Absolutely incredible meal. Family atmosphere, great service. Can't say enough about our first experience enjoying authentic Yemeni food. Being your appetite, the portions are huge. read more

Amazing restaurant! So thankful to have this in Albany. Everything I've ever ordered from here has been absolutely delicious.

Oops sorry so late guys! We order a tray at least every month, had a few issues in the past and they fixed right away! The large beef with bones is amazing, tender and marinated! The smaller spice are good have a spice in them. The rice is delicious not too soft not too al dented. See y'all soon! read more

Sheba Al-Yemen - Sheba Tray for 2 - Arabic Near Me - Albany, New York

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Tried their Sheba tray for two and it was very good. Maybe I shall take pictures next time I am in town.

Five stars for the food, three for the lack of friendliness or helpfulness from the staff. We walked in about 5:30 one evening, we were the only ones there. The waiter brought us menus. We explained we had never had Yemeni food before and asked what we should order as a good introduction. Basically got no response. We had to pull information out of him. We ordered the lamb, with a side of bread. I ordered a Yemeni tea, but he never brought it, and basically disappeared after dropping the food. When we paid the bill, and my husband pointed out that he hadn't brought the tea, there was no apology, just "I didn't charge you for it." The food was delicious, lamb was falling off the bone, and spiced wonderfully. The portion was generous, lots of rice and some chicken around the edges of the platter. All in all, I would eat here again, although I'd probably do takeout. read more

The Albany area has had a lack of Halal food from the Arab world. You couldn't find Iraqi, Iranian, or Yemeni food, and the Afghan options were limited. Halal food is really known for lamb and rice. Yemeni food is a great example of this, including the ability to get a whole stuffed lamb. I frequented Yemeni restaurants in Detroit and NYC, since it wasn't available here, and was amazed, how for less than $20, tip & tax included, you can have a phenomenal meal. The lamb is always melt in your mouth delicious, and there's never a muttony flavor to it. Service is superb, something about Muslim hospitality that's not lost on it's way to the US. The hot sauce, a blend of raw tomatoes and jalapenos, is extremely refreshing, with a nice kick. When I heard that Sheba Al-Yemen was coming to Albany, I was excited. Then, when I read Steve N's, review, and saw that it's as good as I've had it in other restaurants, I was ecstatic. When we ordered the tray for 2, and the soup came out, followed by the salad, followed by the giant platter, that could easily feed four, and I bit into the lamb, I was in heaven. The service was good, even though the waiter spoke limited English. We were also the only customers there that did not speak Arabic. Normally, that's an excellent sign for an ethnic restaurant, when you're the only non-ethnic person there. If I lived/worked closer, I think that I would eat here every week, maybe even a couple of times a week. Can't say enough good things about this establishment. read more

Sheba Al-Yemen - Meal for two. - Arabic Near Me - Albany, New York

The hospitality in this place, the food, the service was amazing. I was surprised at how affordable everything and how delicious it was!! I found this place while driving by central ave and wanted to try Yemeni food. We ordered haneeth chicken with rice and some bread on the side. The chicken was so soft that it started falling apart just by being grabbed. It was half a chicken and was huge. The skin layer was very tasty and savory. You could taste every bit of seasoning and the crunch on the skin. The person who helped us order was very helpful as well. We got some Yemeni tea as well and I need to drink this tea every week because of how good it was. The bread was also very cheap and is huge! Its like the size of a basketball. Overall I believe you will love the food here, give them a try!!! read more

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Had the pleasure of coming here with about 14 other helpers to try and conquer the menu, and we did a pretty good job. This is only my second time trying afghani food, and again i liked it! Maybe not as much as my first time - but i still enjoyed it. We tried a lot of dishes. My favorite thing was the lamb shank on the feast platter. The starting soup was OK. I felt that the lemon was a great addition. I enjoyed it much more after that squeeze. For the meal we were having, it would have been better to have had a smaller cup of it to save room in the stomach. After the starting soup became a blur. The stews, dips and dishes came flying out at us. The was no staggered delivery. We blinked and now there is 15 dishes packed onto our table. The Lamb Fahsah - Great flavorful stew which is even better scooped up with the bread. The Foul - fava bean breakfast dish - it came out looking different than we had thought, it was almost like a chili. Maybe it was missing the egg? Hummus with meat - yum! the hummus was so creamy and the meat went well with it. Mixed Veggies - not a fan. Just potatoes mostly. The Haneeth Chicken - this was a favorite of the night. the chicken came out spatchcock on a huge bed of rice. The chicken fell of the bone with ease. Sheba Feast - A large amount of food, but i'm not sure if it was worth $65. The lamb shanks were my favorite piece here. This was also served with a little chicken, more stewed vegetables, and a lot of rice. I felt like a lot of the dishes had the same over all feel and taste to them. A lot of rustic style meals, stewed vegetables and meats. Overall it was a good experience to try all the things on the menu, but it didn't really wow me. read more

