Went a little early and grabbed a drink - a variation of Paper Plane. And ordered the shishito peppers, which had a nice kick. And then my party arrived and we ordered the salatim - whole shebang. Then shared the kebab and chicken skewer. Wasn't able take pics of the mains unfortunately. I highly recommend. Food was great and the service was top notch. You will enjoy read more

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I really wanted to love this place. Went here for a special occasion and just live up to expectations. The best part about this place was the many dips we got as appetizers and the pita to accompany them. Beyond that the lamb was very dry and the service was not good. Waiter was quick to walk away and didn't feel like he cared about our experience. I'd give Hamsa another shot but maybe with a larger group to try a variety of dishes. read more

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Terribly slow & very rude customer service. They are also very expensive relative to similar type of food you can get within walking distance. Avoid this place. read more

Our party of 13 came to celebrate a family dinner and Hamsa was the perfect place. The Salatim to start is a must. The Wholeshebang is more than worth the price. The chicken and ribeye skewers were decadent and cooked perfectly. And of course, you must eat your weight in their homemade hummus. The service was phenomenal, as always. I love dining here whether it's a celebratory dinner or a quick happy hour after work. 10/10! read more

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Hamsa is delicious!! The restaurant interior is also beautiful--dimmer lighting, with areas sectioned off by a line of trees. They also do have outdoor tables with heating in the winter. Food-wise, we got "TheWholeShebang" for the salatim (small circle plates) and the hummus compleat. The bread they were served with was also so fluffy! (They will provide carrots and cucumbers for gluten free option instead). I loved almost all of the little circle plates of the "WholeShebang"; the only one that I thought was not good was the nut buttery one--unfortunately I forgot what it was called. I know for sure I liked these: - LABNEH - BABA GANOUSH (not gluten-free) - SHAVED TOMATO & FETA - LEMON TAHINI - HARISSA CARROTS The shaved tomato pared with the feta in particular was very, very good. For appetizers, we got the hummus compleat (gluten free) which was perfectly creamy with an egg (I didn't realize how good of a combo this would be!) probably my favorite here. Not salty and with great texture. For entrees, we got the kebab (beef+lamb), chicken skewers, and the mushroom skewers. The mushroom skewers were the incredible standout of the entrees. The chicken skewers were soft, the kebab very lamb-y. I really liked the pickled onions the skewers came with. We also got the hamsa rice since our friend could not eat the bread (Celiacs, needs gluten free)--the rice was very flavorful. We learned the eggplant dishes and the cauliflower couscous are not gluten free as they are fried in the same oven as the pita. The falafel is not gluten free on the weekends but should be during the weekdays (depends on which oven they use; ask to confirm with the server)! Service a bit slow (but they are very popular and busy)! read more

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First time at Hamsa for happy hour and it did not disappoint! Always delicious food and great portions. Lots of options on the happy hour menu. You are able to sample lots of items in the beautiful restaurant. Always great service and awesome staff! The mocktails tasted amazing!!! read more

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My family had dinner here a couple of nights ago. The restaurant setting is very nice (casual upscale on the inside and really pretty outdoor seating). The service was very attentive but the server did not know much about the menu. I don't know if she was new, but given the fairly limited menu, I would have thought there would be better training upfront or another more senior server accompanying her given it wasn't very busy. There were multiple times she would have to go ask someone about questions we had on the menu. This goes to one, small complaint I had about the menu. Although not extensive, the menu is pretty confusing. There are no descriptions for many of the dishes served (especially the "dipping sauces" for the pita). I appreciated the fairly unique style of food (I've had many mediterranean type restaurants but nothing quite like this). The food was very good. We ordered the "Hamsa Experience." Since there were 3 of us, we each ordered a protein entree, and the experience comes with pita and 5 "dipping sauces" as well as a falafel appetizer before the entrees. I don't recall exactly which 5 we ordered, but all tasted very freshly made and delicious. For the proteins, we had: Shrimp (4.5/5) - Perfectly seasoned and grilled. Very tasty. Ribeye Skewers (4.5/5) - Again, perfectly grilled and really well seasoned. Ground lamb & beef skewers - I'm not a fan of lamb and the taste was definitely "lamb-ey." I thought the meat was a bit dry. The falafels (5/5) were probably the best I've had. I'm usually not a huge fan but really enjoyed these. Unique experience, which is always nice for me to try something new. The cost of the dinner was a bit pricey for what came out, but if you're in the mood to try something different, I would recommend. read more

