer outdoor seating here and the food just seems to taste better ...or maybe it's just me :) The service is good and the people actually remember you, no matter how much time has gone by since they last saw you. On my most recent visit, I went out to dinner with one of my girlfriends. We order four different dishes to share...We got grape leaves, kibbe balls, falafel, and a greek salad. We were also given fresh pita bread, and we got two glasses of sangria (which was a steal at $5 per glass!) to wash it all down. All of the food was superb! The falafel and grape leaves especially stood out as having great flavor. The whole bill only came to $50 including a 20% tip...definitely give this place a try if you haven't already! You won't be sorry. read more

My Clark U. daughter took me to El Basha for dinner. She had the Greek salad. I had the falafel dinner. Large portions well presented were promptly set before us. Fabulous food! I am telling all my Massachusetts friends it's the place for the discriminating middle eastern palette. read more

very few middleeastern restaurants in worcester area. this place definitely is one of the best. Shawarma , grape leaves, falafel are all real good. would suggest for you to go over weekends, when the quality of food is better. take out is not good. the consistency of food, is a little shaky read more

Have nothing but great things to say! I am visiting from Phoenix and was looking for somewhere close to our hotel. Super yummy! Try it you won't be sorry read more

Simply the best middle eastern food anywhere! The Greek salad is the best on the planet and I've looked everywhere! The grape leaves are simply amazing squirt some Lemmon on them and your in heaven! The kebabs are cooked to perfection there chicken is seasoned beautifully and the rice is delicious! Definitely worth checking out and tryn for yourself! read more

I enjoyed the lamb chops (halal). Good salad, not too fond of the rice. A little pricier than outbacks, but a lil different

Ordered a bunch of food for New Years Eve. Appetizers, salads, entrees. I cannot say enough good things. The order was ready in record time. The staff was very friendly and accommodating. The prices were fair. The food was outstanding taste-wise. Can't speak to presentation because it was takeout. I would order again in a heartbeat. read more

Stay far from this location. The owners really need to clean up their act. I usually go to park ave location and will only be going to that one from now on. M.Carmona read more

El-Basha has excellent Lebanese food, good for eating in or take out. Prices are reasonable. The baba ghanoush is excellent, as is the moussaka. Ordering a variety of appetizers is the best way to go. And definitely ask for extra tahini - it's fantastic! read more

Food is sooo good. I have a hard time justifying getting this food as take out because it is so expensive, but usually there is enough to make a couple meals out of it, and I do it anyway because it is so good. read more

El Basha, hands down, has the best Lebanese/Mediterranean food anywhere around! Not only that, but their customer service is top notch. The owner and his son remember me by name, know how I like my orders and drinks, and you can tell genuinely like talking with you. They also greatly appreciate your business and let that show through their service levels,.. Anytime I walk in, I'm greeted with friendliness, courtesy, and respect. Did I mention that the chicken shawarma is one of the most delicious yet healthy meal I've ever had? The Kabobs are fantastic, the Mezza Platter is awesome because you can get a taste of 4 or 5 different apps.. The hummus blahme is delicious, grape leaves etc.. Bottom line, you can't go wrong with El Basha..food is terrific as well as the ownership and service! read more

We ordered a dirty martini with tabasco, two of them. I specifically asked for the martini to not be too overly salty. When I sampled the drink it tasted like ocean water. The tabasco was just 'dropped' in, the beverage was never shaken. You could see the orange-red color sitting on the bottom of the glass. The bartender had no idea what to do about it. Instead of making new drinks, I suggested she pour half out and make a third martini and try to dilute it somehow. The drinks were still so salty it took around 90 minutes to consume them. We were charged 'half' for the third drink, which was already beyond repair with the others. We asked to speak to the owner/manager. He walked right by our table, never looked at us or spoke to us. For $14 a martini this establishment should know how to make one. We spent $40 on three disgustingly salty beverages which should have been made the right way the first time. read more

