I stopped in here on a very busy weekend in downtown Charleston. The atmosphere was quiet and relaxing and I nice respite away from King St. This appears to be a family owned business and everyone was so nice and attentive. They were very helpful with my questions concerning my gluten allergy. They were able to confirm what was gluten free but it is also clearly marked on the menu. The food was fresh and amazing. The hummus is homemade. I had chicken Lula and it was really well seasoned and some of the best I've ever tasted. The only downside was the price. It was quite pricy for a lunch but with that being said, I would still return for more of their food. I just wish I could have tried more of it. read more

The absolute best falafels I have ever had in my life! I love falafel and have have them frequently in restaurants ranging from fine to casual dining. What really separates these falafels is the robust range of spices and complex flavor into the traditional falafel, texture and flavors. The falafel appetizer platter came with four pieces and they were basically gone as soon as they arrived to the table as our entire family ate immediately. Including our pickiest eating family member, who enjoyed theirs too! Exceptional! The halloumi is fantastic and cooked perfectly. It had a nice seasoning on top of it which differentiated it from others I have had before. Everyone at our table enjoyed it. It came with four pieces. The grape leaves were a delight. They had a more robust complex flavor palette than Greek style grape leaves. They were served warm, however they were not dried out like sometimes grape leaves are when they're brought to a table warm. These were beautifully seasoned and had nice moisture to them. The size of each was about that of a ring finger. I can not remember hot many pieces were on the plate but it was more than 4. We ordered the chefs hummus with the pine nuts and pomegranate seeds. It was delicious and a great texture. Pretty much par for the course. My entrée was the Mujadra lentil and rice dish. The flavors were absolutely phenomenal. At first, I was thinking about getting the lentil soup for lunch, but then decided to try under the vegetarian section of the menu the lentil plate. The lentils and rice were placed in a circle mold on the plate. With pretty pieces of salad coming out from four different places. There were pine nuts, chopped, and placed a top of the rice and lentils. Everyone at the table tried my dish and even though we all four have very different favorite flavors and foods everyone agreed it tasted phenomenal and was absolutely delicious. Another family member ordered the lentil soup. They really enjoyed that and they also took some rice off of their spouse's plate and put it in the lentil soup which was a nice pairing. Spouse had the beef kebab cooked, medium rare. The temperature on the kebab for cooking was absolutely perfect! The texture pinkness, and overall cooking was beautifully done to a true medium rare. He had french fries as his side those were just as perfectly cooked as everything else that came out of the kitchen of this restaurant. They were nice and crisp with a good flavor. Three of our four family members tried and agreed they were very nicely done fries crispy all around and not floppy soft. Another family member ordered the Shish Tawook. They were completely in love and smitten with the garlic sauce that came with it. It is divine and tastes beautiful on the chicken. Rice was beautifully cooked as well. The accompaniments of lettuce, pita and oil was delicious. Dessert was baklava. Like every other part of the meal, we had it had a really nice blend of spices and flavor to it. We got it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. All of the desserts on the menu are made in house. One of our family members doesn't tend to like homemade ice cream however she liked this ice cream because she thought the texture was really brilliant for it being made in house at a restaurant. The baklava comes with three pieces. I would love for them to open a restaurant near where we live. If we lived here we would come in 2-3 times a week. Near the end of our meal, we heard some of the restaurant team speaking with another table of regulars. We overheard that they were short staffed that day as someone had called in. We never absolutely would not have guessed that. They seamlessly checked on our table, brought everything out in a timely manner, and none of the plates were hot like they had been sitting at expo waiting to come out to the table for a while. It was wonderful hospitality, with great care and checking in. Our server was a sweet and attentive person. Simply removing plates as we finished and refilling drinks. No one at our table was in want or need of anything as he kept it all well filled. I think the biggest compliment I can give is one family member always has room for dessert. They loved their meal in the appetizer so much they could not have any dessert. Which coming from them a huge dessert person is quite the praise. read more

See all

Authentic Lebanese food run by a lovely family. Excellent service. Welcoming to families with young children... Must try the baklava! read more

Leyla - Baklava - Lebanese Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

We had a large group of 13 and made reservations at Leyla for a Saturday evening. We arrived a bit early but our large table was ready for us so we were seated right away. Some of us ordered drinks and appetizers. We had our orders taken pretty quickly and didn't wait too long to be served. I am a fan of Mediterranean food, and since we were in Charleston, I wanted to order seafood. We decided on the whole fish and Beef kabob. The fish was fresh but not meaty enough. I would have enjoyed a light dipping sauce of maybe vinegar which I didn't ask for, but I did ask for sumac which helped. The beef kabob was okay, but we have had beef kabob just as good or better for less. The presentation of the food was really pretty but for me it doesn't really justify the price. read more