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Loved the happy hour here! The small plates and pita dips were absolutely delicious. And the outdoor seating area was such a vibe. Highly recommend! read more

The restaurant is super cute and in the heart of Rice Village. The server was nice but he wasn't very knowledgeable about the vegan friendly items, which was off-putting. The items that I did have, the falafel and hummus made vegan, were delicious! I wish there were more vegan options :( read more

Hamsa - Falafel (made vegan) - Mediterranean Near Me - Houston, Texas

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We came by for the $25 lunch special for HRW with a reservation. We were quickly seated and the service was great. It was a bit loud initially but it quieted down a bit over the course of the meal (12-1 PM are probably peak lunch hours). We both got the choice of 2 salatim for our appetizers with the Muhamara/Muhammara, Squash Tahini, Baba Ganoush, and the Bishbash/Bish-Bash Salad. We also ordered the Hummus Complet. Each came with a pita. All of the dishes were excellent, with the baba ganoush, hummus, and squash tahini being our favorites. The squash tahini had a thicker consistency (as compared to the other dips) and a taste similar to the tahini but the squash was definitely present. The egg and tahini that came with the hummus were delicious. The bish-bash fennel salad was zippy and a welcome break between the creamier dips. The pita is amazing. The appetizers also came with pickles. I had the Falafel Pita and my dining partner had the Chicken Skewer with the Haims Rice as her side. We were both pleasantly surprised at the great portion sizes. The warm pita was crazy good - some of the best falafel I've had. The rice with the sauce that I had a bite of was also tasty. Finally, for dessert, we got the Dark Chocolate Halva and the Malabi Basboosa. The basboosa was a surprisingly light dessert (I have had other versions of muhallebi and basboosa separately in the past where both were much denser), and the rosewater syrup was sweet without being too overwhelming. The halva was creamy and melts in one's mouth as it should. I would say that the value of the HRW lunch here was one of the best in the city. The portions were generous, the food delicious, and the service very polite. We have eaten at Hamsa before and will definitely continue to come. read more

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Updating this review as we had an underwhelming HRW experience this year. The service was just so slow. Drinks came out after the first course. The entire meal took 2.5 hours! It was definitely dragging towards end. Parking is only complimentary for 2 hours in garage in rice village, so we had to pay for parking on top of the expensive meal. Also updating to add that the best item on the menu was the petit beurre, a delicious creamy cake that tasted like cookie butter. Yum! Reading more recent yelp reviews it seems like more yelpers have been disappointed this year. I don't think I will be back. read more

Came for the lunch special which seems like a great deal compared to dinner prices. The lamb hummus and baba ghanoush were easily the favorites. The mocktails they have are a lot of fun as well. It seemed like they may have been training or new servers however they were very attentive nonetheless. There is a cute patio and nice looking bar inside. read more

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The food was amazing, and the ambiance was great. Our waitress was truly one of a kind -- it's very hard to find someone so attentive and genuinely caring. The fresh pita was incredible; we honestly couldn't get enough of it! The area itself is really nice. We don't usually hang around there, but after this experience, we definitely should. The menu was broad and had a little bit of everything, which made it easy to find something we loved. I highly recommend this place if you're looking for a chilled date night with great food and great service. We will definitely be coming back! read more

