Mom and pop Lebanese restaurant. Transitioning to table service. Food was pretty good for what it was. Charging $6 for hot tea (Lipton tea at that) is a little beyond the pale. read more

I wanted to share my enthusiasm over this wonderful restaurant close to Northwest domain in Austin. This is my official elite account, and I was not sure if my review went through, but I'm taking the time to hope that everyone who reads this gets a chance to try out the wonderful food here. The salads are very fresh, the hummus dip comes with free warm bread, and the barbecue beef and lamb and chicken are done perfectly. I'm extremely impressed with the calm atmosphere inside, how clean it is and comfortable. It's also really nice that they offer free hot tea while you wait for your food. I'm planning on having a few small family parties here, I have a big family and I'm dead tired of washing dishes. I'm also sick and tired of staying inside and I am impressed with how they enforce COVID practices for the current pandemic, making KabobZi some thing I would like to return to again and again. I do not have to eat Halal food but I am learning to prefer the good quality of meats that are Halal, I think they simply taste much better and I love this place offers fully certified Halal meats. read more

Honestly Blown Away with Flavor!! This place is Amazing! Seriously though we loved the food here. The parking lot isn't the best as it's muddy, but the waitstaff was great...super polite and helpful with the menu. Baba Ganoush was Awesome. Strong smoky flavor with a hummus like texture, almost tasted like you were eating meat but its eggplant. It comes on a lot of the plates as a side but it makes a great appetizer as well. Veg Sampler was big. It was truly had a little bit of everything, but what stood out the most were the Fried Cauliflower and the Falafel balls. The Fried Cauliflower was unique and just plain freaking Delicious!! Gyro plate Only complaint is the pita bread...tastes bland and comes out kind of hard. Tastes like it is heated in a microwave. The restaurant would be a lot better if they changed where they get their pita bread from; doesn't taste like its made in-house and if it is, I'd recommend changing the recipe. Despite the pita bread, still 5-Stars! read more

This is a great hidden gem if you are looking for Libanese food or food that's close to the Turkish kitchen. They also have a parking lot outside which helps a lot for a restaurant in downtown. The interior is great and invites for a comfy and laidback dinner. The food I had was really delicious. Stuffed grape leaves and a gyros plate. While the staff is very friendly I had to remove one star. Half of a star has to be removed because the appetizers haven't been served at the same time. While my grape leaves are cold there was no need to bring them out before the Falafel which came together with the Entree. A better timing would have been great. Another half has been removed for an extended waiting time for a refill. Beside this is I really recommend that place and will be back for sure. read more

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The best gyro in years. I liked the gyro plate, it was big and delicious. The order came quick and the manager was friendly. Nice place, I would visit next time I am in Austin. read more

Phoenician Resto Cafe - Lebanese Near Me - Austin, Texas

The Phoenician and our server, Andrew were excellent. We got the mixed grill, everything tasted fresh, the rice was great, hummus authentic and everything was flavored well. We especially appreciated the help in finding the restaurant and the attentiveness of Andrew. We recommend and will be back when we're in Austin. read more

Phoenician Resto Cafe - Mixed grill, hummus, babaganoush, Greek salad, rice - Lebanese Near Me - Austin, Texas

Who doesn't want to enjoy a Mediterranean dinner while looking at frustrated commuters on I-35? Service was fairly fast and simple. They have a dedicated parking lot so you won't have to fight locals for spots on rainy street. I got the gyro entree. For the price, I would consider some other picks in Austin, but this wasn't bad. Tip: if you're on rainy, you can cut through the alley way to get here. I hope you have rain boots or yeti feet though. Tip two: eat here read more

Phoenician Resto Cafe - Gyro plate - Lebanese Near Me - Austin, Texas

Wow! I am in Mediterranean heaven! Authentic food, so flavorful & portioned just right.... Friendly service & clean restaurant. Instead of ordering an entree I decided to order several plates from the appetizer menu. Everything ordered was sooooooo good! Hummus, Lebanese moussaka (eggplant), fried cauliflower florets, falafel & salad read more

