This place is truly a gem. Best Persian food in the area. And that's saying a lot since there are…read moremany excellent Persian restaurants in the Baltimore area. Everything on the menu is fantastic! Get the hummus app. Get kabobs... any kind. Also try the Khoresh!

So happy we decided to stop here for dinner. My family and I were headed to Towson for a franchised…read moreexperience when we saw the highly rated but physically nondescript Villagio Cafe. Villagio is of the cadre of restaurants bringing other worlds to homes in America. Mr girls had never had Persian food but the basmati rice and flavorful tender kebabs were familiar. We loved the hummus and mast-o-khyar, the Anneslie family tour entree and the saffron pistachio ice cream. We even took an extra order home. Will absolutely be back, and highly recommend. Or server was attentive, kind and helpful. The ambiance was intimate, clean and cozy!

My go-to spot for authentic Mediterranean food in Baltimore…read more I like to order online and pick up my food to go usually, but I have also dined in. It's a bit dark and outdated inside, and they do not sell alcohol. Their shawarma is great, I love their chicken shawarma wrap with fries. They also have a mint lemonade which is extremely refreshing.

Pleasantly surprised! I always walked passed Zaatar and never stopped in but we needed a later…read moredinner the other day and with Zaatar being one of the only spots open (why does everything close so early in Baltimore!?) we stopped into Zaatar. I had the mixed shish grill and truly enjoyed it! I am not typically a steak or lamb person but both the steak and lamb shish kabobs were great! Service was on point and friendly and the ambiance was perfectly casual.

Tandori Kabab is tucked away in the otherwise very busy area of Golden Ring. It sits right on the…read morecorner of Philadelphia Road and Rossville Blvd. The restaurant itself is simple and clean. It's not fancy, but it's simply decorated and a good place to catch lunch. I looked at the menu before I arrived and called in my order. I settled on the boneless chicken tandoori meal. I also requested the green chatni (chutney?) sauce. It came with stewed curry chickpeas, salad, basmati rice & naan. I got the garlic naan and I believe it's an up charge for the garlic version. They give you two big pieces, which could be saved for a quick sandwich the next day. I was less than ten minutes away from the restaurant, so there was a bit of a wait for my meal to be prepared. After about ten minutes, everything was ready. When I got home, I was so excited when I pulled the container from the bag. The aromas of garlic, spices and flavors filled my home. I poured the chatni sauce over my chicken, rice and salad. It was all so amazingly delicious. The chicken was ridiculously tender and flavorful. The salad was simple and fresh. And the stewed curry chickpeas were surprisingly very tasty! I normally do not like consistency of raw/uncooked chickpeas, but in this meal, they were so very good! With tip, the meal came to about $28. A bit on the pricier side, but not a huge shock with the current state of the economy. The servers and host were accommodating and very kind. I would absolutely go back!

Food - I ordered the Tandoori Chicken Leg Platter which includes Tandoori chicken leg, Rice, Naan,…read moreChickpea curry, salad and yoghurt chutney. The chicken was cooked perfectly and delicious. Naan was slightly chewy but it was great for scooping up with chickpea curry. I also had the Chicken Seekh Kabob and it was well seasoned and tender inside. Lastly, the mint chutney it was okay, didn't really like it the yoghurt in the chutney was too tangy for my taste. Service - I ordered the food in store and the food was ready in almost 15-20 mins. The restaurant was clean and had good sitting area, but I would prefer takeout. Overall I would rate 9/10 for this food!

Pleasantly pleased with my first Persian experience…read more Just off Joppa Road no the eastern edge of Towson is a massive complex built just for shops. In the sea of massage parlors, tanning salons, and laundromats is a Orchard Market & Cafe, serving up authentic Persian cuisine for 35+ years and counting. Had the fam visiting sis in nearby Pikesville. When we come down she always picks somewhere off the beaten path, something unique. This visit was no exception. Having never tried Persian food, I was excited to try something completely new. In this case, it was new yet also familiar. It's kind of like a mix between Indian and Mediterranean. You've got your assortment of stews and grilled meats infused with saffron, cardamom, and turmeric served of course with a side of basmati rice. The Mediterranean influence can be seen in their homemade hummus and use of fresh fruit and vegetables. There is perhaps no better example than the Mango Pear Salad with cucumbers, tomatoes, mango, pear, Bulgarian feta and pomegranate vinaigrette. If you're feeling up for some true Persian fusion, you can't go wrong with Spicy Kermani Beef, which features succulent filet mignon sauteed with mushrooms and pepperoncinis in a zesty tomato garlic curry sauce. Everything in that brief description is right up my alley, and usurpingly the meal did not disappoint. Service was on point from start to finish, the finish being a tall glass of Persian saffron ice cream. Now this was truly a first for me, as I've never had anything like this in my life. The taste can be described as earthy, slightly floral and very aromatic. Rosewater adds the floral notes, while the saffron gives it the signature golden-yellow color and luxurious scent. Definitely a one-of-a-kind flavor that I highly suggest trying. The dining room is cozy with some neat pieces of art resembling ancient Middle Eastern artifacts adorning the walls. All in all I'm glad we got to try cuisine that doesn't have much representation in this neck of the woods.

