Delicious, great owner, relaxing inside! The hummus is the best in town. We will def be coming back again. read more

The food it's not worth the price , rice was just tasteless , really small portions. I won't be back.

Honestly some of the best food in the greater Cincinnati area - across cuisines. Almost filled up in the spectacular nibbles in the mezza platter. The lamb shank and chicken entrees were delicious. Lebanese coffee with cardamom and baklava sent me to food heaven! The service was excellent - can't wait to go back. read more

Fantastic service. Best baba ganoush I've ever had. Grilled meats were small portions but well prepared. Veritable dishes were all incredible too. read more

This Lebanese restaurant is an incredible find. The freshness of the ingredients, combined with savory flavors and the skill and artistry of an outstanding chef, make this place top notch. We were extremely impressed. read more

Authentic Lebanese Restaurant. Always excellent service! The owner always makes certain that your pleased with everything. He's awesome! So sorry that I didn't take pictures this time. The falafel is wonderful! Don't forget to get the hummus, it's the best in town! I'm certain I've tried most of the restaurants to come to this conclusion #soldbyjackie.com #2020RealtorofTheYearSales read more

Fine Lebanese Cuisine right here in Mason! We have been going here for a few years now and unfortunately I never left a review. That ends now! This place is phenomenal! We've brought a lot of friends here and none of them have walked away unimpressed. From the Personal Touch of the owners, who also cook some of the food, and the friendliness of the staff, you instantly feel at home. The food is incredible. If you like true Lebanese food, and a variety of lamb dishes and vegetarian dishes, this place is for you. Personally, I am very lamb heavy when it comes to my Lebanese food. Unfortunately I can never decide on one entree so I always wind up getting two. My first standard entree is the meat grape leaves stuffed with seasoned rice and ground lamb. My absolute favorite thing on the menu. Exactly the way my grandfather made them as I was growing up! My other main is the Lamb loin. Beautiful. Always get it medium. Never more than that. Delicious. Would I go back? Absolutely. We go quite frequently as it is my absolute favorite place in the area. Bring your friends. Try new dishes. Try things you've never tried before. Ask for recommendations. Look on Yelp for reviews. You will not be disappointed. read more

Is this the best restaurant in Ohio??? Maybe. Probably. Authentic, delicious, and so friendly, with an atmosphere that allows you to chill and enjoy. Embarrasses places like Aladdin's. read more

This WONDERFUL restaurant doesn't look like much from the outside, especially being in a strip mall. But just step inside... notice the awards and accolades on the entrance walls and look around at this warm, cozy, spacious and beautiful restaurant! Not a bad seat in this place. And get ready to enjoy a GREAT meal and hopefully some nice conversation with the staff or owner! The menu is great... plenty of options, but not too many (even though I would have liked to try them all!) We had the Hommus for our appetizer. $7 We stuck with something we knew our kids would recognize and like. And it came with warm, just out of the oven, pita bread that was amazing all by itself! And the hommus was very good as well! We also got the Taverna Fries (French fries $7.50) sprinkled with sumac and parsley, served with garlic whip. These were crispy thin fries that HAD to be eaten with the irresistible garlic whip! Even the kids liked the garlic whip, but they did resort to some ketchup as well. One child had the Ghanam Mashawi (Lamb Kebab $23.75), grilled tender cubes of meat, served with grilled vegetables and rice pilaf, and ate nearly EVERY bit of it! IT was very tender and delicious! Other child had the Araydis Meshwi (Grilled Shrimp $28.00), grilled marinated shrimp, served with grilled vegetables, basmati rice, spicy tomato-cilantro-pine nut sauce. We asked about the spicy-ness and had the sauce left on the side. And child chose not to taste the sauce. But loved the shrimp and the rest of his meal! Very good! My husband had the Kafta Mashawi (ground lamb and parsley kebab $21.75) grilled tender cubes of meat, served with grilled vegetables and rice pilaf. We heard from the owner that he ate this with the Taverna Fries a whole lot as a child in Lebanon. It was also very good! I had a tough time deciding... like I said, I would have like to order many of the meals... but I decided on the Regular Mezza Platter (regular appetizer sampler $17.75) so we could all try a few of the different items. It had a sampling of Hommus, Baba Ghannouge, Grape Leaves, Tabbouleh, Falafel with Tahini, Labneh, Kibbeh, SAmbousik, and M'sakaa. And it was enough for a meal, even with sharing bites with the family. And it was very cool way to get a taste of Lebanese foods! I also tried the Jallab beverage (Raisins and dates drink topped with pine nuts $4.00) and it was very tasty. It was sweet... with a bit of a taste like a strong tea, but naturally sweet. Very good! Worth trying! Kids had the Taverna Lemonade $5 and it IS freshly squeeze and has a nice hint of orange blossom. Delicious! For dessert we had the Traditional Baklawa (Layered Phyllo Pastry, roasted pistachios, roasted walnuts, orange blossom syrup $8). They cut it into 4 pieces for us. It was very good, the orange blossom difference (and pistachios) made it different from the traditional Greek version, but it was OH SOOOO good!! YUM!!! All the food was GREAT!! But even better was the wonderful staff and owners! The waitress (owner's wife I belive) was so sweet to all of us, especially the kids. And wonderful at helping with making our choices. And the service was swift. Towards the end of the meal, the owner had been making his rounds chatting with a couple tables and spent a great deal of time chatting with us. It was SUCH A DELIGHT to have the kids hear some of his stories and for him to delight in our kids and their own stories! I love how he took great pleasure in hearing from us and sharing about his life! This was an absolutely WONDERFUL experience ALL the way around!! read more

