We forgot to plan for dinner on a Friday night but were lucky enough to snag a last-minute reservation. Our server, Lilly, was pleasant, attentive, and helpful. We ordered the Baba Ghanouj and ate it with the pita (served steaming, is phenomenal). Delicious. The Sitti Spritzer is ok, not very flavorful. It wasn't mixed at all and didn't come with a straw, I had to use my knife? We then ordered 3 more dishes which took forever to come out. I recommend asking them to bring each dish out as it's ready. Beef bacon-wrapped dates: good, too much goat cheese, balsamic glaze was not a good choice Summer Halloumi: squeaky, neither warm nor cold, peach ginger compote was the star Beef and lamb shawarma: we put the meat, onions, tomatoes, and tahini into the pita pockets ate ate like a sandwich. Nothing revolutionary. But the BAKLAVA was FANTASTIC! We'll come again, try something else, hopefully it won't be as underwhelming. read more

A staple for downtown Raleigh dining, Sitti never disappoints. The atmosphere is chic and fresh, the meals simple yet delicious. While a reservation can be hard to come by on a whim, it is definitely worth the time to plan a visit here. The last time my family went, we ordered the lamb shank entree, the artichoke chicken, beef kabobs, and the cheese appetizer. All of the dishes were delightful and perfectly seasoned, and the service was very attentive. read more

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I have come here many a times over the years, and it has always been a consistently great experience. I love the concept of the restaurant and that they continue the theme with the huge community table in the middle of the restaurant. I've also scoped this place for a private event downstairs, and they're coordinator was always very responsive. Most recently I came here with a friend on a Saturday night. We ended up eating LATE, breaking my own rule of walking in a restaurant within an hour before closing. However, we were seated quickly and ordered right away. The waitress was super friendly and never made us feel like an inconvenience, despite being one of maybe 4 tables in the restaurant. The grape leaves are soooo good - I'm still craving them a week later, and my shrimp kebabs were perfection. It was so much food I was able to take some home too, and it was just as tasty the next day. There's a reason this place has outlasted some of its neighbors - definitely a downtown Raleigh go-to!! read more

Sitti - Grape leaves - there's 5 to an order but we're impatient and they were bangin! - Lebanese Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

Finally hit this place up for a ladies dinner after walking by it for years. Really glad I finally tried it. It's always tough eating at places like this with a sesame allergy but they were really great about it. Parking is just like any other place downtown but this restaurant is convenient to two decks which is great when the weather is bad. Service was fine although our waiter seemed somewhat disinterested. We had to be aggressive about flagging him down, asking for drinks, asking to order things, etc throughout the night. The food was wonderful!! The specials were great; I tried out the stuffed barramundi and it was phenomenal. Prices are fair for the quality of the food. Our table also tried some starters; I highly recommend the stuffed peppers. My friends said the hummus was fantastic, too. The restaurant's ambiance was great although we were sat right next to the front door on a cold night so we kept getting blasted by cold air. Loved the fresh pita all night. Would definitely be back because the food was great, hope the service was just off. read more

Thoroughly enjoyed Sitti! The serving sizes are really generous and my chicken shawarma entree essentially served as two extremely filling meals. I'm impressed with the richness of the flavors and though the food is on the saltier side, this actually makes me like it more - especially the delicious pickle side...! Our server, William, was also a mind reader - it's like I would begin to think of something and he'd materialize (eg, when my daughter started to meltdown for a straw, right as I began to look around, he swooped in to save the day). Brought several guests with us and we all thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. Looking forward to our next stop over at this family friendly and beautifully decorated restaurant! read more

Sitti - Lebanese Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

Be careful not to ask for a different time. Called to get in a bit earlier because my 5 year old was hungry.... The woman training the guy said, "It's a trick. They make reservations online and then call to get the time they want". Rude much lady? Train the guy how to properly mute the phone. read more