My wife found this unassuming little Persian restaurant in Towson. It is small but cozy. Apparently…read moreit's been around for more than 10 years. The food is delicious. The grilled meats were well seasoned. The portion sizes are generous. We ordered 2 different dishes and shared them. The saffron ice cream with pastry and sour cherries was heaven. Do not skip this dessert when you go here.

We were served immediately and with kindness by the server. Between the 3 of us, we all chose…read moremostly vegan options and all were quite delicious AND affordable. The pasta dish reheats well on the second day and the eggplant was cooked perfectly. Thank you!

If I lived in this location, this restaurant would be one of my go to's. The food was delicious…read more The place is smallish, but comfortable and well appointed. I'm not sure that I would order the same dish again because the menu looks so good that I would want to explore. I definitely recommend if you are in the area to try this location.

Stand outs: hummus, falafel, cucumber tomato salad, portion sizes!…read more Casual setting and BYOB Kind owner and service! Highly recommend! Especially if you're vegetarian!! So many options!!

i love this place but everytime i order lamb chops & added a note & Called them To make cook em…read morewell done they still send it with blood on it. I don't understand what's the issue with cooking it a little longer I just spent $78 today to receive unfully cooked lamb chops

Shah halal is great! Love my middle eastern food and I'm so happy that there is a solid chicken and…read morerice place close by. The location is pretty prime; it's at a busy intersection where they can get a lot of business. Parking looks small but there are spots in the back. The interior is new; i did take out but it looks super nice and spacious. The food is ok point... Got a chicken, lamb and, kofta. Surprisingly... Kofta was the most delicious. I thought I would love the classic chicken but the kofta has such great blend of herbs and spices that it's incredibly flavorful. I would love to get their falafel next. Also interesting that they have the classic American fried foods; options for everyone I guess Come support this place! It's great

The tastiest Gyro in town, trust me, been looking for a while…read more It works like Chipotle. You tell them whether you want a bowl or a Gyro, you choose your proteins and your toppings, easy peasy. The folks working there are very nice and the food is very fresh and tasty. I've been back three times already.

Amazing! Amazing! Amazing! Everything was made fresh so it…read morewas about 15-minute wait but that's ok, I took the opportunity to look around the market. I picked up a few things. We got a medium Falafel sandwich and a Shawarma sandwich. Wow. Delicious. I actually may have liked the Falafel just slightly better but both were excellent. I also got an extra garlic sauce on the side... just love. Until next time.

I feel like I found a favorite near us. It's not one of those places where I would travel to, but…read moreif you're relatively close to Urbana, it's worth a stop. It's a small mart that specializes in middle eastern Mediterranean cuisine and ingredients. They place does not have seating inside, but plenty of seating outside. So plan on either take out or picnicking. They make the food right as you order so things are fresh. The part I really liked about this place was that the sauces were not overly salted - to increase shelf life - and the amount of oil/butter was not overly used to try to mask the ingredients. It's more on the "let the ingredients speak for itself" which I really dig. In the end, you don't feel heavy after the meal and you feel like you had a hearty and healthy meal. My favorite was the lamb shawarma. He toasts the outside pita and it gives it a nice crunch. The lamb is fresher than other places and he doesn't over season it to hide the lamb smell. Other places - if you notice - tends to use cumin a lot of mask the lamb smell. Not here though. The falafel sandwich was okay. It was colder than the lamb shawarma. But the falafels were made right there in front of you. I got the sujuk sandwich too (which is a type of sausage). It was a breakfast burrito basically. Our order took 20 mins to make and he makes it right when you order. So be prepared to stay there and peruse around. Some ingredients there were interesting. The one thing that caught my eye was a bottle of pomegranate molasses. He sells it close to 50% what Harris Teeter would charge and he has various brands of pomegranate molasses. I use pomegranate molasses to make grenadine for cocktails. Also has orange blossom and rose water (also both used for cocktails) I like this place and the guy is nice and sweet.