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Food is fiiire! Ethnic and very tasty, far from bland. Coming from someone who grew up on Lebanese food, i would highly recommend this spot over all the other Mediterranean restaurants in Austin. Zia's the owner was very hospitable and catered to our massive party of 20. Kelsey was also wonderful with her spectacular service! We enjoyed platters and hookah (argheeleh) read more

reading previous reviews, it seemed as though many were fake. Out of the thirty 5 star reviews, only 3 reviewers were actually from Austin. It made me super suspicious of the actual quality of the food. Surprisingly , the food was not only extremely fresh and clean but authentic at the same time. We shared the Phoenician starter plate... $4.00 for a pinch of thyme (Zaater), 4 olives and a spoonful of yogurt. While this might seem as a "steal," I personally wouldn't order it again. It's nor filling or worth the price. The olives were also not that fresh. So my suggestion is to go straight to the entree though i should admit the bread heater thing was neat We ordered three entrees: 1. Chicken shwarma plate 9.99 2.Falafel sandwich 7.50 3. Mixed grill 19.99 to my surprise, all of the entrees were excellent. The chicken shawarma plate was perfect. Even though i am huge fan of Kismet's shawarma, this entree might be a legitimate competitor. It had the right amount of spices and was perfectly cooked. Well worth the price even though it could of have been a bigger portion. My friend enjoyed his mixed grill. i had a bit and it was probably the best mixed grill plate that i have tasted at any of the middle eastern places in Texas. Though, it is very overpriced. I have been to basically every middle eastern restaurant/Lebanese place in Houston and Austin and I have never seen a mixed grill plate priced so high. The falafel sandwich at 7.50 was very good. My sister substituted her side with another of salad and was charged seperately for a regular size salad. No surprise from a middle eastern place. They nickel and dime you, but the food is so good that it almost makes it okay. the baklava was also excellent to my surprise. Overpriced, yes. Delicious? No doubt. This place does not cater to other Lebanese people or middle eastern people in this case, but it is truly authentic in the most important areas: the food. Lebenese food will always be the best part of the middle eastern cuisine and despite having just an ok experience in terms of service and prices, i must give credit where it's due. The food is excellent. I always hated when my friends would say "Lebanese food is the best." I argued that it's all Arab food. With my recent trip to Lebanon, I totally agree that Lebanese food is more fresh and overall tastes better. This restaurant forever supports my claim. Will i go again? Maybe for a special occasion. Was it worth what we paid? YES! read more

Phoenician Resto Cafe - Lebanese Near Me - Austin, Texas

Walking down Rainey we were looking for a bite to eat where we could sit down. We decided on this place figuring Mediterranean would be good and fairly healthy. It's small but quaint and we were seated right away. We wanted to have some wine and the waitress was willing to let us taste it to help us decide. The malbec was decent so we went ahead with the bottle. I decided on the kabob plate which comes with your cover of 2 sides. I chose hummus and greek salad. The hummus was really fresh and yummy and the Greek salad was also very good. My plate came with 1 beef kabob and 1 lamb kabob. The meat was flavorful and really tender. We asked for naan which was complimentary but did not taste authentic or fresh. That was kind of disappointing considering how tasty everything else was. I would try this again if i was in the area but i wouldn't make a special trip across town. read more

Phoenician Resto Cafe - Starters - Lebanese Near Me - Austin, Texas

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This is by far one of the best Middle Eastern restaurants I have eaten at in all of Austin. I've tried a handful of their dishes and I've never been disappointed. Their prices are reasonable and the food is absolutely delicious! A friend and I shared the "Phoenician get started". This amazing dish comes with Labneh, Zaatar and Zaytoun. It's served with (super) fresh pita bread and a small traditional Lebanese warmer. I was very surprised to see that this restaurant served this dish on a Lebanese warmer, like it should be served. I would suggest spreading the labneh, zaatar, zaytoun, olives over the warm/fresh pita bread before placing you mini sandwich over the hot warmer.... Trust me you won't regret it! After constructing and warming I would then eat the heck out of your delicious mini Lebanese sandwich!!! I had the chicken shawarma sandwich with marinated spiced chicken (soaked in flavor) rapped i pita bread with ettuce, tomatoes pickles & garlic sauce. It is rare to find a lebanese restaurant in Texas that actually knows how to perfect the garlic sauce. The garlic sauce is what makes or breaks a shawarma..they're masters at the sauce and marinated meat! The staff here is extremely friendly and makes sure that every guest is taken care of. Stop by and grab a bite along with some refreshing Lebanese beer! read more

Came here on a whim and based on the other 5-star reviews. My boyfriend swore he hated Mediterranean food, but was raving about his lamb and beef kababs by the end of the meal. The outside looks a little sketchy, but the ambience inside is very nice and clean. Service was very friendly and attentive. Each of our meals came out to around $20 with tip. read more

Phoenician Resto Cafe - Greek salad, hummus and pita, and falafel. - Lebanese Near Me - Austin, Texas