Lebanese TV Dinner My grandparents are originally from Tripoli Lebanon, and my dad from there as well. Being born in America, normally we have a tendency to move away from country of origin, and become more westernized and assimilate to our beautiful American culture. With that being said, I went to visit my family in NC, and my sister suggested we eat out at this Sitti Lebanese restaurant, she raved about the place how wonderful it was, and the kafta, bread, and hummus, etc.. blah blaha blah. I have NEVER sat and ate at a Lebanese restaurant, in my life. So she sold the place as being heavenly good, until it wasn't !! The young lady that served us was awesome, delightful and pleasure to do business with. The kitchen however was another story. Our food came out freezing cold, the kafa kabobs was dry and cold, the rice was cold and bread was under baked. They basically seemed to have frozen their left overs from the weekend and slapped it on a plate for customers to eat. The RICE was TASTELESS, The KAFTA was dry and grainy, discussing, the bread was undercooked, like eating plain doe. The only thing colder than the food was the beer, which was nice and cold. The keppe was excellent, well cooked and perfect. It's a shame because my sister spoke very highly of this place and she goes there all the time with mom . Not any more. I was extremely disappointed myself because of the high hopes I had coming from a Lebanese heritage. It's kinda like going on a hot date, and the person sitting across the table speaking about her ex 99% of the time. Sorry but if we wanted TV Dinner's, we could have purchased them at Wegmans !! read more

Love this place and the atmosphere too. Was in town for work and found this place around the corner. It was a popular spot on a Friday for lunch. We walked in and were seated immediately. I ordered the Sitti salad with chicken and my husband ordered a Sitti salad with salmon. Both meats were cooked nicely. And, not dry. A good portion of meat. We actually couldn't finish the salad. Wish I could have taken it to go. Oh well!! But it might have been that I indulged in the wonderfully, warm bread dipped in oil. Oh my! It hit the spot on this cold and rainy day. Enjoy! read more

Sitti - Sitti salad with salmon - Lebanese Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

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Don't be scared to try new food. You'll be surprised at how comforting Sitti's fresh food is. They're located right in the heart of downtown Raleigh and conveniently beside ample street parking and a parking deck. I've been for both lunch and now dinner and have had amazing experiences for both. The service is always kind and i like the loud hum of the restaurant. It's packed tightly with tables which means it's often loud at peak times, but nevertheless, a great place for a date or to catch up with friends like i was doing last night. When i went for lunch a couple years ago i had a chicken pesto panini that had fresh toppings and an apple inside. I was pleasantly surprised at how the flavors all worked together. For dinner last night i had the lamb chops because go big or go home amirite? They were divine. They usually come with asparagus but i substituted with rice and they were very nice about making that change for me. The lamb chops had a great flavor that had a lot of depth as you chewed, but also had some fat that added that extra texture and layer of flavor. I also had the glass of Sauvignon Blanc. My friends had cocktails and enjoyed them. Not a complaint was heard, and the food, as always, is super fresh and tasty. read more

Sitti - Lebanese Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

Food was delicious! We came during the transition from lunch to dinner, but the staff was completely attentive. This was our first time, and our first experience, dining at this restaurant - and we will be quick to come back next time we are in Raleigh. Did I mention the food was DELICIOUS! read more

Sitti - Falafel with Vegetables** - Lebanese Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

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Tried this place on a whim, it was extremely spacious inside and we were sat right away on a Saturday. The vibe inside reminded us of our favorite coffee shop as there were comfy leather chairs in the front of the restaurant you could sit at with a famous Moscow mule. I got the Sitti salad with chicken and my husband got lamb. The food was fresh, flavorful. The sitti salad was extremely fresh and vibrant in flavor. If you are looking for a good salad, give this place a try. I wanted to get a photo of my dish but I ate so fast! read more

The service was great. But the food was bland and not up to par in my opinion. It seemed overpriced for the quality and taste.

