We tried Zaki Mediterranean Grill in Lexington for lunch and it's one of those hidden gems you…read morealmost drive past but end up thinking about afterward. The food tasted incredibly fresh and homemade -- flavorful shawarma, creamy hummus, warm pita, and authentic Mediterranean flavors that don't feel watered down or commercialized. The owner was genuinely kind and welcoming, and you can tell he cares about the food and the people coming in. It's a small, cozy spot, but the flavor is huge. Portions are generous, prices are reasonable, and everything tastes made with care. If you love authentic Mediterranean food, this place is absolutely worth trying. Lexington has some great local restaurants, and Zaki definitely deserves more attention.  I had the chicken shawarma and it didn't disappoint! The hummus was so fresh. My husband had the lamb shawarma.

This is a tiny place! There are three small tables inside. The young man who was there was so…read moresweet. He was patient while my mom looked at the menu. We placed our order and it was prepared very quickly. We loved the lamb wraps. The seasoned fries were delicious. The baklava, OMG! It is crispy, flaky and moist. All at the same time. It's not overly sweet which makes it an absolute favorite for me. The next time we are in the city, we will be back!!!

The Parthenon in Danvilke, KY has a variety of Mediteranean / Greek Style Foods. I do recommend it…read morefor a nice Take-Out Lunch or Dinner.

We were really excited to find some Greek food an hour from home....well, don't bother!…read more They served us tasteless, totally bland food! Well except for the "souvlaki" which wasn't souvlaki at all, but just some BURNED pork...very dry-never marinated. This place is a dumpster fire.

We have been here several times and have not been disappointed. The food is so delicious and fresh…read more We like to order the kebab platter for 3 and take home the leftovers. When the platter is brought to the table, it looks like it came out of a magazine, so colorful and plated nicely. There are so many different flavors on the platter that anyone can cater to their own taste. In addition, the woman that works at the front counter is always so nice and welcoming. And she is so patient with me and any questions that I have. I look forward to seeing her there when I come in! Mr. Shawarma is a welcomed change to the usual cuisine that I eat. And, my family is always busy, but I can always count on them making time to eat together if we go to Mr. Shawarma. That is the power of good food!

The weather was beautiful today so we decided to take a drive out to Nicholasville. I love…read moremediterranean/middle eastern food so I was happy to see Mr. Shawarma while driving through downtown Nicholasville. Mr. Shawarma is located on Main Street of Nicholasville, nestled across the street from the Nicholasville Christian church and the fire station. When we entered the restaurant, we were greeted with kind smiles and warm service. The service was great! The staff were very friendly explaining the options. I ordered the beef shawarma with rice, hummus and pickled vegetables, for my son chicken Tenders (2 piece) and fries and for my Mom, lamb kabob with rice and pickled vegetables. The food was delicious, hot and brought out very quickly. Try this restaurant if you would like flavorful food and awesome service.

After several years of meaning to go, a recent doctor appointment finally had me in the area during…read morelunch time. Let me tell you, it's a recurrent (every 2 weeks) appointment, and I'm about to make my 3rd trip to Sahara this week. Wonderful price for the amount of food you get. The first time I went I was only able to eat about half of my portion. So much chicken! I got the chicken shawarma, and my hubby got the chicken leg lunch special. Wonderful seasoning, well cooked, great hummus, great Greek salad... the pita bread was meh, but I'll forgive it because everything else was great. The inside isn't a 5 star restaurant, but it's serviceable! Good amount of seating. The staff are friendly, open to questions, and very nice overall. They like to keep the line moving, so don't dilly dally. Ha! Overall, I can see why this was one of my friends favorite restaurants, and it's definitely added into my Lexington rotation.

10/14/25 Sahara…read moreMediterranean is one of my go-to lunch spots, and I always make it a point to stop by whenever I can. Their lunch special is hands down the best deal around. I always double up on the garlic dip because it's seriously addictive, once you try it, you'll understand why! The food is always fresh and flavorful, and if you enjoy a bit of heat, definitely ask them to make it on a higher spice level. I usually get the lamb and beef shawarma at level 7, and it's absolutely perfect for me. The staff here are always so friendly and welcoming, and the whole place has a cozy, homey vibe that makes you feel comfortable right away. I also love the little store next door; they have some really unique items. If you're craving something sweet but want to avoid processed sugars, grab a pack of their dates. They're imported from Middle Eastern countries where they grow the best ones, and they taste so much better than anything you'd find at a regular grocery store. Sahara Mediterranean never disappoints. I'll definitely keep coming back, probably monthly, if not weekly!