See all

Really delicious food, great vegan and non-vegan options. The staff was so fun, helpful, and extremely attentive and caring. We had a great group dinner and I would definitely recommend read more

We came here on Christmas Day, so there was a limited, but excellent menu. The fried fish and lamb shanks are both extremely delicious! The baklava is also just amazing. A very tasty and enjoyable meal all around. read more

Leyla - Baklava! Yummy! - Lebanese Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

Try the Lebanese coffee with cardamon. But make sure it's early in the day it may keep you running for a few extra hours. The lamb shanks were the surprise hit of the meal. Don't waste the opportunity to try them. read more

Leyla - Lebanese Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

This restaurant is amazing! Went here for a birthday dinner, the food was delicious and the service was great! Such a fun spot to have a nice dinner! 5 stars! read more

Leyla - Lamb Shank - Lebanese Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

We saw this place on King Street nestled among many other boutique shops. I have limited choices because I'm both gluten and dairy intolerant. I called and they said they could easily meet my requirements on many dishes. So my wife and I went there for dinner. The staff was friendly and helpful. My wife ordered baba ghanoush and I ordered some veggies to eat along with that. I also ordered the lentil soup and the beef Shawarma main entrée. The soup was the best lentil of soup we've ever had and we've been to Lebanese restaurants in New York, Chicago and London and tried many places. It had just the right amount a flavor. It was not too salty and the texture was just great. The flavor was just alive with it My beef Shawarma was served with a tahini drip and rice, and that combination was nothing short of amazing. The tahini flavor just sang through the food and the beef was cooked to perfection. It had to have been the best beef Shawarma I've ever had. My wife shared it with me and just could not get over how good the flavor was. The owner came out and spoke with us, and she was so pleasant and described how she cooks every dish herself from scratch. Everything just had the right amount of flavoring and was not salty at all. We could not recommend this place any more than this. It was just fantastic and the next time we come back to Charleston, this will be visited again for dinner or lunch. read more

See all

Great place to celebrate a birthday! The staff were welcoming and accommodating, the drinks and food were phenomenal - OMG, the Seared Salmon was perfection, and the chill vibe was exactly what we were looking for. Yes, will definitely go again! read more

See all

Fantastic taste ambience and service The owner Leyla , who is also the chef , and treated our party like a family guest. There are not many vegetarian friendly restaurants in the area but Leyla had many on the menu . In true hospitality the chef was willing to make a couple more that were not on the menu. It was the best Mediterranean food I've tasted past! read more

Leyla - This delicacy, a dessert by name osmaliyeh , was made fresh in Laylas kitchen , but seemed it was designed in heaven . - Lebanese Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

See all

I was dubious because the restaurant was very empty on a Saturday evening but the food was delicious. It definitely had king street pricing because our entree was $50 which was frankly too high for what the food was. It was good, but very few meals are $50+tip good. The servers were very friendly and welcoming. read more

Leyla - Lamb Kebab - Lebanese Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

The evening was absolutely beautiful! The restaurant has an authentic Lebanese vibe that pairs with downtown Charleston. We had the best seat in the house, a quaint table by the window, perfect for an intimate date night. Our server was great, he recommended the eggplant and it was DELICIOUS! The spices and complex flavors were amazing! We also had the grape leaves and lentils, 10/10. I really loved that the gentleman walked us to the door, held the door as we left the restaurant, and told us to have a nice evening. Very nice touch! I highly recommend Leyla for date nights, gatherings with friends, or a solo date. read more

We hadn't been here in probably 8 years and remembered it fondly. Still, very friendly staff and decent food. The problem is the price, which is, quite frankly, absurd. $400 for a family of 5. Should have been half of that when you consider the quality, preparation, and presentation. read more

the most authentic cuisine without traveling to Lebanon. I've eaten in every country along g the Mediterranean (except Libya), and you won't find better anywhere. Their hummus is to die for, and the lamb is perfection. don't forget to save room for the baklava. I make a point t of visiting Leyla's every time I come to Charleston. read more

One of my favorite places in Charleston! We had the Halloumi cheese for app and then shared the steak and chicken kabobs. Delicious as always! Andrew and Tino along with their family are amazing! Service is always excellent and decor is super cozy. Highly recommend! read more