So tasty! The Siti Spritzer was one of the best cocktails I've ever had! Been there twice and can't wait to go again read more

Sitti - Siti spritzer - Lebanese Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

We visited Sitti last weekend for the first time and walked around downtown Raleigh. There were four of us. The back patio seating was lovely and perfect with Covid going around. Our party ordered the beef kebob, falafel salad, the hummus trio (amazing!! Get the red peppery one (mohamrra?!)! and the fried minced lamb appetizer. The food was delicious and the non-alcoholic drinks were super tasty and original. One of us got the pomegranate spritzer and I got an ice tea that had passion fruit and date syrup... just divine. Anytime I visit Raleigh, I'll be visiting this spot! read more

Wasn't really impressed. From the homeless wondering in front of the restaurant, to the quality and taste. Passable but presentation was lacking. Service was great and very attentive. Also no 2A on-site. read more

If you're thinking, "hey this morning was really tough at work, I'm tired, and I need to wake up," I have the lunch hour planned out for you perfectly. Mmmm that garlic whip! I can still taste it. The lemon-herb flavor of the chicken kabobs paired so nicely with it (as did pretty much everything else on my plate). Colleagues both got the chicken shawarma and loved them as well. Lots of food to eat in addition to the super-soft bread. Their rice is also amazing just by itself. Oh I forgot to mention that you'll immensely enjoy that lunch and stay awake the entire time, but no promises for the remainder of the afternoon as you'll be in kabob-shawarma dreamland. I'll return when I wake up. read more

We came here on a Friday evening. I had always passed here and seen lots of people dining here and wanted to try. I had friends who dined here and really liked it too. We ended up getting lamb chops and kafta kabob. Let me tell you, the lamb chops were AMAZING. So were the kafta kabob. Good service. Good ambience. Will come back. read more

Sitti - Lamb chops - Lebanese Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

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Stopped in with my daughter and had Sitti Sampler. It was on of the best meals we have ever had. Highly recommended.

Lovely little spot downtown. Service was impeccable and food was hot and delicious. I did the Sitti Tasting, which gives you several items off their menu to try. It's a must have. My son got the Beef Kabobs with rice. He loved it and said the rice was the best he's ever tasted. Definitely get some pita and hummus to start, as the pita is piping hot and the hummus is really tasty. Ask for a side of their garlic whip!! That stuff is good on everything! It's a condiment, but you'll want it on all they bring you, except dessert. The ambiance was nice. Chill, low light and fairly quiet with excellent music in the background. They also have a full service bar. And let me tell you about their super clean and amazing smelling "spa" feeling bathroom. If you have good food, good service and a clean restroom...I'm yours! I loved this place! read more

Sitti was a fun little place downtown. We went for a date night and we thoroughly enjoyed it. Our only complaint was that because of Covid, we were kind of shoved in a corner at the front of the restaurant very far away from other tables and there were empty tables and chairs stacked between us and them. The track lighting was also pointed directly at us and it was pretty annoying. It was absolutely fine, but ruined the ambiance. The food however, made up for it all. It was delightful. Everything we wanted it to be. Service was fast and the wine list was great. I would definitely make sure to make a reservation, as they were packed. And allot some extra time for parking. But don't miss this lovely restaurant. read more

Sitti - Lebanese Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

Great food, authentic. Came here for lunch while traveling to Raleigh. Will try to get back for dinner sometime.

I love Sitti. Boyfriend and I decided to visit for a date night. Appetizers - Cheese Rolls and Goat Cheese Stuffed Peppers, both solid choices! Entrees - I ordered the Chicken Kabob and Boyfriend ordered the Falafel with Vegetables The Chicken Kabob is what I always order, I love the Sitti rice which contains roasted almonds and garlic dipping sauce. Unfortunately Boyfriend's entree was just okay, we have had better falafel and the vegetables were a tad undercooked. My favorite cocktail is the Pinkies Out, formerly known as When in Doubt Pinkies Out. Unfortunately it tasted a bit off this past visit, I think that there was too much passion fruit nectar. And, they no longer serve the drink with a sugar cane stick which saddens me. read more

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Sitti is one of my favorite restaurants in the area. If you are lucky, you might be able to get their okra and lamb stew (it comes and goes from the menu, I believe due to some seasonal ingredients) which is my personal favorite, but they have quite a few other wonderful dishes too (the lemon chicken is addictive). The Kibbee Mikli is incredible. It's an appetizer, and I've long dared myself to go there and just eat nothing but two or three orders of it. I think that would be quite the meal. My wife and I also held our wedding reception in the restaurant some years ago and it was lovely and a great price too. All the guests loved it. If you can fit your wedding in their space, it's much cheaper than catering and renting tables, and the food is far superior as well. read more