I live in Austin Last year and I have tried every middle eastern restaurant/food truck in Austin. Yes. I literally tried them all. However, this newly open restaurant is the best middle eastern restaurant I have ever been to in the US(I live in Boston now) I got the grilled breast chicken and it was amazing! My friend got the Shish Tawooq and she said it was phenomenal. We also had Fattoush and Meat rolls which both were really nice. I believe there is no item on the menu that is overpriced. The prices are quite nice actually. The food came a little bit late, but to us it was not bad The service was quite good. I believe the owner of the restaurant and his significant other were working there too, so if you have a complain, you could directly talk to them. If you are looking for the best middle eastern food, then, this is your best bet. read more

Phoenician Resto Cafe - This is the Grilled Breast Chicken with Hummus and rice as my sides. - Lebanese Near Me - Austin, Texas

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I generally don't like to leave a review without trying the food but the experience last night managed to leave a bad taste in my mouth without even having taken a single bite. My friend and I walked in at 7pm on a Friday night and immediately were stared at by all the 10 or so patrons at the restaurant. Has no one ever seen two asian girls before or something...? We ask the hostess (who is bouncing a baby on her lap, also weird) for a table for two. She hesitates a moment before answering that they are only taking reservations tonight. A quick scan of the room shows NO reserved signs on any tables and a MORE THAN HALF EMPTY restaurant. No further explanation is given. If you don't want your embarrassment to provide entertainment for a restaurant 1/3 full of people, then go somewhere else. read more

Very tasty and authentic Lebanese/Mediterranean food! Some of the best hummus I've had outside of the Middle East and the Phoenician Get Started was a very tasty appetizer (and came with a nifty pita warmer thing!). The mixed grill was really good (the beef, chicken, and kafta were all excellent) and the babaganouj and Greek salad sides were also tasty. We got a nice bottle of wine (an Argentinian Malbec) for not too much and overall the prices were quite good considering the large portions and really nice flavors and ingredients. The only thing keeping this from a perfect 5-star review is that the service was pretty slow, like many other reviews have mentioned. Even on a Sunday night when we were the only people in there for most of our meal, it took quite awhile to place the order, then a long time to get our main courses, and a decently long time to get the check. That being said, the waitress was very nice and helpful! As for some of these reviews being fake, maybe some of them are, I don't know, but at least some of them are real. This one is definitely real. Take a look at the many other reviews I've written (for stuff around Austin, where I live, as well as many other places I've travelled). I'm a Yelp Elite and like sharing my experiences with people. In summary, enjoy this place -- I'll certainly be back to try more of the menu (including dessert)!! read more

So the owner decided to respond to my post wow! If you look at the picture you can see the fly was inside of the falafel! So I guess he was saying I took the time to find a dead fly eat the falafel and then put it in the plate while driving! Sir you were rude to me the moment I called and told me nothing was wrong with the food! Horrible customer service from the start! And I'm a physician I have plenty of money to buy food the money wasn't the problem the fly and hair was and to top it off I actually told people your food was good until this incident your disrespect and lack of professionalism is the reason for this review! read more

"Meh" is right. Nothing food-wise was bad at this place, but the service was just really sub-par. We came here for a 1:30pm reservation on a Sunday. The restaurant was about half full, but we received super slow service. The appetizer (hummus and other mezes that do not need to cooked) came out a good hour after we first sat down. There was only one waitress and she kept touching her jeans in between touching/service plates of food (my mom's a germophobe). The food was pretty good but a bit overpriced for the portion size (and the service). Also, each entree comes with choice of two sides. I tried to order an entree for my sister with rice and french fries. Waitress stated that they ran out of french fries and it would take about 15 minutes to make another batch. -I asked if the french fries can be brought out separately whenever they are done cooking. Answer: "No." -I asked if the french fries can be replaced by the other potato side dish (which they DO have). Answer: "No." ... okay...? Then, I tried to order a to-go entree for my brother (who stayed at home) *30* minutes later, with french fries. Presumably they'd have finished cooking the french fries by now, but once again the answer was "NO." Inconsistent statements by the same waitress always bother me. read more

Fantastic hookah bar and Mediterranean food. It was so good we came back for the second night in a row. Fantastic wait staff and owners here as well. Very attentive to ensuring that the customer is satisfied with the meal and with the service. The meat rolls and the cheese rolls were to die for. As well as several of the appetizers were amazing. We will be coming back for sure. read more