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Nut allergy friendliness: A little misleading. We had a reservation and noted my nut allergy, and the waiter was at first extremely considerate with providing a menu that crossed out dishes that they could remove nuts from and dishes that they could not make at all. However, after ordering, they still initially brought out a dish with pine nuts that we specifically ordered without it, and we had to get it fixed (thanks to my friend for having a good eye!). Given the high number of dishes with pine nuts or tree nuts (walnuts, etc.) on the menu, I'd be VERY careful eating here. Time-to-Appetizers (Salatim): 14 Minutes Time-to-Entrees: 17 Minutes Time-to-ask for a bill: 30+ Minutes Seated without issues for a reservation on a Sunday afternoon at 12PM. Our server was initially very attentive, providing a menu that had certain items crossed out that had nuts or could be modified to be created without nuts for an allergy, which I really appreciated. We ordered a 5-choice Salatim for the table and a Schnitzel Sandwich off the brunch menu to share for two. Salatim: - Plain Labneh (3.5/5): Very much like a more intense Greek yogurt. I liked the smoothness of this dip and it paired well with the olive oil and pita bread. - Baba Ghanoush (2.5/5): I thought this was on the more bland side of baba ghanoush I've had in the past. It needed more zest or more pepper or something. - Lemon Tahini (2/5): If the baba ghanoush was bland, this was even blander. - Harissa Carrots (3.5/5): A really good spice with the harissa. - Matbucha (4/5): Unanimously our favorite dip. Smoky with a deep complex flavor. Overall, the portions for these were a LOT smaller than expected. Schnitzel Sandwich: Going to be honest, it was just a plain sandwich (3/5). The portions were good here and the matbucha and aioli gave it a good mix of flavors. However, the best part of this was actually that they had no ketchup for the fries and instead gave us some garlic aioli. The garlic aioli was actually very good and the fries had decent herb spices that paired well with it. (4/5 with the garlic aioli) Turkish Coffee (4/5): Seemed quite authentic, down to the muddiness at the bottom of the cup. I thought the price for coffee and tea was quite high but they do give you the entire kettle. Service: Overall, it started off great and went downhill. We were served a basket of pita bread which was just enough for everyone to get one piece of pita, and never got a refill. It took 30+ minutes to get a water refill and we eventually had to flag down another waiter. Our waiter cleared away our dip before offering more pita bread. He vanished for over half an hour (we barely even saw him at other tables) while were trying to get our check - we almost got up and went to the host booth. Mandatory 20% "Large Table" gratuity for a table of 5. Overall, very pricey Mediterranean. Great vibes to hang out or take a date, but I wouldn't come back again. read more

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Great spot for a cozy date night. The vibe is casually elevated, and our server was super knowledgeable. The pita was soft and fresh, and the falafel--possibly the best I've had in Houston--was perfectly crisp. I just wish it came with a bit more hummus. We also enjoyed the cauliflower couscous with mint and labneh, and the fish kebab special was light and flavorful. Definitely a place worth revisiting! read more

Hamsa - Falafel, Cauliflower Couscous, fish kebab , Pita - Mediterranean Near Me - Houston, Texas

We chose Hamsa for the ambiance and it did not disappoint. It's lively and a bit loud, but where we sat in the back left it felt intimate and perfect for date night. The lighting is warm and each table has a small lamp, which really adds to the vibe. The tables are small though, so it was a little tight once all the dishes started coming out. We did the Hamsa experience and loved how the food came in waves. Each dish had its own flavor profile, some fresh, some bold, some spicy, some rich and balanced. The hummus with lamb was melt in your mouth good. The ribeye kabobs were a standout, and the babaganoush dip was one of my favorites. The only thing that was just okay for me was a lemon tahini style dip. We had Turkish coffee during the meal, which paired beautifully with everything. The staff was friendly, knowledgeable, and attentive. Managers stepped in to refill water when servers were busy, so you can tell they really work as a team. The online waitlist helped and we were seated quickly. Parking was a little challenging, but the location is great and surrounded by other spots if you want to continue the night. We would definitely travel back just to eat here again. Worth it for the food and intimate date night atmosphere. read more