We sat on Sitti's beautiful patio on Tuesday enjoying a late fall afternoon lunch. Waiters wore masks and were sanitizing tables and chairs as we entered. Our appetizer of warm, Lebanese bread and three scrumptious varieties of hummus, was AmAzInG! Melt-in-your-mouth deliciousness! The three of us ordered shrimp or chicken kabobs that were full of flavor and served with a great rice. This is our favorite downtown restaurant when we visit Raleigh. We were not disappointed! read more

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WHAT A TERRIBLE EXCUSE OF A MIDDLE EASTERN RESTAURANT. It's an absolute disgrace for this place to even bear the precious name Sitti. This cuisine is not authentic. There was not even a single worker in the restaurant of Lebanese or middle eastern descent. I am Palestinian and it pains me to say this but even Israelis make better middle eastern cuisine than this sorry establishment. The pita bread was not prepared right, the recipe is bad and it's nothing like Arabic pita bread. The Kibbeh Niyeh was bland and had no burghul, and no spices with bloody raw meat. We left before waiting for the entree. Arabs beware, this is dog food only. read more

A friend and I had dinner here on a Tuesday evening. We had an early dinner and were seated right away. Our server was great, he had wonderful suggestions and wasn't shy when letting us know what was great and what was just ok. I had the lamb chops and mixed vegetables, what a great choice. My friend had the pan seared salmon, sautéed kale and sitti rice and she enjoyed every bite as well. We finished off with baklava, it was her first time having baklava and I was so happy she loved it. I really enjoy the food and the service and will be back again soon. read more

Sitti - Baklava - Lebanese Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

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One of the best outdoor patios in Raleigh! Our server, Matt, was super helpful with suggestions. He talked up the pita bread and it really did stand out from other places. We enjoyed the three dip trio as an app and made a meal out of several other appetizers. We also really liked two refreshing non alcoholic drink choices - one with iced tea and one with pomegranate juice and club soda. read more

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Sitti may mean "grandmother" in Lebanese but to me, it means fresh and tasty Mediterranean food in downtown Raleigh! An upscale, bigger sister to Neomonde restaurant, Sitti really does a fine job making simple foods, special. Step into the light and airy space and you'll find a large open dining room replete with subdued colors and family portraits. The high ceilings and stamped metal panels really make for a good-looking space that captures a lot of sunshine on this corner of Wilmington street. The menu is interesting and a bit more broad than what you'll find at Neomonde. We started off with a nice basket full of poofy bread, which reminded me of Indian puri's. The hommos with minced meat was delicious and lemon-tangy, a great accompaniment to the breads. My lunch dish was a sizable beef shwarma and fries spiced with herbs and sea salt, nicely done. Service was very attentive and professional, our glasses were filled regularly and everything was taken care of promptly. I'd love to come back during the evening hours when Sitti can really shine; the large pane glass windows shows it all off when the sun sets. The only thing I might change at Sitti is the entranceway which is a bit industrial and grocery-like. It could really use a more stylish and welcoming face to this cute spot. Overall while I'm not a huge fan of Neomonde, Sitti makes me want to come back again. It's not so much that the food is substantially better, it's just that it tastes so much better when you're not eating off of plastic trays! read more

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Lovely ambiance and great service. Food hit or miss. My friend and I grabbed dinner here and ordered several items- the sitti tasting, dates, falafel, beef and lamb shawarma. My favorite items were the goat cheese dates and the chicken shawarma. The hummus and baba ghanouj were only ok- it seemed like they lacked that punch of flavor that you expect. Loved the pita with olive oil dip. Definitely recommend the chicken shawarma over the beef and lamb. It was melt in your mouth amazing and had a delicious yogurt sauce. The cheese rolls were also good! Overall really nice experience I just wish some of the basics had more flavor. Our waitress was wonderful and very attentive. read more