Phoenician Resto Cafe - Lebanese Near Me - Austin, Texas

Really great place with really tasty food and great service. My friends and I came here on a Saturday night, around 7 pm and there was no one here so I was a bit scared, but we sat outside in the patio area and proceeded to have some really great food. I ordered the chicken shawarma and gyro plate with fries and a greek salad. Salad was fresh, fries were pretty good, but the shawarma and gyro were cooked and seasoned perfectly; wasn't dry nor overly salty. They gave us plenty of extra sauces without us even having to ask. Constantly came by to provide us with water refills and see how we're doing. Extra napkins without asking, pita refills without asking, provided us with a portable fan without asking. Probably some of the best customer service i've ever received at a restaurant before. My friends all enjoyed their dishes as well - falafel was also tasty according to them. Portions were really good for the price. Would definitely come back next time I'm visiting. read more

We were returning to Houston and decided to stop in Austin for lunch. I ordered the beef tenderloin with hummus and rice. They instead brought out hummus and fries. When I told them of the correction, they brought out the extra rice (with no extra charge!). The interior was nice and the food was very delicious! The fries could have used some salt, but there was a salt shaker on the table. Everything was amazing except the gyro. It was not that good. read more

Phoenician Resto Cafe - Mixed grill - Lebanese Near Me - Austin, Texas

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I am so glad I stumbled upon this place. I haven't tried out their night time 2nd floor yet. The food was delish , coffee was just perfect and service was impeccable. I will definitely return!! Good job to this power couple! read more

Phoenician Resto Cafe - Lebanese Near Me - Austin, Texas

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So happy we came upon this place. We were headed for pizza, but it was too cold to sit outside. I am from NYC where Middle Eastern food abounds, and this place kept up! Great food, service and prices. read more

Great food, great service! We got shwarma chicken wrap and combination platter. Really nice presentation and super fair priced. 10/10 and would definitely recommend if looking for a new Mediterranean food spot! read more

My Friend and I stopped by for a bite, and let me tell you this is one of the best places for Mediterranean Food. AMAZING FOOD and EXCELLENT SERVICE! LOVE IT! read more

After UT graduation, my family wanted to find a quick and easy meal. What we found was this absolute gem of a restaurant. Our party of 8 shared the appetizer platter, consisting of plate after plate and bowl after bowl of deliciousness. We then shared two of the mixed grills with lamb, chicken, and beef skewers. All were cooked perfectly. The owner was super nice. Just can't say enough great things about this place!! read more

One of Austin's hidden gems !!!!! Always very clean, the service is more of a laid back they let you take your time and talk, the $7 Pinot Grigio is a hit, they FILL IT UP! And I'm tipsy before my app comes out. We are very picky on middle eastern food as my fiancé is from Syria, and it has our stamp of approval! Starters are all good but the hummus and the falafel that are amazing that's what we get then we have chicken shawarma plate for meal, the fries are a awesome so is the salad and the rice you get to choose from. I think the prices are amazing! Ask for extra peta bread if you have any left over it's good to keep at home for anything ! They have been a staple for us before COVID, now they are still going strong during this, and being very clean, sanitizer when you walk in, wipes at the table, paper menus that they use, masks and gloves between customers ! I love that they care ! Order anything ! You won't be sorry! Everyone is amazing Gate helped us and just went above and beyond so I'm sure you will enjoy it toooo! Also if you like spicy as for spicy sauce it will make you smile !!!!!!!! read more

This is amazing Lebanese food and the service and owner are amazing. The best schawarma and kabobs around! The hummus is perfect, served with warm pita. I can't wait to come back - and urge anyone in the area to try it. The service is great and it's a very cute, comfortable place. read more

Phoenician Resto Cafe - Lebanese Near Me - Austin, Texas

I have been eating Mediterranean / Lebanese food for the past 12 years and this place by far is the best!! My evening started with the Phoenician started which includes home made pita bread, zaatar and labneh in a hot Saj. For my Entree i ordered the Gyro with my 2 sides: salad and rice. Beautiful served and tasted amazing. Remind me of back home. The portion was enough for two. For desert i had freshly made backlava. I definitely recommend this restaurant for anyone in the austin - central texas area that is craving Mediterranean food. I will definitely come back highly recommend read more