The decor and ambience is nice, the food was delicious, but the place is overpriced. Our waitress was very kind and welcoming, but she tried to upsell us many times, even bringing out things that we didn't order and said we just "had to try" (ex: baba gannoush AND hummus when we ordered only the baba gannoush). It's a trap. But a delicious trap. Beware of this as you come here to dine. read more

Best middle eastern food and my favorite is the hummus and also great drinks! Must try ! Also their customer service is awesome ! If you're looking for a good place to try this is the one. read more

Excellent food and service. Tried it because we had a gift card, and on a Saturday at lunch time we were the only ones there, which surprised us because the food was excellent - perfectly prepared, excellent spicing. Ordered the lunch special for 2 (included mixed grill, salad, grape leaves) and baby lamb chops. Reasonable prices. read more

Had a miserable, overpriced lunch here. The service was incredibly slow. Waitress drops menus and disappears. A different wait person appears to put fork,knife napkin on table. Disappears. Waitress/hostess appears---to ask if we have ordered a drink yet. Rather than take order she disappears. Another waitress appears and we give our drink order. Finally waitress appears with our drinks. Afraid that she would disappear we stopped her and ordered our lunch. I asked for appetizer to come first. It did. Tiny portion but good tasting dip with bread. Another 15 minutes go by to get our salads. This was lunch- considering the place was not busy should have been faster as many diners have to go back to work. No, slow, slow, slow. Meanwhile through our meal the waitress/hostess in an extremely loud and obnoxious voice was talking to diners going over step by step an ice cream recipe. This was not just my observation, a couple beside me also had their meal ruined. 58 dollars for lunch, small portion of salad and chicken and salad and 3 burned pieces of meat-(never asked how I would like it to be cooked). 1/4 cup of appetizer dip. Never came to check to see if we would like water or our drinks refilled. Ridiculous. Get it together. This is not difficult food to prepare. I do it at home. Retrain the wait staff and/or have the hostess pitch in and help rather than ruin the atmosphere with her loud talking. Diners come out to enjoy the company of the person they are dining with. read more

The food here is great. The Baba Ganoush is wonderful and you will never find Chicken Port Said done better anywhere. Service can be lacking but if you are fortunate enough to get Amanda as your waitress you are in for a great dining experience. read more

We went to El-Basha recently after leaving U-Mass Health Center. We enjoyed the food very much, and were pleased to find a good Middle Eastern restaurant to visit again in the future. My mother enjoyed the hummus and tabouli so much, we ordered some for her to take home. The service was pleasant and prompt, as well. read more

Why you deleted my previous review??? It's a terrible restaurant. BAD Service!!! I've NEVER seen this kind of restaurant before!! My friends and I went there for lunch. We waited for a long long time to have waitress to help order foods, even the people came after us already had some bread. After finish ordering, we waited again for a long time to see the foods. We then asked for some bread, otherwise no bread present at all. The waitress never came to us to ask all the time! We only saw her twice: 1st was to order foods, 2nd was to serve foods. Considering the bad service, I only paid $1.59 for tips (~12%). Guess what? They finally charged $2.00 for tips to my credit card! It's unbelievable! It's not about money. They act like a robber! Okay, they drove me to sign up with yelp finally. I have to tell this to everybody! Don't go! read more

"CAVEAT EMPTOR" - customer BEWARE! Asked server about certain menu items, and let her know I am wheat intolerant. Was served rice with my (otherwise so-so) meal and realized, halfway through eating, that there were stringy, noodle-like pieces in the rice. Asked the server what they were - she didn't know and reluctantly went back to ask the kitchen. The answer (a while later/only after I stopped and asked her again): SERVER: "Shredded wheat." ME: "Shredded WHAT? Oh NO - that's wheat! You served me wheat?!" SERVER: "No. I don't think so." ME: "What? Shredded wheat...has wheat in it. It's Shredded WHEAT." SERVER: "I don't know. People have asked for gluten free before and they eat the rice. They were fine. Most people like it." At this point, the manager appeared out of nowhere. Insisted there was no problem - laughed, even, that I was sensitive to wheat but not all-the-way gluten intolerant. Said "wow, well if a gluten intolerant person ate this rice, they'd be in real trouble." Moved on to the bar area to socialize; no apology from him or the server. Spent the rest of the day (physically) sick, but hey, it's just wheat intolerance, not gluten. read more