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The service was very good and the food was incredible. The dips and sauces are so varied and flavorful; almost a religious experience! read more

Traditional Greek cuisine in a cozy setting. Phenomenal service and overall experience.

Some of the best food I have ever eaten. Great service too for I wish there was a location close to me.

OMG. I love the food here. I visit the area once a year to attend a tennis tournament. Phoenician Taverna is always our first night dinner spot. read more

Highly recommend! The food is outstanding and the atmosphere is welcoming. The owners and staff are efficient, professional, and ensure you have a wonderful experience. read more

A departure from your routine. Wonderful food served by attentive staff. The owner makes a point of stopping by your table to ensure your satisfaction. The strip mall location is misleading as the interior transports you to the country of Lebanon. As I was unfamiliar with the cuisine, our server took time to explain the menu to me. Delightful tastes. read more

I've been here twice and have loved it both times. We have gotten the vegetarian sampler appetizer platter both times and love it! The portions are more than enough for 2 people; even with 4 people it was very filling. The baba ganoush is my favorite, but really everything is high quality with delicious flavors. The bread itself is its own masterpiece. It comes fresh out of the oven and is amazing, especially with their garlic whip (a must have). For entrees, I had the mixed grill kebab which consists of 2 chicken, 2 kafta, and 2 lamb kebobs with rice and veggies. Their kebabs are consistently well cooked and incredibly tender. My husband had the lamb kebab and my parents had the braised chicken. The rice that came with the braised chicken was very well seasoned and had a great, slightly sweet flavor- I don't think I've ever tried anything like it. Overall, this place well deserves 5 stars because of its consistently perfectly cooked food (both appetizers and entrees) incorporating several different spices and flavors which are hard to find elsewhere. Definitely a gem and must-try in Cincinnati for those who like to venture into different cuisines. read more

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Everything was wonderful. The service was very friendly, and the food was really delicious! It was our first visit and we will definitely be back. read more

Phoenician Taverna - Sharhat Ghanam (Roast lamb loin) and Farrouj Meshwi (rotisserie chicken) - Mediterranean Near Me - Mason, Ohio

This place is amazing. We went for a friends birthday celebration and it was such an amazing time with with excellent food delicious wine and exceptional service. We shared many appetizers such as meat pies hummus falafel with eggplant lamb stuffed grape leaves and fried cheese. Every bite was filled with flavor. Their wine is reasonably priced which is a nice surprise. The owner checked on us several times and he got a hug from me on the way out. Do yourself a favor and try this place. read more