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Went to hamsa with a friend for their 30 dollar lunch menu and it was amazing! Ive been for dinner service but the lunch special is such a good deal. You get two starters, entree and dessert. I got the chicken skewer (not shown) because i ate it. But chicken was flavorful, moist and also i picked rice as a side. The desserts were also amazing especially the one with rosewater. Inside was great and so was customer service. Would definitely go again for lunch read more

Hamsa - Mediterranean Near Me - Houston, Texas

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We stopped by for a quick lunch and had a decent experience. We tried the Baba Ganoush, Squash Tahini, and lamb hummus for our appetizers, then got Curry Yogurt Marinated Chicken with Israeli Salad and red Onion Parsley Salad for our mains, and finished with Petite Beurre (Shortbread Cookies, Whipped Cream, Shaved Dark Chocolate) for dessert. The appetizers and main course were good but not amazing, and the portions were very small for the price. The dessert was very light. I thought it needed more chocolate because it basically just tasted like whipped cream. Service was okay in the beginning but then slow after we received our entrees. The decor was cute though, and the ambiance was nice, quiet and suitable for a casual or slightly nicer than casual meal. read more

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Amazing food, nice staff. Great World Cup prep! Always again and recommend. Also good location next to shopping

I finally got to try Hamsa after hearing a lot about it, and I was not disappointed! I got to try a bunch of things with the $25 lunch prix-fixe meal. Here's what I loved: 1. The pita bread was fluffy and so delicious, especially with the lamb hummus. Crispy pieces of lamb nestled atop house made hummus? Mmm chef's kiss. 2. My falafel sandwich was one of the best sandwiches I have had in a long time. They definitely didn't skimp on the portion size, and all of the fillings are complementary to each other. Obsessed. 3. I tried a few forkfuls of my lunch companion's carrots harissa and baba ganoush... also delicious. I also liked her chicken skewer but she mentioned that some pieces were dry. Overall, a great experience. Our server was always around but never hovered. The inside of the restaurant was bright and cute-- I can't wait to go back! read more

Hamsa - Lunch menu - Mediterranean Near Me - Houston, Texas

I made reservations to celebrate the holidays with a lparty of 10. We got there a few minutes early and ordered some cocktails which were delicious. We were seated promptly and were assigned one server Four of us arrived before the other six and asked some questions about the menu. The server did not ask whether we were first timers or bothered to explain their menu. The menu is very confusing and does not have the standard appetizer, entrée, dessert, format. We wanted to order the Hamsa experience which we thought was an appetizer sampler to be shared by the table. We asked the server how it worked and she said we got hummus and falafel with a skewer each and got to pick one more side dish each. So far so good. Two of us ordered this Hamsa experience. We then received one large hummus and two small baba ghanoush and Lebaneh to share amongst the two. When we were done with that, the server came and asked us if we were ready to get our entrée. I said we did not order any entrée to which she said, "oh your skewers are the entrée." This was super confusing. I had to ask the manager to come and explain to us why we are paying $45 or $50 for one skewer but got only one set of small side dishes. He said we should've had five side dishes. Anyway, there is a lot of opportunity to improve clarity of their menu here .Some of us tried to order some appetizers, but they came in a small dipping sauce type dish. We could not figure out how to order appetizers to share. They also kept on bringing us two pitas which were not enough for party of 10 to share. The server never told us that we were not ordering enough food to share. Now for the positive, the food was excellent. Everything came out hot and delicious including the pitas. Somehow, we did not know how to order the food and did not get enough food to eat. The manager said he made some adjustments to our bill and I think he did but that was not what we were expecting. The customer experience can be improved by simply providing better service. read more

Dog friendly, outdoor patio in the heart of rice village! Really great atmosphere at this restaurant and friendly service. We ordered a number of different appetizers as well as the Branzino entree. All dishes were very good. The pita bread was very fresh. My favorite dish was the cauliflower couscous, roasted cabbage and shaved tomatoes, and feta. While they had many meat dishes, the restaurant is very vegetarian friendly. Highly recommend reservations given how busy it is. There is a car park nearby where the first two hours is free parking. read more