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I have ordered takeout from here 3-4 times and it's always delicious. We usually order the Sheba tray for 4, which comes with a soup or salad. We also hummus and Yemeni bread, which is huge and freshly baked. This is enough to feed our family of 5 and have leftovers. Definitely recommend this if you are looking for middle eastern/halal food. read more

Visiting Albany for work and got takeout from here. PHENOMENAL. Meat was super tender and flavourful! read more

Sheba Al-Yemen - Lamb Haneeth - Arabic Near Me - Albany, New York

Got a big platter of food (the Sheba tray for four) and some tannoor bread from here as part of my dad's birthday celebration, and it was absolutely delicious: the rice is beautifully seasoned and all of the meat melts in your mouth. Don't worry if there will be enough food if you order from here: with the salads and side dishes I made we easily had enough food for ten (with the exception of the soup that the food came with, which amusingly came in one small to-go cup). Each piece of tannoor bread is probably twice the size of, say, a piece of naan you would get at a local Indian restaurant, so depending on how hungry your crowd is one piece for every two people might be plenty. After we finish the massive quantities of leftovers (seriously, it was like thanksgiving!) I'll absolutely be ordering from here again. read more

Sheba Al-Yemen - The Sheba Tray for 4, which could probably serve eight! - Arabic Near Me - Albany, New York

Say "Yes" to Yemeni food. It's amazing to share a meal with so many people and hear so many different reactions to the same dishes. I guess this is the thing about personal taste. Although, maybe, some of it has to do with expectations. After trying a bunch of the foods, the ones that won my heart were the lamb soup, Yemeni bread, and the lamb fahsah. But I was also impressed by the hummus with meat, the slow roasted chicken, and arikah which is a warm dense dessert of dates, cream, and honey. Even after trying as many different things as I could, I'm still curious to explore more of this regional cuisine! That's a good sign. Seriously, I could have been happy with just the lamb soup and some of that charred and blistered bread. But I think the best way to enjoy Sheba Al-Yemen isn't with a big group of people and a giant smorgasbord. I think the key is to return at least once a week, ordering hearty comforting food to share with close friends. Then you can linger over the pulling of bread, and the happiness that ensues from dragging it through comforting stews. I'm a real hummus snob, and I was amazed at how creamy this version is. It puts the chunky stuff you might find at fancier restaurants around town to shame. And I hate to say it, but it's better than what I usually make at home. I'm going to have to up my game. What I'm really eager to try next is the crushed lentil soup, the falafel, and the Sheba saltah (which I hear is Yemen's national dish). What I don't understand is how I went to a meal with Otis M. and we didn't end up ordering a plate of the liver. Well, it looks like there are many future visits in store. And my hope is that by the time I make it through more of the menu, I will have thoroughly fallen in love with Sheba. read more