I may try this place again but so far, not seeing how it merits the raving reviews or the high price tag. $50 Dinner, not worth it at all. Lamb 2.5/5 decent portion of lamb but only 2 asparagus and a small ice cream scoop (literally, perfect round scoop from an ice cream scooper) of polenta. Lamb chops were 100% properly cooked, tender, and flavorful - THEN they ruin it by covering it in a semi-thick very bland brown gravy ... Totally ruined the flavor. I scraped it off - the lamb under it was very good. Polenta was "white truffle polenta" - flavor was subtle and decent, nothing outstanding. texture was poor... not creamy at all, pretty dry/light $28 - should be $21-22 at most IF it was properly done for the amt of food. I recommend not getting this if you expect to get $28 worth of flavor and quality Had tiny tastes of the Pumpkin Hummus & Baba Ganouj - Pumpkin hummus was WAY to sweet - Baba was pretty good but had a strange tang/acid after taste on the tongue like it was fermenting... not in the good way - these were $2 each! should be like 50 cents, maybe a buck. Really should give people tastes for free when they are spend a lot of money on dinner there. Pistachio Cheesecake w/ Baklava crust 0/5 ... tiny sliver for $6.50, and was like eating thick pistachio paste. No cheesecake flavor at all.. just pistachio. I like pistachio but it was 50x too much. And the baklava crust was WAY too hard and dense. Difficult to chew. read more

Great food, nice atmosphere, service was fine, and we enjoyed the food, will definitely come back read more

Sitti - Lebanese Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

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Been a long time since I've been here. Found ourselves in need of a place for lunch for five of us (and a baby) the day after Christmas that would be Vegan-Friendly for two of us. This fit the bill perfectly! We were able to get a nice booth that was just right for our group. Bread & oil were a great way to start. Dive in fast because it's especially good piping hot! Two of us had the Chicken Kabob lunch. One had Chicken Shawarma Wrap. One Vegan did the Grilled Vegetable Kabob, while the other had Falafel and Vegetables. Everyone were happy with their dishes. My Chicken was tasty and moist, with a giant mound of rice with vermicelli, and a grilled roma tomato and garlic whip. Would have loved it to have grilled veggies with it. Would have happily traded half the chicken and rice for some veggies. I guess my image of kabobs includes a mixture, but the menu description was accurate, so I can't complain. Portions were generous. Service was excellent. They were even kind enough to bring us hot water to warm a baby bottle...thank you! Only slight criticism was that it was really hot in the restaurant where we were sitting. Most in our group had been complaining about being cold in our house, where I kept bumping up the thermostat, so for them to be hot...well, it was warm in there! read more

Sitti - Chicken Kabob (lunch) - Lebanese Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

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Food was delicious. I had the curry (my friend added lamb and hers was great). Portions are average sized but the food was great. We got appetizers, meal, and desert, all delicious. Our server was awful. Absolutely the worst server I've ever had. We wanted desert after eating, and he only checked on us once after the food came. Over an hour later (not exaggerated, the table next to us with a different server came, ate, and left), he finally came to check on us and we ordered dessert. It took 30 more minutes for the dessert to come out. Mind you, the restaurant was not busy at this time. Would eat here again, but would request a different server if given the same one as last time. read more

Sitti - desserts - Lebanese Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

Sitti means grandma and that's the type of food you enjoy when you go to this place it taste like the grandma is cooking. I love it recommend to try this place. read more

Awesome place, usually packed during lunch/dinner but you can usually get seated immediately or not wait too long. If you're going for dinner on a weekend i recommend making a reservation. There's a parking garage across the street on Wilmington, or you can find metered street parking. Meters end at 5pm. I love their lunch options - I've had their falafel wrap and a great salad recently. The hummus trio is great! I asked for the salmon to be cooked almost rare and it was perfect. And super affordable - lunch special with arugula and blackened salmon was about $12.50. The pita they give you while you wait for the food to come is delicious and the olive oil/sesame dip with spices is delicious! Good drinks too. Sitti is part of the Empire Eats restaurants (they also own Raleigh Times and Gravy). Definitely recommend! read more