Leyla - Lebanese Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

See all

Whew, this is a tough review to write. We started with stuffed grape leaves and hummus, I had the beef shawarma, my girlfriend did too, my daughter had the chicken. I wanted to love this place, and honestly it's pretty good food. The service was really weak, they only had two people there and one was the cook, o hope that was a temporary thing so I won't hold it against them. The problem was the prices. There is no way I should walk out of lunch for three at nearly $250. It's just completely unjustified especially for this meal. That's what a meal at Oak Steakhouse would have cost me, and this was not an analogue to Oak (or Hall's, or Burwell's, or any other $250 meal). I was legit appalled at the size of the bill when it arrived. Again, food was good, and if it was priced within reason this would easily be a 5 star experience. But these prices set an expectation that just was not met... common problem in Charleston. J.Ja read more

See all

Succinctly, the experience was overpriced for what we received. But for a bit more explanation: we were visiting Charleston, a place I once lived, for the holidays and decided to try Leyla Fine Lebanese Cuisine on our last night there. Many of the food Mediterranean places I liked when I lived there have closed down. But this spot had good reviews so I convinced my family to try it. For clarification, we love Lebanese food - and have had some of the best from DC, NY, and Texas. The food: we ordered the lamb kabob dinner, chicken kabob dinner, and the friend whole fish (bronzini). The cook on the lamb was done well. It was tender enough but it was not very much lamb (six medallions or so). The chicken was chicken. And the whole bronzini was surprisingly executed well. I had never had fried bronzini before so I was a bit surprised by how well they cooked it. The sauce that accompanied it was full of flavors and a touch of heat. A disappointment for watch dish was the rice. The rice wasn't the good basmati I'm accustomed to. It was a long grain but didn't appear to be what I've cooked and experienced elsewhere. They told me it was basmati before ordering. Oh and we ordered hummus. Almost forgot to review it because it was so forgettable. The sad dry cold pita they served with it was so tough and chewy. It was disgusting to be honest. Basically it cost us $190 for what I explained above (20% gratuity included although only three of us ate). I normally don't post low star reviews but I expected more from this place at that price. Larger quantities, better rice, warm pita, and maybe some tabbouleh on the menu would've changed this experience for us. I only saved one picture of the food - the bronzini (again it was pretty good). read more

Leyla - Fried whole bronzini - Lebanese Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

Leyla's is a true Charleston gem! This family owned spot serves up incredible Lebanese food. Our kibbeh and yogurt dishes were all packed with flavor. Leyla herself is so warm and welcoming; she will even customize your tabbouleh to the perfect amount of lemon. Her hospitality made us feel like part of the family. Don't miss this authentic and heartfelt dining experience and make sure to get the dessert! read more

Had a reservation and had to cancel. Called the restaurant over an hour before the reservation and was told "not a problem". A little while later I get notified that I am being charged $50 for cancelling! This is outrageous since I am sure that they will fill the table and that they didn't mention a fee when I cancelled. While we were excited to try their food, we will NEVER go there if this is how they treat their customers! read more

I came here on a Saturday night and was seated immediately. The owner of the restaurant is so kind and I love how involved she is. We had ordered the Lebanese salad, hummus, and chicken lula. Hummus is tasty and creamy - I loved the pita! Chicken lula was delicious and came with a side of what I was told garlic butter. That garlic butter rocked! Lebanese salad was a nice refresher after the chicken lula. read more

See all

It's been a while since I have been here and it's still as great as it ever was. The menu is significantly smaller than what it used to be. Which is absolutely fine. The classics are still on the menu. Leyla herself is doing all the cooking, and she personally comes out to greet everyone and ask how the meal is. I took my friend who had never been here before and she was absolutely blown away. We had the kibbeh and chefs hummus for appetizers. I had the shish taouk and she had the Lebanese moussaka. Everything was just perfect. This is such a gem in the middle of busy King Street. It's definitely a must go to! read more

See all

The food was outstanding. Falafel, Hummus, Haloumi was presented artistically and delicious. Some of our group had Shrimp kabab and chicken Lula was outstanding. The dessert was out of the world. Home made pistachio ice cream. Osmallieh will be our repeat trip special. The baklava was great. Highly recommend Leyla named after the chef. read more

Delicious, friendly, sadly completely empty when we went for dinner; high mark-up on wine but food was great.