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Overall, I enjoyed my dinner at Phoenician Taverna and would consider it to be one of the better Mediterranean restaurants in Cincinnati. For appetizers, both the mama ghannouj and the fatayer b'sbanigh spinich pies were delicious. The mama ghannouj was unique and flavorful, a nice change from the typical hummus and baba ghannouj options. The pita bread, while not exceptional, was better than grocery store pita. For my main dish I ordered the fatteh bel ghanam (yogurt dish with lamb), which was good. The knafeh dessert however was disappointing - I've had much better. For drinks, we ordered a bottle of Lebanese red wine, which we enjoyed. The staff was friendly, and the decor is thoughtfully done - much nicer than the average strip mall restaurant read more

Wow, by far the best meal I've had since being back in Ohio. The lamb was delicious, perfectly cooked. The grilled veggies were fresh and tasty. The owner was friendly and so was the staff. Clean, cozy ambiance. Will definitely go back! read more

Another spectacular recommendation by Yelp. Wow. The place was packed and not surprised after we ate there. The owner was on site and came by to see how everything was. The server was very helpful as we didn't know what all the foods were. She recommended an app and entree selections and they we awesome. We had the m'hammra appetizer which was one of the best things I ever ate. I then had the lamb loin which again was great. My wife had the kebab sampler and she loved that their bread was also great and it kept coming. We split a dessert but the name escapes me, I think it was jibne. Again a different Dessert than I ever had and I loved it. We'll be back again. read more

Phoenician Taverna - Mediterranean Near Me - Mason, Ohio

Great food! We got two amazing appetizers, the pita bread was fresh and hot, the service was very good, the inside of the restaurant is beautiful and the owner is very nice and friendly. We got two desserts that were fantastic as well. The only reason I am not giving it a five star is because the mixed Shawarma dish was not what we are use to, but still tasty. Would try a different dish next time. We will be back though for sure. read more

The Phoenician Taverna ranks at the top of my list for Mediterranean in the Cincinnati area. You can order vegetarian or meat options and never be disappointed by either. The food is always well seasoned and absolutely beautiful. I recommended getting the half rotisserie chicken with the garlic whip and their version of the 'sampler platter'. The lentil soup is equally delicious for a cold day. I crave this place weekly! Go out and try it!!! read more

Who would have thought I will find best mediterranean food in Mason Ohio. I loved every dish in this restaurant so much so that I had dinner every other day four days a week for two months. My favs are m'hammara, kibbeh lakteen ( love the walnuts in the crispy outer and soft inside of the kibbeh) , fattoush, fatteh bel djaj and halawet jibne for dessert. This is the only place I had halawet jibne and since then I have been searching for this dessert in every middle Easter and Mediterranean restaurant Halawet jibne is cheesy soft crepe topped with amazing orange blossom syrup. Mason Ohio is lucky to have this restaurant! read more

This place NEVER disappoints! Get the special and the taverna fries with the whipped garlic! Don't walk RUN!

Great food, would highly recommend the mezza Platter! One of the best restaurants around mason area.

I ordered wrong. I thought the lamb/beef on vertical roaster would be more like a traditional gyro but it wasn't like that at all. It was an appetizer but expected more than a few scraps of meet. The Lebanese beer was very good and the hot fresh Pita was excellent. Hummus just OK. I'd go back for the Lamb Shank. Service very attentive. read more

We love Phoenician Taverna. The service is always excellent, and the food is incredible. The atmosphere is just lovely. We had the Dip Tri and Falafel for apps, with the special Red Snapper, mixed platter and Lebanese red wine. The garlic whip is so so good. Next time I am getting an order of that to go! Thank you read more

I have heard people rave about this place and said their gyros or swarmas are great. I had the lamb and beef one. It was very dry and needed a sauce. The fries were very low quality frozen ones. Not worth the price! 5 stars no way! 3 stars is more accurate; average at best. read more

Phoenician Taverna - Low end Swarma or gyro - Mediterranean Near Me - Mason, Ohio

By far the best Mediterranean food I have had in Cincinnati ... and among the best I have ever had anywhere. Everything bursts with freshness and flavor. All the dishes are thoughtfully prepared. Overall, it is an outstanding dining experience. Beyond the fabulous food, the wine list is diverse and very reasonably priced, the service is stellar, and the owner is omnipresent and unbelievably hospitable. Yeah, it's in Mason in a strip mall. I encourage everyone to see past that and give this place a try. It is worth it. read more

Phoenician Taverna - Sampling of Cold Mezza. So tasty. - Mediterranean Near Me - Mason, Ohio

My favorite place to eat in Mason. Wonderful food, wonderful service. We've been back again and again.