Sitti - Special salad of the day - arugula with avocado and salmon. Delicious! $12.50 - Lebanese Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

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Sitti used to be good. The management/chefs must have changed hands over the past several years because it's just your average food now. This used to be a family favorite with our 5 kids. We won't be back. read more

The service was good and the food was reasonably priced. However, I was disappointed with the food. There was barely any seasoning on the rice and vegetables they just plopped it on the plate after cooking. My friends meat was over cooked, many of the vegetables seemed to be from a can. The chicken schwarma had an odd flavor that seemed to be slightly fishy. I hope in the future they can improve their menu. read more

Great service and good food, it was my first time here and i enjoyed the food but 1-2 items were way too salty for me. My daughter enjoyed the cheese pizza and i loved my shawarma, will definitely dine here again. read more

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Many great restaurants are situated within walking distance of each other in downtown Raleigh. Worst part, however, is finding parking! Originally, I had intended to check out a different restaurant, but since that one was closed, I walked over to Sitti. Not only is it a great venue, but it's also heated on cold days! The seating arrangement is nicely spaced out, providing an open and inviting atmosphere. Started off with complimentary pita bread and extra virgin olive oil. The homemade pita bread is warm, fluffy, and amazing! Pair this with the Baba Ghanouj, it goes very well with the pita bread. It consists of roasted eggplant, whipped with tahini, garlic, yogurt, and lemon juice, finished with extra virgin olive oil, $6.99. It's very fresh. You can almost taste each of the ingredients, and yet at the same time, they blend very well together. If you're sharing the pita with others, it can be difficult to finish the baba ghanouj because the pita also tastes good on its own! Hardly used the extra virgin olive oil for dip. Consider requesting more pita. I was in need of something warm, but the waiter made me feel rushed to order a drink, so I didn't really take a good look at the beverages available. Instead, I asked the waiter for recommendations. Unfortunately, he admitted that he was fairly new and had not tried any of the listed drinks. At least he was honest. He essentially suggested every non-alcoholic drink possible. In the end, I opted for the Pomegranate Spritzer, a non-alcoholic cocktail/spirit-free cocktail with pomegranate molasses, honey, freshly squeezed limes, ginger ale, and soda water, served over ice for $3.50. Like I mentioned, I wanted something warm, and this is far from warm! Nonetheless, this iced drink is good, ideal for a summer day. However, despite stirring, most of the pomegranate sank to the bottom. As a result, about 2/3 of the drink tasted like ginger ale, and the bottom 1/3 tasted strongly of pomegranate. Beef and Lamb Shawarma is a great dish for anyone who's feeling hungry! It comes with thinly sliced, marinated, tender beef and lamb, served with Sitti rice, grilled tomato, sumac onion, and tahini sauce for $10.49. The meat looks dry, but when you bite into it, it's incredible! Enjoyed the rice as well. I'm not entirely sure what the orange strands are, but they are a great addition! Didn't care for the grilled tomato. Beautiful colors overall. Good portion. The Sitti Burger is not impressive at all. I wouldn't even call it a "burger," it's more like a "sandwich." The Sitti Burger consists of grilled ground beef, mixed with onion and mint, served in a pita with lettuce, tomato, sumac onion, and laban bi khiar, served with fries for $9.49. There's only ONE piece of lettuce included, and the pita isn't even remotely as amazing as the complimentary pita! It's thinner and more dry. The meat is only okay, a bit on the dry side. Not worth it, don't order this. read more

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We stopped by at Sitti for lunch and were very satisfied eventhough they were very busy, we got seated right away and food came out fast as well. Everything was fresh and tasty. Bread came first and it was hot and yummy it came with the olive oil deep, which was great as well. I got salmon dish and it was great - so tender, simple but so tasty. It came with kale, which was so juicy and salsa that had jalapenos - that gave a nice kick! Loved it! Drinks were refreshing and tasty! And lamb dish was fantastic! Don't forget about the Mondays special - 1/2 price of French and Lebanese wines. AND Tuesdays - 3 course dinner for 2 only $40. It includes a mezze, 2 entrees and a desert! I reccomend:) Cheers:) read more

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