Please let me start with I have been in the restaurant business for over 30 years as a chef and owner. I choose this restaurant because I tickets to an event and was in a hurry. I don't know who wrote these other reviews but they must have been family.First we ordered the humus they gave us about a 1/2 cup of mashes chickpeas that all that is for $15 food cost must have been at least $1.00 . My wife had a iceberg lettuce salad with 1/2 chopped tomato and some cucumber for $20 if you added chicken took it up to $36 WOW glad we didn't get that.I order the Sharma that's what they called it sliced top round worth about $4.00 shoe leather for $34 with a cup of rice. No drinks 20% tip added 11% tax $98 You figure it out, read more

Family owned, Lebanese rooted menu restaurant. It is a place where top notch and delicious food meets excellent service. The restaurant is authentic and totally run by a family. The chef personally went out to our table twice to ensure the food was cooked to our liking. A very wonderful woman. Our table ordered multiple plates, and everyone loved what they got. Atmosphere is nice and great for dates, friends, or family. Nestled in a very nice shopping street in Charleston. read more

See all

We were so happy to find some delicious, healthy, Mediterranean Food here in Charleston, SC. The staff at Leyla really made us feel welcome and at home, everyone was super friendly and attentive. read more

See all

Excellent & everything! The taste of Lebanon is located in this restaurant! A must try if you want authenticity! Service & ambiance are excellent! read more

See all

Wow, what an exceptional meal we had at Leyla. Brilliant authentic Lebanese food in a very comfortable fine dining atmosphere. We had the Hummus, Baba Ghannouj, and Fattoosh to start. All were wonderful and authentic. Next we had the Artichoke; wow! If you like artichoke this is one of the best, but if you've never had one then try it here. Really is fun to eat. My wife then had the Lamb Kabob, tender delicious, like my grandmother would make. For dessert we finished with Osmanlieh. Maybe the best dessert we've ever eaten and certainly the best in Charleston. Overall great experience with kind and attentive service. Highly recommended! read more

Leyla - Osmanlieh - Lebanese Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

See all

If we would have known they were going to be serving their Valentine's Menu all weekend, we would have chosen another place. The selection was subpar. The food was well cooked, however being Lebanese and eating kabobs with plain rice and a side of iceberg lettuce with tomatoes, which had no flavor was kind of a disappointment. Especially for the price. Who serves wet veggies over a piece of bread? How or why would you want to each soggy pita bread? Not sure how this got voted the number one Lebanese Restaurant, unless it's the only one. Plus, we made an online reservation and they didn't even have us in their system. I read more

Dining at Layla was a delightful experience, with incredible dishes, a lively ambiance, and the most professional service. Sharing this moment with loved ones was unforgettable. read more

Everything from the moment you walk through the door felt like home...with a touch of elegance! I had the lamb skewers and my date had the lamb shank, both were cooked to perfection. The staff was so friendly and offered great recommendations for a dessert I've never seen on a menu anywhere in Charleston. The Osmanlieh with a scoop of pistachio ice cream...was a party for the tastebuds and the best dessert I've had around town. The chef truly put her heart and soul into each dish. Highly recommend this place. read more

Leyla - Head Chef - Lebanese Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

We loved eating here the last time we were in Charleston a couple of years ago (pre-covid). So we made sure to visit again while we were on a quick two-day trip, but unfortunately, the food wasn't the same. The falafel was pretty hard, the soup was ok, and the Mujadara rice we had was ok. I did love the cocktail, though! Overall just ok food. Why Leyla why? We spoke highly about you all these years to everyone we know, and we are so disappointed in the quality, flavor, and the quality plus ridiculous price increase. read more

See all

I recommend that you make reservations. Else you can expect a small wait. the service is very good. The wife ordered a princess jasmine. (i took a sip and it was great). it you like vodka, a hint of rose and slightly sweet/sour, this is your drink. I had the Byblos Zack... i don't know about you but I will pass on a sour bourbon next time. We then had the Falafel. we loved it 5 years back. they were slightly on the drier side than we remember from last time. The lentil soup was great. We finished it off with one of the two vegetarian entrees- Mujadara. It is extremely flavorful rice and lentils, served with salad. It was outstanding. The Rice Pudding was a great dessert to finish of the evening. it is a pricey restaurant ($$$) and the portions of each dish are good for one and stretch for two. Just an observation not a critique. and finally sorry for the "half plated" photos. remembered to take the snaps after the first bite (or a few) every time read more

See all

Charleston's buzziest downtown area houses this quiet place with Middle Eastern cuisine. I stopped in for lunch as it seemed the best place for a lentil soup and falafel in the area. These dishes weren't shy; my falafel was strongly flavored and came with salad and pickles. My lentil soup had some delicious pita croutons, and the soup itself carried a strong wine-like flavor. It wasn't was I was expecting, but I warmed on it. These definitely weren't basic dishes. It's a pricey place, but it is one of the likeliest spots in the city to be able to feed the vegetarian/vegan and other diets, and the food was worth a stop. read more