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Ribeye skewers (not pictured) were the table favorite. Highly recommend ordering at least 2 for a table of 4. Would have swapped out the chicken schwarma for another rib eye skewer. The choose 5 dips came with fresh pita bread. The squash tahini, muhamara and harissa carrots were amazing. Labneh was not as tasteful, maybe because the flavor didn't blend well with the other choices we made. The lamb hummus is wonderful. Again another highly recommended item. Almost every main dish we ordered had a layer of hummus painted on the plate. It felt a bit repetitive, was hoping to see a more unique flavor depending on the dish. The dessert, chocolate nemesis, dark chocolate thick fudge-like cake with chocolate havlar on top was extremely enjoyable. read more

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Food is very tasty with a great, dimly lit ambience. They have all kinds of seating arrangements to accomodate for different types of parties - whether you're on a date, out with some co-workers, with your family, or with a party, Hamsa has a table for you. Service is good and professional! I just feel that the price for the portion is a bit steep. The Chicken Thigh Kebab was $28 and the Kebab was $30. I will say the Falafels are really good! read more

Hamsa - Chicken Skewers - Mediterranean Near Me - Houston, Texas

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We stumbled into this lovely place Easter afternoon. Looking to kill time, we approached the bar for a couple of cocktails. The ladies were very inviting. We started off with a couple of martinis, and felt the buzz of the restaurant. As we sipped, we quickly noted that we would be coming back to try several dishes that seemed appetizing. read more

Hamsa - Mediterranean Near Me - Houston, Texas

The food was absolutely amazing! The Lamb Hummus's phenomenal! I highly recommend it!

We sat outside on the terrace even though it was December. The food was so good, we got the prix fix lunch, and it was a ton of food! I love that you get to pick your favorite spreads, though I confess we had to look up a few. Our server was good, but the real winner here is the food. read more

Hamsa - pickled vegetables, Harrisa, and feta and tomatoes Baba Ganoush - Mediterranean Near Me - Houston, Texas

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Amazing journey of Israeli food with the Yalla Yalla menu. $75/person and five delicious courses all adhering to dietary needs was a wonderful experience for a first time diner at Hamsa. Our waiter, Francisco, was helpful, honest, and great at explaining what we were eating, served, and what was next - to keep our anticipation ripe. Due to my husband and my delectable experience with the Saltim dips, pita, lamb, octopus, and Pierre Buerre dessert, I recommended Hamsa for a future business meal. Within a week, several of my colleagues dined here and had the same delicious experience, even with the HRW lunch menu. Can't wait to return! read more

Hamsa - Saltimi - Mediterranean Near Me - Houston, Texas

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Came here for lunch last week. Restaurant was 1/2 full but service was super slow. We ordered from HRW menu. The chicken took over 35 min to be served The restaurant knew they were late but not server nor management came to let us know why. They had a server brought French fries claiming is complimentary. We sent it back since we don't eat it. It didn't have a good experience last time. Decide to come back and give them a chance but apparently it was the same bad service. Food wasn't exceptional neither. read more

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Excellent food! Attentive service. Nice ambiance. Visiting Houston for the first time. Trying out the many unique cuisines. They're super delicious. Wait staff are great. Always anticipating your every need. Love it. read more

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Beautiful restaurant. Good food. The service was a little slow when we went for lunch on a Friday but very friendly. We ordered off the HRW menu and tried almost everything. My favorites were the lemon tahini, lamb hummus, and the petite beurre for dessert. I had the chicken thigh skewer for my entree - the chicken was very well cooked but the flavor wasn't mind-blowing. It came with a side of the Israeli salad which was refreshing and nicely balanced. The only thing I didn't like was the dark chocolate halvah because it was too peanut-y, although others at my table liked it. read more

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Badolina and Hamsa is a two-in-one with a beloved bakery alongside a unique Israeli restaurant. My personal highlight of the bakery was the quiche, a true standout with a perfect buttery crust and rich filling. (You could hear me say where's the quiche in the third clip) However what really stood out was the Israeli cuisine, with an array of authentic and flavorful dishes like shawarmas, falafel, and creamy hummus. Food 9/10 Service 8/10 Ambiance 9/10 read more