I Went here last night for an UYE with a group of 13 or so. The restaurant is unassuming and casual inside. Booths are generous in size and there were 3 tables to seat 4 or so each comfortably in the middle of the room. They were able to push 3 tables together for our large party and we squeezed all around taking up a good portion of the room but still had a great time. Now about the menu and food. I've never eaten Yemeni food and had no idea about it to be honest but it reminded me of Indian food in some aspects. The flavors were warm and all our food was served piping hot! For a group this large we ordered multiple of items to split among the table. Portions were generous. The order was something along the lines of: Lamb Soup for everyone, 7 Yemeni Bread, 2 Fava Beans (Foul) w/Eggs, 2 Hummus with Meat, 3 Fahsah (lamb stew) soup, 2 Mushakal (Mixed Vegetables), 2 Haneeth Chicken (I think, the chicken was a whole spatchcock style), 1 Sheba Tray for 4 which comes with Haneeth Masloug, Meat and Chicken Galaba (served with rice and soup or salad). It was quite a feast to say the least. All the food came out quickly just after finishing our soup. A spiced and sweetened complimentary tea was available. Canned soda and bottled water was also available for purchase. The Lamb soup was heavily spiced and reminded me of yellow type curry flavor. There was no meat in the soup, just broth and some pieces of celery. I can't say it was bad but just wasn't to my taste. In the future I would skip this and save room for any of the other dishes. The breads were large with some parts chewy and other parts where it had bubbled up thin and crispy. The bread is a great deal and a must have to compliment any stews or dishes ordered! The Fava bean dish reminded me of stewed beans mixed with tomato sauce and cooked down to thick smooth consistency. The egg was no where to be seen so I can't say if it was mixed in or was not added. This wasn't bad but wasn't what I expected so I was a little disappointed but thats not their fault. The Hummus with Meat came and honestly at that point we had so much food I lost track of what I had. The hummus was abundant and pleasantly smooth. The creaminess of hummus complemented the meat and vegetables served on top. I would go back and try this again. The Fahsah or lamb stew was served in a large bowl and literally still boiling when set on the table. served with long handled ladles, minimal chunks of potato mixed with tender shredded lamb in a thick stew sauce. This was well spiced and perfect for dipping the bread in. The bowl remained hot so that some of the lamb dried and caramelized on the bottom of the bowl once you got to the bottom. This with an order of bread would be the thing to get if coming alone. The Mushakal vegetables were on the sweeter side and reminded me of an indian masala type dish. They came with large chunks of potatoes okra and I'm not sure what else. This was super yummy and complemented some of the heavier spiced dishes we ordered. I would order this again. The Haneeth Chicken, or that's what I believe we ordered; was a whole chicken baked and spatchcock style served over a bed of rice pilaf. This was probably my favorite dish of the night next to the Fahsah. The chicken was falling off the bone and I was able to serve it with a spoon. The rice was lightly seasoned and buttered. There was tons of rice on this platter. The dish also came with some more of the potatoes on the sides. I plan to come again with friends and family to share this dish. Sheba tray for 4 came with a few things but my favorite was the roasted lamb. Served on a huge bed of rice pilaf with lamb 2 ways and chicken breast cubed up with peppers and onions around the edges. This is definitely enough for 4-6 people. I must be a glutton for punishment because I decided to stay for dessert with 3 other adventurous Yelpers. I think we ordered the Arikah. It was ground dates mixed with a bread and covered in cream and honey. Not as sweet as you think. The bread consistency was kind of hard to explain, not dry and not so dense that it was gluey, it had slight chewy oat like texture. The cream on top or maybe it was a yogurt was light and then honey added a slight sweetness. 1 serving was more than enough for the 4 of us to share after a large meal. If you like affordable comfort food family style with warm flavors in a casual atmosphere then I highly recommend trying Sheba Ala-Yemen. read more

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I ate here with a large group (I believe 13) which allowed us to eat through a wide swath of the menu. However, that many people overwhelmed the server and may have led to some hiccups. My favorite dishes were at the beginning and the end: lamb soup (a plain yet complex broth that was wonderfully fragrant and welcoming on a bitter night) and haneeth chicken, well spiced and broiled and served on some perfectly cooked pilaf. The dishes in between shared a similar flavor profile and a couple of them, the vegetable combination and a hummus dish, seemed very under seasoned. Also liked the Yemeni bread, sort of a cross between a pita and a lavash, with nice charred blistery surface and huge, maybe 14 inches across. The Foul (lava beens with eggs) seemed to be lacking its eggs, and the groaning Sheba platter was missing its salad. (This platter also repeated some of the items we chose individually; be careful of that when ordering.) These omissions may be due to the service hiccups I mentioned. I'd certainly come back for the soup and the chicken, plus the chai-like tea which is dispensed from a pot near the counter and is free with your meal. And I hope to find a lamb dish I like, and will ask if they have vegetables that are grilled (like the bread and the chicken) rather than stewed as are most of the dinner items. read more