Phoenician Resto Cafe - Lebanese Near Me - Austin, Texas

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The reviews are very misleading. Parking here is terrible since there's a hookah lounge connected so it gives the restaurant an allusion that it's crowded and busy. My friends and I ordered chicken schwarma and beef shwarma plate and the shish tawook entree. All looked nothing like the pictures. It took over 30 minutes for us to get our dinner and there were maybe 4 other tables there. I had baba ganoush and hummus as my sides. It's definitely not the best that many reviews rave that it is. The baba ganoush didn't even taste authentic nor like baba ganoush. It was a complete disappointment. The chicken? Super dry and not flavorful. My friends beef was also the same. He said he could have made this better himself. Overall we were not satisfied with our meal and it was not anything special to come back for. Service was horrible. We didn't get our waters refilled and had to ask two different servers for our check so we could get out of there because the first server forgot to bring it by. There are so many Mediterranean restaurants in Austin worth going to over Phoenician resto. Save your time and money and go elsewhere. read more

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This is one of the best Greek places I've been to in Texas! The rice is to die for and so is their hummus and pita. You'll want to take home their hummus as it is addicting and savory. The kebabs are perfectly cooked and seasoned. read more

This is an excellent Mediterranean cafe. They have a very good online system for ordering, which we used because of the coronavirus limitations. I had the chicken Shawarma, which was cooked to perfection with just the right mix of soft and crispy. The sauce that came with it was full of flavor and creamy. My partner had the falafel sandwich and it was also delicious. But the baba ganoush. Get over there and get some. You will love it. read more

Best chicken shawarma I've had in Austin. So flavorful and moist. We had the plate with hummus and baba ghanouj. We also really like the dolmas. They served us complimentary watermelon at the end of the meal. Great price point! read more

Kabobzi is always fresh on their food and the service is always great! The owner is very nice and the food is just real authentic Mediterranean food as well as the ambiance. I had the beef tenderloin platter and meat rolls to start as an appetizer everything was just flavorful and fresh. Both locations stay open late as well. read more

We love the food here even though the service has some room for improvement. Sure, the plates cost a couple extra more bucks than your Mediterranean food truck but they seriously load on the meats. I recommend the gyro if you're not sure which plate to pick. The chicken has too much of that injected protein solution taste (produce provider practice, not the restaurant). The lamb is good but the gyro comes with such a good mix of crispy and tender pieces, you just shouldn't miss out. The rice has enough fat but can sometimes be dry. The only reason it's not a five star experience is the waitstaff is not always the most attentive, even when we're the only ones dining. read more

Some things were great. Some just good. The dolma were fantastic. As was the baba ghanouj. Humus excellent. Gyro very tasty. Falafel was ok. Pita a bit thin and skimpy . Better as a wrap than just for eating the humus. Luckily the baba ghanouj was good enough to just eat by the spoonful. Salad was fine. I'll give the fries a miss next time. That will leave room to try the baklava. read more

Disappointing. Hummus was great! As was the Greek salad and dolmas. But the falafel and baba ganouj on the vegetarian platter didn't taste quite right. The falafel tasted like it was vaguely... chicken-y? And the baba was on the slimy, bland side. Maybe the meat dishes are better. read more

This place has somehow survived for years in quite possibly one of the worst locations in Austin. That's gotta say something. Their shawarma wraps are very good as are the various appetizers that we tried: the fried cauliflower, hummus and dolmas. I especially like the fact that they don't use the bready, "thick" pita bread that tastes like it came from the supermarket but rather a more rustic thin pita -- perfect for scooping hummus, baba ganoush and labneh. I was under the misconception that this place was a gentleman's club but now I'm rooting for them as the underdog. Their lunch items are very generous. Check them out! If you're looking for a Mediterranean restaurant that's a bit different, check them out! read more

Ate here before and it was yum! This time for the pick up we paid via PayPal when my hubby went to pick up food they made him pay again. We get the food and this time the gyros were super dry and the side of fries we ordered seemed old. Cold and hard as a rock; my husband asked if there was garlic sauce for the fries. He was told "yes", nope just ketchup. Very disappointed in this experience and had to call restaurant to advise of the double charge and I could hear her tell the person that I think checked my husband out that the order showed "pre-paid". Now I am waiting for a call back from restaurant manager to see what they can do. Just need my money back and to pay just once for the blah meal. We tried 1 fry each and left the rest waist of $4.00 for that. read more

Phoenician Resto Cafe - Lebanese Near Me - Austin, Texas

In town for one night and decided to try this restaurant. Falafel was the best I've ever had. Lebanese rice was wonderful. My husband, who hates rice, cleaned his plate! Wish we lived closer to come on a regular basis. read more

Phoenician Resto Cafe - Lebanese Near Me - Austin, Texas