Kind of a disappointment? I've heard so many great things about this restaurant and came here for a work dinner. Got to try all of their koobideh (beef/lamb/chicken) which were alright, nothing special, especially given price is is pretty steep. Tahdig was also almost inedible... Service was great though and nice atmosphere. Packed on a Friday night! read more

I've had this on my list to visit and so happy I was able to! I went on a Thursday and was able to watch the live belly dancing and it was a fantastic time! The food was great! The lamb hummus was 10/10, and the pita bread was 11/10!!!!! So good, soft and fluffy. I ordered the shrimp dish which wasn't as the previous Yelp pictures, I didn't realize it was a whole shrimp with head and tail on. It came in an amazing sauce! I'd definitely go back again to try more of the menu. read more

Hamsa - Menu - Mediterranean Near Me - Houston, Texas

I checked out Hamsa for the first time for my birthday dinner and I'm glad I did. I made a reservation a few days prior for 6:30. Located in Rice Village, you can find two-hour complimentary parking in the parking structure across the street from the restaurant. As we walked in, I noticed that Hamsa had a fresh and modern vibe with a nice patio. We ended up sitting indoors and I was excited to try this Israeli restaurant---not a type of cuisine that is easy to find in Houston. After ordering a bottle of wine, we started off with five dips and they were all delicious. They're served with fresh pita bread which was fluffy and perfect to soak up the various dips. From there, I went with the steak which is served with turmeric potatoes. Perfection on a plate. The smashed potatoes were crispy and well-seasoned. The steak was cooked right as I asked at a medium rare and came with a delectable sauce. Service was solid and they were nice enough to provide us with complimentary prosecco for my birthday. We're talking three glasses for everyone at the table. That was generous. And I preferred it over a dessert as I was stuffed at that point. They even walked around and handed out free shots to everyone---a combination of Arak (Israeli liquor) and a mixer. It was the perfect evening to commemorate my birthday. read more

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Its Israeli, so 3 stars is given cause its home. Ambience- great, service- bit slow but that was busy night. Food, well frankly average..iys pretentious indeed, tasty at times but hardly special or " elevated" . Probably would tank in Tel-Aviv read more

This was an excellent experience. The service and food were outstanding. The chef visited out table, shared special dishes and it was an absolute great experience. I do recommend and will visit again. read more

Hamsa - Inside - Mediterranean Near Me - Houston, Texas

Delicious food and great service on the patio from Matilda. We got the prix fixe, cocktails, nice whiskey, and dessert. Thanks Matilda!

Hamsa exceeded expectations from start to finish! We came as a party of 12 with reservations and they were very accommodating. The interior of Hamsa is beautiful and has the perfect intimate birthday ambiance. Israeli food isn't something the group was very familiar with, but the drinks, appetizers, and entrees were all great. I personally tried their Jerusalem mule, falafel, shishito peppers, lamb hummus, lamb/beef kebab, baladi eggplant, and octopus. The Jerusalem mule was very unique because it used an Israeli liquor called Fig Arak which had a very star anise kind of taste. All the food came out hot/fresh and tasted authentic from what we could imagine. The Middle Eastern flavors really shine through at Hamsa. I don't remember our waiter's name, but he was polite and accommodating. I'd say the only slight down side to Hamsa is that it's definitely on the pricier end. These high end prices are probably a result of being in a prime location within rice village though. Overall, Hamsa made for a great birthday dinner. I'd highly recommend it for those wanting a taste of Israeli food. read more

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Food was good. SERVICE was HORRIBLE. We waited for 15 min after sat down to get a glass of water and place an order. This place is chronically understaffed. The mens restroom was dirty and had used paper towels all of the bathroom. I was embarrassed to bring my friends here. The table next to us was also upset at the lack of service. HIRE MORE PEOPLE! read more