Went here at Jon's request- he had read about it and wanted to try it before he caught the train back to Brooklyn. We ordered the Sheba Tray for two - $35 - , with two rounds of Yemeni bread, and Kathy, I and Jon shared and we all had more than enough to eat! We started with soup - lamb soup which was a fragrant, rich broth with small bits of tomato, and s bit of heat; and a thick, rich, lentil soup which we scooped out with chunks of the Yemeni bread, served still hot! Who needs a spoon? The Sheba Tray was huge - two kinds of lamb, beef, chicken, rice and vegetables, including potatoes and green peppers: visually appealing and delicious. We also got a small plate of a very spicy salsa - it brought the heat, but the flavor was bright and a nice complement to the meat. All three of us greatly enjoyed our food and will definitely return. Note - this is Halal, so no alcohol is served here. Tip - there is on street parking, but you will need to pay by license plate at one of the nearby parking machines. It maybe tough to find if you are coming on a business day - we were here on a holiday so many people were not at work read more

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Don't let looks deceive you. They're a small, casual place. No frills. But my goodness is the food just wonderful. My husband and I had heard about this place opening, and were excited to try it for dinner. We were not disappointed. We ordered one of the platters for two, with an order of the bread. It was so delicious that even when I was full I wanted to just keep eating. Thankfully we packaged up the rest instead and enjoyed it a second time the next day. The service was friendly and efficient. I have no complaints, and am looking forward to returning to try more of their food! read more

Sheba Al-Yemen - Arabic Near Me - Albany, New York

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Wonderful. Earthy, fresh, and comforting. All of the dishes we experience at Sheba Al-Yemen were superb. I loved the bread with a delicious blackened bottom but the real surprise was the lamb soup. While the soup doesn't contain chunks of meat, it's warm and brothy. You could easily make a meal out of it. Very reasonable priced; three dishes, a large salad, and three huge pieces of bread was $38 read more

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So good we got delivery two nights in a row. The chicken gallabah was spicy and delicious. The foul was flavorful. The lamb was also very good. We also enjoyed the spicy sauce that accompanies the food. The portion sizes are generous. In case you're wondering, you probably don't need to order extra bread. The fresh flatbread is huge. read more

100 STARS! I've never written a review so quickly in my entire life but this place was worthy of it. I saw photos posted on door dash and figured I'd give it a try while I was in town. The Haneeth chicken was so delicious and so tender it was falling off the bone. The rice was so yummy that I could not stop myself from eating every last grain. It was a very generous portion and the sauce (forgive me, but I do not know the name) was perfectly spicy and delicious. I ordered baklava also as it is one of my favorite desserts and this did not disappoint either. I know I will be craving this meal long after I leave Albany! read more

Sheba Al-Yemen - Haneeth Chicken Platter - Arabic Near Me - Albany, New York

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This is best halal combo with pita I had in NY. This and Sammy's halal are even. This is way more quality too. 100000/10

We came here based off reviews. Was a bit worried when looking at it from the outside but the food was great and the staff was nice. We all enjoyed what we ordered. read more

Sheba Al-Yemen - Arabic Near Me - Albany, New York

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This place was absolutely delicious, The dessert with dates and honey was the best thing I've tasted in years! Staff is nice but the place is a bit small. An amazing hole in the wall if you want something authentic and tasty read more

Delicious food. You will not leave this restaurant hungry. Yemeni food synthesizes the best food from the Indian Ocean , heavily influenced by gulf, desi, and East African cuisine. Interestingly, this is a straight up working class dive. The customer base comes from the newly arrived Yemeni community; you will notice lots of men coming in for sweet tea, a quick chat or a platter in between jobs. This may explain the lowbrow aesthetics and spotty service (usually only one person handling orders and service, speaks good English) Takeout if this is a turnoff, but I would highly recommend the authentic ambiance of a true Indian Ocean cafe in the most vibrant section of Albany. Plus, the food is better fresh and you will never feel unwelcome at an Arab joint. Maybe confused, but not unwelcome! read more

This place 5 stars 4 sure or if I can I will give 100 star The food are amazing This chief he is cooking from his heart he love his job and we like the food Service so nice so clean Prices are believable you guys are the best I will recommend everybody read more

