I wish we would of found this place sooner. Great service and good food; highly recommend.

Best place to get lamb in athens. When you order it medium rare it is medium rare. Everything I've ordered was good if not great.

Context: Dinner with a Friend Time of Visit: Sunday, 7:30PM Being a Mediterranean food junkie, I was surprised to find this nice little spot in Athens, OH. The decor is very ornate and contextually eye-catching. There were very few people in the restaurant besides us (I attribute that to being the Sunday after Mom's Weekend...possibly?). Our server was very attentive. The food was pretty good and the portion size was right on. I had the Chicken kebabs with the couscous salad: the chicken was a little too blackened for my taste, but to each their own. The yogurt sauce sounded strange, but went with the chicken quite well. While I enjoyed my meal, I dock one point for service/price and one point for authenticity. Our server was very attentive until we needed the check; when meals run for around $18 w/o drinks, I would like service without unnecessary waiting (especially during a late dinner with few other customers). Also, their Greek Salad had lettuce: authentic Greek salads should not have any lettuce. Minor errors aside, this was an unexpected surprise on my visit to Athens and I would recommend giving it a try. read more

What a pleasant surprise! Delicious Mediterranean food right here in little Athens, Ohio. My favorite restaurant here!

One of my favorite restaurants in Athens! Always a nice experience with great food and wine! Highly recommended!

Being Middle Eastern I am very picky when it comes to our food, but this restaurant deserves 10/10, amazing food (quality and portions), great service, and beautiful decor! It was a good decision to celebrate my brother's graduation there! Excellent overall read more

Absolutely amazing!!! Well worth the trip off the interstate for us. The lamb ribs were phenomenal and the sides were perfect. What a gem of a town too, all around a pleasant surprise in Ohio. read more

This place is A+ for service, A for food quality, A- for selection/price. So it's overall a good choice, especially if you get the grilled peach salad which is without question the most delicious meal to be had in uptown Athens. Seriously, it's better than the burgers, wings, and all the other much more decadent offerings available at the various eateries around town. I ate that salad three times in one week not too long ago. read more

Love this place. Spent several months in Athens on business and ate here quite a bit. Never had anything at this place that I didn't like. Wish I could've brought it with me when the project was over. read more

Fabulous little spot in athens!! Living in Chicago the past 9 years I love coming home and finding the new little places and this one I have been to twice and love!!! read more

We eat here a few times a year as it's one of our two favorite restaurants in Athens. This last time, though, my wife and I both had a tagine chicken dish. Wow! It came with couscous, but they substituted rice for my wife as she's gluten-free. That dish should be put on the regular menu!!!! It was exceptional--best meal I've ever had there. And I enjoyed my leftovers just as much for lunch the next day! read more

Great atmosphere, lots of interesting decor, phenomenal food! Have visited multiple times and have never let been let down. Wine list was great. The Cortijo Rioja was exceptional. read more

A quality restaurant with a unique earthy atmosphere and ornate decor. Very authentic and fresh with an indie vibe. This is my favorite place to eat in Athens. The service is impeccable, every time I go there the waiter is very attentive. I usually order the chicken kabobs which are very tender and accompanied with a side of spiced rice and a salad. I have tried the lamb and I found it a bit tough for my liking. But the menu is very large so there are tons of options to choose from. The hummus and pita bread appetizer is delicious as well, but if you don't like hummus they have an amazing oil dip. I highly recommend this restaurant. read more

Food was really good, but it's definitely a bit uppity. I had the beef tenderloin medallion which was awesome, but beware, it comes cooked very rare. It seemed like really high quality ingredients, and they make sure you know what is vegan, organic, and what not (almost to a fault, it's pretty in your face that they're healthy). I usually don't enjoy hippy dippy, uppity places like this, but the food was honestly the best I've had in a few trips to Athens, so I can forgive some of the self righteousness of the place. Definitely not kid friendly, and eating there every night would take a bit bite out of your wallet, but certainly worth it for the food. read more

Fantastic ambiance and friendly staff. Amazing selection, giving their Sunday brunch a try is a must. Great place for a date, or to take your parents or children on a visit in Athens. read more

I met up with my bumble date here for breakfast to meet in a very public and very great restaurant! The breakfast was amazing, the connection was amazing, and I couldn't have asked for a better place to have a date! We have been dating for a month now and it's honestly the best relationship i've had! We just connect on so many different levels, and this Salaams vibes really helped us get comfortable! Would definitely come here again :) read more

Excellent food and service! The atmosphere was good, the waiter was professional and courteous, service was fast, the prices were fair, and the food was delicious. Will definitely return! read more

Service was great. Other than that the food was barley up to par. The hummus was dry, couscous cold and the swordfish was fatty. I don't think I'll be returning or spreading the news about their "great" food. read more

Excellent. And not just Athens excellent. Great, creative food worthy of any city.