Leyla - Falafel Vegan Gluten Free - Lebanese Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

See all

We had been to a Greek restaurant the night before we came to Layla and we thought the Greek place was ok but every time I have Lebanese food it just reminds me that it's just VASTLY superior to any other "middle eastern" food out there and this place REALLY hammered that home. We walked in, it was later in the evening, but still pretty full. It seemed like all of the tables were just having a great time and from the smell of good things I knew we would too! We started our evening with Raki which is a Lebanese aperitif flavored with fennel, I believe. It's very licoricey if that makes sense? It's a spirit that is clear and colorless in the bottle but turns milky white when added to ice. It is perfection to have with meze, which are all the yummy things usually served at the beginning of a meal, for us meze was our meal. The tabouli was hand chopped parsley with a generous amount of tomatoes, olive oil and lemon. Some places make tabouli with a lot of bulgar wheat, which is fine, but it is a parsley salad, not a wheat salad. You always know that the kitchen is a bit lazy if you go into a Lebanese restaurant and there is way more bulgar in the tabouli than parsley. This one was absolutely excellent and very fresh. I love that they serve romaine leaves on the side so that you can roll it up in them. Baba ganoush is a roasted eggplant dish that is magnificent when made right, smoky and delicate from the roasted eggplant or really boring and bland if the eggplants haven't been cooked properly. This baba was AMAZING and really made all the more interesting with the pomegranate jewels that garnished it. We absolutely loved it! Hummus here was also so delicious and homemade (as it should be everywhere!), garnished with whole chickpeas. Perfect amounts of lemon, garlic and tahini and light as air. We made short work of it! Falafel is something that I will always get at a Lebanese restaurant because I just don't fry food at home. I make a good baked one but it's just not the same. These were delicious, crispy on the outside, perfectly seasoned and drizzled with tahini sauce and served over fresh veggies. Simply delightful. Our last dish was fried kibbeh. Kibbeh is ground meat (usually beef) massaged with spices, herbs and cracked wheat. It can be served raw or fried and this was the fried version. We were told that they can do special orders of the kibbeh niyah (raw kibbeh) if you give them 2 days notice and we will definitely do that the next time even though these were just mouthwatering. The kibbeh were formed individually into this cool traditional shape and fried and were just amazing, especially with that sauce (yogurt and tahini w other yummy stuff, I think). Most folks I know who do them at home don't fry it anymore because no one fries in the house and they usually make them in a pan because it's easier than forming them individually like you see here. When we go back to Charleston we will ABSOLUTELY go back to Layla! I forgot to mention how sweet the people are! We sat at the bar and we're just treated so very well. We loved every minute of our experience here and will be back! read more

See all

Overall, a good experience. What hurts this place going in, is that shawarma and falafel are essentially cheap street food. There's a handful of places in Charleston that sell this kind of food, but they're all food trucks or fast casual. So if you want this genre of food at a nice sit-down restaurant, you have to justify $32-45 a plate plus the hassle of downtown parking. Pros: service was top notch. We were really treated wonderfully. Shawarma had great flavor. Very well rounded. Leb salad was delish, bright and crunchy. Cons: we got a Mission flour tortilla instead of a homemade pita which is unacceptable at this price point. Falafel was overcooked. Should be pillowy soft, easily cut with the side of a fork, but ours spent 30 seconds too long in the fryer. read more

In a city full of fine cuisine, this is probably my favorite restaurant in Charleston. It's family run and it makes you feel like you're part of it. And of course, the food is absolutely superior. Everything is made from scratch, made to order and comes out perfectly. After visiting just a couple of times they make you feel like you've been going there for years. Top recommendations are the spicy hummus and my new favorite dessert osmalieh! Do yourself a favor and treat yourself to the best meal you'll have in a long time!!! read more

Friendly staff, but absolute tourist trap. Average food for way too much $. Empty on a busy weekend for good reason.

Leyla is a below average restaurant. The quality of the food is average, the portion size is small, the price is extremely expensive. You will pay $46 for 4 tiny pieces of chicken and half a piece of bread. We ordered 3 entrees. All of the entrees were bland, and the serving size was very small especially for the price. The total came out to over $150 If you pay $150+ food, it should at least be seasoned and be enough to feed one person. Overall, Leyla is overpriced and uninspired. Do yourself a favor and go somewhere else. There are plenty of good restaurants on King Street. read more