This food was AMAZINGGGG!! Such a random spot while visiting lake George we stopped here & it hit the spot! Super flavorful & this platter was meant for 4 people but we (5 adults) ate it for 2 days?!? We will stop here again next time we visit! read more

Sheba Al-Yemen - Family platter (feeds 4)... but really feeds 6! - Arabic Near Me - Albany, New York

If you are a woman dining solo on a weekday and think it would be a capital idea to pop into this Yemeni joint for a delicious mid-day meal solo, I am here to say that is not your best move. Perhaps it's that Yemeni men don't exactly hold women in high esteem or at least in Yemen women do not enjoy legal or other status equivalent to men. Or perhaps it's that on this day the one employee in the front of the house was not into hospitality so much as maintaining a continuous telephone conversation, then continuous humming, and was just not in the mood to discuss the menu, offer tea or oh, much of anything relating to serving the one diner in the entire restaurant. The atmosphere for me felt like I was grabbing some grub alone in a cold warehouse. Yes, that cozy. The food was passable but hardly uplifting. The lamb soup was a delicious broth, that I tired of halfway through the bowl. I ordered the lamb and vegetables, which came out bubbling hot but tasting warmed over and bland. The flatbread was good both for $1 and when it was hot, though it could use salt. The rice was very good, well-cooked and aromatic. $4 for a big 2-3 person plateful. The mark of a good restaurant is leaving and saying: "that was good." The mark of a great restaurant is leaving and saying: "life is wonderful." The mark of a mediocre restaurant I would say is: "At least I ate. Not going back." I have to note that I respect the high opinions of my fellow elite yelpers in raving about this place. Perhaps it's much better in a large group. Perhaps it's much better with men in the group. In any event it's much better at other restaurants in the area. read more

Yemeni restaurants are not easy to come by in this neck of the woods, so the fact that this is here in Albany is a real treat. The space is small but in a cozy way, with a few booths and standalone tables and Arabic music in the background. All the food is halal, and no alcohol is served. I went twice in one day, for lunch and for dinner. For lunch I got the chicken sub and fries; the sub was fine, albeit a bit boring, and the fries were crispy and seasoned with salt and cumin. Lunch was cheap, but nothing outstanding. Dinner, however, was another story. We ordered the Sheba Zestly Gallaba (chicken and beef with tomatoes over rice), lamb fahsah (a lamb stew), and two pieces of Yemeni bread. The meal started with a bowl of lamb broth with bits of celery, tomato, and onion, a very nice appetizer. The Zestly Gallaba was a generous plate of rice and grilled meats, made even better when topped with the spicy sauce you are given on the side. The star of the meal was the lamb fahsah. It came to the table bubbling hot and smelled amazing. The taste was exceptional; very rich, savory, and comforting. It paired perfectly with the huge pieces of Yemeni bread we ordered with it. There is also a decent-sized breakfast menu and some very tasty sounding drinks and desserts. Definitely check this place out; they're new in town and offering delicious food that isn't usually seen in Albany! read more

For those who don't know; Yemeni food is really popular in parts of Brooklyn. Yemeni cuisine Is an experience. I was really excited when I heard Albany has a Yemeni resteraunt. The dinner is sort of a two course meal. It begins with a serving of lamb soup (FOC) which was so refreshing in this cold weather. Next comes the main course. We ordered the popular dish that is fahsah; which is boiling lamb or chicken with potatoes; you should try this once ; seriously!!. Next we gallaba chicken; aromatic soft and flavorful. They serving are big so you would be full by the end. There bread was fresh off the oven. Really enjoyed my experience here!! read more

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I placed an order to be delivered which was a bit on the pricey side but I've had Yemeni food elsewhere before and enjoyed it. It was pricey because of delivery fee and service fee, both set fees and not percentages. I ordered two entrees, an appetizer and soup. The restaurant canceled one of the entrees and did not call to see if I wanted to substitute something else, thus making the food more expensive then prior as well as not sending enough food for us. The chicken was bland and the hummus was good. I doubt I will order from them again. read more

One of the best meals i had in Albany. If you like middle eastern cuisine, this is a must try place. read more

Sheba Al-Yemen - Fahsah (Lamb) . Must try dish. - Arabic Near Me - Albany, New York