Visiting Lexington and was looking for for something casual and tried Watan. Clean place in a good…read morelooking strip mall. Looking at the pictures on the menu I was wondering if o should order extra. I decided on a gyro platter and it was huge. I should back up. As I'm sitting waiting, they brought out a complimentary cup of lentil soup and it was delicious. Then the platter comes out it was an enormous portion. Also included hummus and cucumber yoghurt salad with a whole pita bread. Everything was delicious. Highly recommended.

This was my second time coming, and I brought my husband this time. There was a little bit of…read moreconfusion on our part that lessened the experience for us a little. My husband is obsessed with gyros and that's his favorite thing - there was a Shawarma plate that said it had steak, chicken and Gyro and what we thought that meant was that it was Shawarma and then there was a Gyro sandwich on the plate, but that wasn't the case. It was just the gyro meat. So that made my husband sad because he'd been looking to a Gyro all day. No fault to them, totally our misunderstanding. The food was delicious and the price was great. There are a couple of things I would like to see updated. When you get the Shawarma plate, everything comes on one plate and that means your salad is mixing with your hummus is mixing with your Shawarma. I would like to see the salad in a side bowl. The plate is so stuffed. It's hard to begin eating because everything is stuffed on there so tightly. I would like the salad in a separate bowl not just to avoid mixing but to allow me a little more room on my plate to begin eating. We will be back and I will probably request my salad in a side bowl in the future. The lentil soup is great and it comes complementary with the meal. I would also like to be able to buy a bigger bowl of that if I chose. I would also like the option of the fried bread pieces to sprinkle in my soup. I tried the cake, pistachio dessert, and that's the only thing I didn't care for too much. It was just very cakey and not my typical type of dessert. I would love to see them partner with Al Taj, and get some of the Dubai chocolate bars in for sale that would be awesome.

Full disclosure, as always: this was delivery/doordash. And that jacked the price up, which is…read morenot Athenian's fault. It also almost always affects the food, but overall I would call this 5/5 Greek. And it did arrive fast even after we ordered past 9 PM! I got the chicken gyro, extra meat. Chicken was juicy and moist. They did indeed give me a LOT of it. It was bursting out of the pita. Tons of fresh veggies included. The fries were crispy, could maybe have used a little more seasoning. Non-doordash without extra meat, is 11 dollars. You can get a combo with a side and a drink for 15 dollars (again, non DoorDash). My colleague got a gyro bowl, which he enjoyed. They allow you to build your own bowl, choosing grain or green, up to two dips, a protein, toppings, and dressing. Athena is the typical Greek restaurant (no insult meant by that). Usual suspects of spanakopitakia, falafel, Greek sausage, Greek salads, moussaka, chicken Santorini. They also have entrees like pastitsio, meatballs, grilled branzino, chicken Santorini, grilled lamb chops. They offer pasta and several other types of sandwiches. I enjoyed this spot, though would prefer it without the DoorDash next time. They have three locations in Lexington.

The Athenian Grill is small but flavor packed. We were greeted at the counter as soon as we walked…read morein by a super helpful young man. He was courteous, knowledgeable and welcoming! While we were waiting there was a steady stream of customers picking up their online orders. The staff was fast and efficient. There are no tables downstairs, but there are a few tables in a dining area upstairs. Everything was clean and bright! My husband ordered the Greek beef stew (Kokinisto) the beef was so tender you could break it apart with a plastic fork and swimming in a delicious red sauce. He chose lemon garlic potatoes and pita bread as his sides both were excellent! My son had the Avgolemono soup (a traditional Greek soup with chicken broth Arborio rice, egg, lemon and chicken) which he loved and an order of freshly made pita. I had the children's portion of Chicken Santorini in a sundried tomato mushroom sauce which was outstanding. The chicken was so tender that again it could be cut with a plastic fork and the sauce was heavenly. I had the roasted vegetables as my side to balance the calories from the rich sauce. Everything was wonderful and I highly recommend as a stop when you are in Lexington!

I was craving a yummy wrap, and I got just that! The guy who made my falafel wrap was so friendly…read moreand so generous! I loved my wrap and all the flavors. It absolutely satisfied my cravings ten fold!!

I told them to give me whatever they recommend with a side of hummus and it did not disappoint. The…read moreportions are HUGE. Enough for at least 2 or 3 meals! The hummus was the best I've ever had it was delicious! The service was great! They gave plenty of seating inside. I will be back for sure!

If there's a better lunchtime Mediterranean salad in Lexington, I haven't found it! Always fresh,…read morealways delicious, and quick turn around from order to delivery. The only thing better may be their quinoa bowl--but alternating these for lunch is highly recommended! Protein and fresh veg for days! And the dressing...I could drink it! Their Southland Dr location is close for a sit down lunch as well. Check them out!

my favorite restaurant in Lexington!! the food and service are great !!…read moreWe live Mediterranean food !! Thank you !