Went to dinner last night with my girlfriend here. We ate at the bar, the food was amazing. The bartender, I think his name was Andrew or AJ was very attentive and kind. The rest of the staff was friendly as were the other customers around us. Great atmosphere, looking forward to going back. read more

UPDATE: As mentioned above, I have always been a huge fan of this restaurant for dining out. Recently, I was in search of a venue for a surprise 40th birthday party for my husband and was really struggling to find a place that could accommodate my needs. One of the last places I checked (still not sure why it took me so long!) was El Basha (the Park Ave restaurant, the rest don't have function rooms). I spoke with George, who was incredibly kind and helpful. Instead of this lengthy list of do's and dont's I was receiving at other restaurants (crazy food and drinking minimums, time maximums, etc) George basically said "sure, whatever you want!" He let me order exactly what I wanted for food (more of a cocktail hour than a sit down meal), we were there for an extensive period of time, they cut the cake that I brought in for no extra charge, and the servers were incredibly polite and helpful. They helped us set up music and a microphone for people to speak. The room was gorgeous and all the tables and chairs were set up when I arrived, the food was delicious and the spread was beautifully laid out, and we felt very private while still getting great service. They packaged up my leftover food and cake for me before I could even notice it was gone and made it easy for me to bring home. The price was incredibly reasonable and the whole experience just went so well. I will certainly look to El Basha first for my next venue rental! read more

I gotta say this place has significantly improved since 3 years ago. The owner, Jean, has really put in a lot of effort to make it a very competent restaurant among its class. The current best dishes in this restaurant are the veal steaks, lamb chops and shrimp sauteed. The veal steak (they're not thin veal chops, but really THICK steaks) absolutely qualifies for a 5-star dish. I asked for medium, and it came out medium-rare, but it turned out to be just perfect. Great aromas and juicy, tender texture, accompanied by flavors of onions and peppers. All you need is a little sprinkle of table salt, and a glass of red wine to go with. It's by far the best steak in Worcester, beating those of Willy's or 111 Steakhouses. The quantity is unbelievable generous... I'd say 22 oz or more. Last but not the least is the cabinet of single malts and bourbons. It's probably one of the best collections in New England area - on the same level as any luxurious hotel restaurants. Jean is also a very keen bar tender himself. Feel free to ask for any martini's. He'll make you happy. And of course, the price is very fair for everything too, so need not worry. read more

Great Middle eastern Place. We have been going for many years. Always perfect. I suggest the complete dinner for 2. You don't have to make any decisions. And the food is very nutritious. You feel full after eating but not bloated. Service is always flawless. read more

Been here twice now. The food with few exceptions is pretty tasty (one of the apps was a little bland/dry and the salad was overdressed but the rest -- delicious!). The prices are reasonable for an upscale-ish place such as this. Portions are good for salads and not too bad for other courses. Fresh pita bread and delicious home-made humus is something we certainly enjoyed. The staff is very pleasant and some waitresses are better than others but good overall. If you want to try something a little different I'd definitely recommend this place. read more

The original of what is now a small chain still does a good job. It is small and can fill up quickly at busy times, so it may pay to call ahead for advice if you have a larger party. The food is very good with all the Middle Eastern goodies represented. We usually order a variety and share. read more

The food here is fantastic. Everything on their menu is delicious. We always take fatoush, Armenian salad, grape leaves, tabouli and sembousik as appetizers. Lamb lollipop chops are above comparison, but there are so many other excellent entries there as well! read more

The best middle eastern food around , definitely recommend it to anyone . Great service and food