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Best food I've ever tasted!!! The customer service was out of this world and never ate delicious food for a long time

Best Yemeni food I've had. The lamb Haneet and chicken mandi are to die for. The lamb soup is amazing. Their bread is super fresh and delicious. read more

Originating from Middle East, this is the best Yemeni food I have ever had. It's so delicious reminded me just of home. From the lamb soup to the mandi to the chicken. It is so good the meat is so tender it literally falls off the bone. I'd drive 3 hours to eat this read more

Delicious and fresh! We ordered the vegetarian saltah and the khaltah. Both were extremely flavorful dishes served hot. The bread served was excellent as well. Would like to visit again to try more of their dishes. read more

The best Arab/Middle eastern food around. Trust me, I've been to all of them. They ALL lacked flavor and are catering to the bland tastebud demographic. This is my irritation with Indian/Arab/Middle Eastern resteraunts, MANY of them water down their food to appeal to folks with unseasoned tastebuds. The crowd that finds salt spicy. I mean this in the best way when I say..If you can't handle spicy,seasoned,well flavored food..please go to Wendys or Dennys or the cracker barrel. Because it's annoying when resteraunt owners feel they need to cater to some folks. Some of us want to taste the dishes of back home, and we can't do that when every place caters to Americanized flavor. So I'm North African and to find well seasoned lamb is rare!! My dad went to pickup a tall order of their food and the taste was DELICIOUS! Everyone in my family enjoyed the food! Fair prices! unlike the Afghani resteraunts that charge an arm and a leg for 1 kebob. The meat was fall off the bone great!! The lamb sandwich was such aa great idea because after I ate it, I regretted not getting another for later on! In our culture we d o have "fol medamas" which is fava beans. So I am familiar with "fool".. seasoned to perfection and served hot. Their shik soka egg dish!!? MUUAH!!! delicioso! you dont smell that "Eggy" smell. It's seasoned right with alot of vegetables as well. Fluffy and tasty! And don't get me started on their bread! I found myself addicted to it! We used to always order Indian food, because its the closest to well seasoned food out there! but this beats their food anyday! I highly recommend their desert too. The "Arikah" was lovely to have as a desert with my after dinner tea. I was greatly impressed! exceeded my expectation. Thats saying alot obecause many of these Arab/Middle eastern/Indian resteraunts were a let down! Also, the staff was very friendly and kind. They went out of their way to make sure we had a pelasant experience. Hospitality sis huge in Arab culture, and we definetly felt it here at Sheba read more

Excellent Lamb Haneeth, Lamb soup, and Adeni tea-but that's only because it's all I've tried so far. Authentic- competes with the best Yemeni restaurants in NYC. Lamb was fall off the bone tender and flavorful. Will definitely be ordering from here as a staple for take out in the future. read more

I posted on Google reviews so just reposting it here. - Sooo good! The hole in the wall places are the best! Who cares about where it's located or that it looks sort of rundown from the outside. The food is authentic and delicious. I tried the Sheba tray for 2 and we still had food leftover! Definitely recommend it. read more

Short wait times and AMAZING food. The lamb is super tender and flavorful, and so is the chicken. Try the mango juice!

Let's put it this way small business it's not your typical fancy restaurant the food and the service are amazing wish them all the best to grow and expand I love Yemeni food and count me in as a regular from now on. It's definitely worth the trip from Amsterdam. read more

What a delightful find in Albany. We had dinner there around 6 -- mid week and had no trouble getting a booth. While we were there, a steady stream of customers came in for their take out orders. There were 3 of us, together we ordered hummus as an appetizer which was delicious. It came with the flatbread and was the perfect amount for us. The waiter brought us a thin, deliciously spiced soup. We ordered a chicken dish, a lamb dish and a mixed grill dish. They came with rice and an orange shredded vegetable--- guessing carrots. All of the choices were yummy. We all took leftovers home and will have at least 1 more meal from them. We ordered a mango banana smoothie which was sipped up immediately. The staff did not return to the table after we received our food to answer questions. We had to ask for to go containers and the bill.A helpful waiter got them for us but unfortunately did not speak English. Our original waiter never returned to the table after he took our order. I will definitely go back but I wish there was someone there who was a bit more attentive to the customers. read more