Mediterranean, good ambience but high end. Best lamb rib chops. Go for salaam salads. The paneer kabob was not well cooked.

Just was back in Athens and went back to Salaam. The Babaganoush was as good as I remembered and I had an amazing Roasted Root Vegetable Soup with homemade chicken stock. read more

Ah, Salaam. When I walk in the door I feel far, far away (not that I often want to feel far away from fabulous Athens, but the restaurant has a "retreat" feeling). The space is cheery and comfortable, with a wall of plants and pottery in the windows, a trickling fountain, ideal lighting (not so dim you can't see, not so bright you feel interrogated), tasteful music, usually jazz, in the background, and now a beer and wine list! Service is polished and friendly, and the food is beautifully prepared and presented. While you're looking at the menu your server will bring a basket of the house-made bread, nice and warm and crusty, with a dish of olive oil and bits of sundried tomatoes. It's hard not to gobble it all up. For a cheap lunch on a cold day, the vegan harira, a thick lentil stew with Moroccan flavors (a big bowl for $5!), is just right. The falafel wrap, any of the meze (the platter comes with lemony, marinated olives), and, according to my husband, the lamb kabobs are all very tasty. A friend raved about the roasted beet salad (it comes with chicken, which he doesn't eat, but his request to substitute additional beets for the chicken was cheerfully accommodated). Some of the specials have been outstanding. I still dream about the perfectly roasted bell peppers stuffed with herbed cheeses and surrounded by smoked tomatoes. Please bring that special back! We've never been for Saturday night's belly-dancing show, but Sunday evenings Salaam has really good, often local, live jazz. read more

What a great surprise in Athens! Best gazpacho I've had, like, ever. I got a vegetarian dish wish peas and fried cheese cubes even though I'm not a vegetarian, and even my die hard carnivore husband thought it was terrific. The Meze Platter appetizer even won him over with the excellent baba ganoush, a dish he previously shunned. I can't think of a single fault, other than I didn't like the shape of the wineglasses, but that's just silly. You must Eat Here. read more

We loved it - great food, exemplary service and nice atmosphere. The lamb rib chops and lamb kabobs were PERFECT. The spanakopita was my wife's choice - let's just say she didn't need a doggie bag :). We eat at s lot of Mediterranean restaurants in Columbus, and Restaurant Salaam is as good as any of them. read more

Atmosphere is stunning! The food is yummy and oh so perfect for a night out for something other than typical date night food.

Wow. This place blew us away. The location, ambience and service were all awesome. But what really impressed us was the food- we had baba gannoush, salad sampler and the Moroccan lamb wrap. Can't wait to go back. read more

I ate at Salaam a lot when I lived in Athens and never once did I have a bad experience. The food is incredible and the staff makes you feel right at home. I need to get back there soon because they have some of the best Coconut Chicken Curry around! read more

A bit pricey for what you get but the food is a nice alternative in Athens. There is nothing better than their mint iced tea on a hot summer day! read more

Was visiting Athens several weeks ago and my sister and husband took me to Salaam on a Monday night (my first time there) and it was very good. I had the the Gazpacho to start - amazing! My only complaint was my beef kebob was over done - supposed to be med rare and it was more mw to well done - the server was very attentive and even had a few new pieces of meet cooked but they were still over cooked. Oh well... the rest of the meal was great. Then on Thurs my sister/husband and I came back with our other sister who came from NY and again had an excellent dinner. I ordered the Gazpacho again - couldn't get enough of it! Had the meze platter - the Baba Ganoush was really good. Then the 3 sisters came back on Saturday night for a late dinner, yet more Gazpacho and I also had the Tabouleh, which was very good. The bread is too good to just eat one piece! We devoured a couple of baskets! Would definitely come back to Athens (I live in Massachusetts) just for the Gazpacho and bread! Thank you for a very nice dining experience! read more

Another outstanding evening at Salaam. I have been returning for the past 7 years and never disappointed. At the recommendation of my host, we began with a cold mezza platter followed by the lamb loin chops--as tender as I've had anywhere and the seasoning to perfection--a nice kick without interfering with the lamb, served with grilled vegetables and rice and a Fattoush salad. Always preferring a citrus sweet following spicy Mediterrean cuisine, the limoncello cake was perfect--light with plenty of citrus. A must when in Athens!! read more

This is some of the best food I've had in my life. So tasty and satisfying. Great atmosphere, too!