First timer and sat at the bar, as they were booked for the evening. I spoke with the owner and asked what he recommended, also letting him know I had Celiac Disease, along with dairy and egg allergies. The food was tasty, but the appetizer he suggested was not at all dairy free. In the description it lists 'labneh' which I later discovered was dairy! The rest of my night (literally hours!!) was spent in excruciating stomach pain, gas and bloating and on the toilet all night. We had to cancel our evening plans as it hit me 15 min after leaving the restaurant. While the atmosphere was lovely, the staff was nice, it would've been helpful if the owner was aware of what they are serving and not suggest something to make a patron sick. I'm sticking with Aladdin's as they mark their menus and their staff knows what's in their food. read more

Got all mezza Dip Trio, M'sakaa, Kibbeh Lakteen, Taverna Fries, Taverna Falafel Favorite was probably pumpkin kibbeh with some of the dips. Wife didn't love M'sakaa since it was cold but I really liked it. The sauce with Taverna Falafel was great. Would order same but sub Muhammara for fries, maybe spinach pie. read more

Phoenician Taverna - Dip Trio, M'sakaa, Kibbeh Lakteen, Taverna Fries, Taverna Falafel - Mediterranean Near Me - Mason, Ohio

This place is outstanding! The food was hot, fresh, and bursting with flavors. My in-laws are Lebanese, and this tasted just like a classic homemade meal. Delish! read more

Phoenician Taverna - Mediterranean Near Me - Mason, Ohio

Incredible food but one bizarro problem. Closing at 8:30 means being there by 7:30. That's just bad business. Folks get out of work and have to what? Weekends close at 9:00? Nuts. read more

I was visiting some friends in the greater Cincinnati area, and they recommended this place. Perhaps, the restaurant was having an off day but I did not come away very impressed by the main entrees. So, firstly, the service is good. The owner is very friendly and spent quite a bit of time chatting with us. I really liked their baba ghannaouge. I think it was the best of the appetizers we tried. They also have a dish called the M'hammara, which is basically raw walnuts pureed with bell pepper in a pomegrante reduction with some spices, etc. This has a wonderful flavor, but it is very heavy, and suddenly hits you, so be careful. The M'sakaa or eggplant with chickpeas were good as well. So, all in all the appetizers were very good. m For my meal, I got the Sharat Ghanam, which is a grilled lamb loin in an garlic herb sauce with some potatoes. This dish was very disappointing. The dish itself lacked flavor, and the garlic herb sauce did not sit well with me at all. My wife got the lamb kabab, again and it was not much better. The lamb was difficult to chew, and the flavors were neither delicate not strong. They were just meh. The rice was fine, but again nothing exceptional. I honestly feel bad giving this only 3 stars because I liked the owner a lot, and I'm generally partial to non-chain places. It is also clear he's put in a lot of work into this establishment and it is a labor of love for him. But my experience was what it was. So, my plan is to visit again and see if this visit was an aberration. read more

Phoenician Taverna - Mediterranean Near Me - Mason, Ohio

Food is great, many vegetarian options if you don't eat meat. Everything is really fresh and tasty. The sampler is great option to try a little bit of everything. The pumpkin kibbeh is fantastic!!! read more

My husband and I went here for date night. The service was perfect. The food was delicious. We will definitely be back.

Unbelievable. Not your average Mediterranean food! Hours are tricky and can get crowded. Well worth it. Hidden gem!

Delicious! Decided to spend a date night here and it was so worth it! Everything was incredible. We started off with the falafel taverna, out of this world. Then we got a lamb dish and a chicken dish both were so delicious. For dessert we got the baklava and clotted cream desserts which had orange blossom essence in them and we're just unbelievable and so delightful. We also tried the white coffee, and a glass of white wine and everything was just very good. Our server was Jake and he was so friendly and so helpful with recommendations. Our experience here was just incredible. absolutely would recommend it and definitely will be coming back read more

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