Hands down one of the best restaurants in all of Athens. It's probably my boyfriend and I's favorite place to go. We try something new every time and always love it. They have daily specials which are always changing and the regular menu. No matter what you order it's always fresh and most of the options are very healthy. Great staff and they serve the best bread! The Ann salad is SO good. I would recommend to anyone and everyone! read more

We were in town from Vegas and I wanted a decent restaurant to go to in this college town filled with pizza, sub shops and fast food. We found Salaam and had the red lental soup and salad. It was outstanding! I definitely will be back on my next trip through Athens! read more

As an Athens local, I eat at Salaam about once a week. When I have friends and family visit from out of town, I surprise them with a trip to this little gem of a restaurant. Salaam maintains a vibrant atmosphere, festive without being loud. The entire staff -- servers, cooks, management -- has a kind word for me no matter how busy they are. I appreciate a restaurant that makes me comfortable. Above all, I enjoy how fresh and flavorful Salaam consistently prepares my meal. Their artichoke dip is my favorite way to surprise friends on their first visit to the restaurant -- their eyes widen in disbelief when they actually taste artichoke -- I get a kick out of that every time. Salads bring crisp lettuce and vegetables, with dressings that really tease out the flavor instead of drowning everything in a pungent wash. Homemade bread and a dipping dish of oil-drenched dried tomatoes and spices come with every meal, which I try to eat sparingly to keep room for the main dish. That never works -- the bread and oil are too good. If I want something light, I might get a large Ann's Salad. If I need a hearty meal, I often go for one of the daily specials. Last week, I had a dish with three different kinds of lentils over rice, with a couple of different garnishes. That set me right for the rest of the day. A couple of weeks before that, I had a pasta dish that was light and piquant -- an unusual combination. I can't tell you about their desserts, because I never have room to eat them. When I travel, I find myself comparing the restaurants I visit to Salaam. The atmosphere, the freshness, and the variety make Salaam a favorite place for me to return. They don't have a large menu, and I don't think they need one. Between their traditional menu and their daily specials, Salaam consistently creates a delectable meal from end to end, a feat which earns five stars from me. read more

Being middle eastern, I can tell you this food is certainly not authentic. The menu is a little all over the place and entrees don't taste as good as they should. That being said, the ambiance is nice and relaxed, and the salads are absolutely delicious albeit overpriced. I was pleasantly surprised to find that they serve Turkish coffee. The deserts like the baklava are not worth getting, they are definitely not homemade. Overall, I think this is an ok place for a sit-down dinner, just keep your expectations in check. read more

Terrible. Terrible service and the food was bland. I knew on from their website that the service was going to be bad when the website said "we know we screw up sometimes so please accept our apologies," but I didn't expect it to take an hour and a half to get my food. read more

Restaurant Salaam is a gem. The congenial owners, Hilarie and Mark Burhans, source many of their fresh ingredients locally but the flavors are definitely international. We have never been disappointed. Soups and salads excel, as does their meze platter to share with friends. Warm pita bread or their other homemade bread is enhanced by a wonderful olive oil-based dipping sauce, which is enjoyed while awaiting one's entree. Many evenings feature live music, ranging from belly dancing to jazz to a roaming accordianist. Restaurant Salaam is a not- to-be-missed venue in uptown Athens, especially with its beautiful and authentic middle eastern decor which complements the middle eastern menu. read more

We were in the area for the Quilt National 2017. Found Restaurant Salaam on Yelp. Wonderful surprise. Great food outstanding service.

The food was very good. We had the Meze Platter to start and it was plenty of dolmas, baba ganoush, hummus and olives to share among 4 people. The baba ganoush and hummus were both very creamy. I had the Rabbit Tagine special ($22) and it was perfect, and much more food than I could finish. I didn't like the Tabouli salad as much as others I've had but it was fine. Others around the table had wraps ($9) and enjoyed them. They don't come with any sides but they are large wraps and no one complained that they needed more food. The children's menu had nice selections for kids like plain grilled chicken with yogurt sauce to dip. They were very child friendly with children's cups and high chairs and we saw a few other toddlers there. It is a fairly quiet restaurant though. The quality of the rabbit will definitely keep me coming back. read more

This is one of the best restaurants I've been to, and will be one of my favorites for a long time. Great ambiance, and their chicken kabobs are to die for. read more