Best falafel!! Ive been here four times and one time was just to buy like 15 pieces of falafel. All…read moreof their sides are vegetarian but are on the oily side. Other than the orzo salad and dips, I don't think i'd keep coming back for the rest of the sides. But you can't ever go wrong with the falafel. The wait for food is kind of long here but I don't really mind it. There's indoor and outdoor seating and plenty of parking. Never have had a problem with service.

"Bodega-like Mediterranean Grill & Grocery in Parkwood area of Durham"…read more This place is WAY off the beaten path for most, but I'm so happy to have gotten to try it out. Nestled in a little strip between a Muslim school and a mosque is this grill and grocery. We came on a Wednesday evening, and almost every table was already taken by diners. You order your food at a counter, and it has the Middle Eastern foods you'd expect-- kofta, shawarma, gyros, falafel, baba ghanouj, hummus, baklava, etc. I opted for the lamb gyro sandwich with a side of baba ghanouj, and my dining partner had the falafel sandwich. They call your number when it's ready. Food took maybe 10 minutes to receive, so we browsed the market area. It's not a huge selection, but very traditional-- nice seeing so many labels in Arabic, and along with standards (e.g., canned fava beans for Ful Medames), they also had things like frozen chopped mulukhiyah leaves-- that's definitely a rarer sight. Lots of good spices too. The food was EXCELLENT. The lamb was juicy and perfect (unlike what another Yelp review said), the tzatziki sauce was delicious, and the baba ghanouj was perfectly cooked and textured. I had a small bite of the falafel, and it was indeed one of the best I've had in the US. Price was fair, too-- the sandwiches are all under $10 before tax and tip, and making it a combo with side and drink cost just something like $2.50. And service was friendly-- although they called out numbers, they did walk out with the food to try to find and bring you your dishes. And while it was an older space, it was overall still generally clean. Overall, I'd VERY happily come back.

TLDR: delicious Greek food…read more Had a great time sitting on the patio eating dinner with 2 families with small kids. We ordered a variety of large and small plates which did well for eating a variety of things. Highlights for us were the Branzino, calamari, and watermelon salad!

I dare you to walk past Nikos and not feel compelled to enter immediately (or make plans for future…read moredining). It's just so beautiful with soaring ceilings, enormous plants, unique lighting fixtures and exposed brick, all making you feel like you're dining in a sultry Mediterranean courtyard, one that is climate-controlled, (appreciated on a blazing hot afternoon). The have a lovely shaded patio, too, if you really are looking to dine outside. The menu is also a sight to behold and there is something for every taste and diet (GF, Vegan/veg all noted on the menu). There's so many enticing vegan options! I ordered the hummus which was very good and a phenomenal fattoush salad made next level with those pickled grapes-- unlike any fattoush salad I'd ever had before. I appreciated the wine and cocktail lists, although I was not ready to imbibe at that time of day. Some great offerings there. And I also want to give kudos to our excellent waitress and the entire staff that thanked us and said goodbye when we left. It was just the perfect touch of hospitality.

We were here on a Thursday evening for a seminar event. They have 2 rooms in the back that are…read morevery well suited for small gatherings. Service was as to be expected for this type of event. I got ONE glass of ice tea and no offer of a refill. We had a small menu to order from. The Caesar salad was divine !! Well dressed and shaved parmigiana. I had the spaghetti with shrimp and feta. Shrimp was well cooked but the feta did not taste like feta. It had NO taste at all. Not sure what would cause this. It had a red sauce that was OK. Hubby had a sirloin steak that was drowning with gravy and mushrooms. Did not look appetizing at all. For dessert we had chocolate cake, served with a dollop of whip cream and a strawberry. The outside seating looked lovely. We may be back to try that out.

Let me begin by saying, the appetizers here are amazing--well, at least, all of the vegan ones…read more(most of which I've gotten). There's a green hummus??? Wow. Perhaps my favorite out of everything we got all night. However, although they do have a nice variety of vegan appetizers, they only have one vegan entree, the Golden Quinoa. It isn't bad, but it pales in comparison to the appetizers we've had. Additionally, over the past two years (during which we've come to parizade about 3 times, because we had a massive giftcard to use up), the quality of the entree has gone down somewhat. When we went last night, I was disappointed to feel that it was altogether underseasoned. It's also disappointing to see that they have not attempted to introduce or switch our their vegan entree in 2 years. The service also varies. Last night, our server was fantastic, and obviously very experienced, but on past visits we have gotten less experienced servers who have made our dining experience more uncomfortable rather than less so. Perhaps most frustrating is that only one out of three of the servers appeared to understand what it meant that we were vegan. Both of the others, after being told that we were vegan, recommended dishes which were not vegan (which we had to awkwardly tell them), or suggested we add protein to the quinoa dish (which, again, I don't think they have a vegan tofu to add--or if they did, he didn't tell us). I'm willing to have some grace on a server that is learning, but I think it's frankly unacceptable for a fine dining establishment to have wait staff who don't know how to accommodate vegan customers (especially when they literally have their vegan options labeled on the menu!). Generally speaking, a hefty giftcard to a fine dining restaurant should feel like a gift, not a burden. Because of the limited vegan options, however, using up our giftcard felt like something of a chore (and we ended up resorting friends with us the last time so that we could blow most of it on a few bottles of wine). If you aren't vegan, I'm sure you would enjoy this place. If you are, I think that there are much better fine dining experiences in the area. Even so, I'm rating this 4 stars because the appetizers, the wine, and the cocktails were all truly 5 stars.

Very unique and delicious bites at the olive. A little spendy, but the chefs clearly pour plenty of…read moreeffort into each dish to make them delicious. Some of the flavors are a little off and there were a few elements of our meal that weren't quite perfected.

Stopped by to get gas from a long car trip. Family was feeling hungry so we noticed the Bleu Olive…read morerestaurant across the street. We decided to check it out. Ambiance: When we arrived, it was rather full but we were immediately seated. Our table was sitting right near the door. Since it was rather chilly that day, I felt the chill breeze everytime someone would go in or out. We couldn't move since the restaurant was rather packed. Food: I ordered the falafel wrap with a side salad, bistro burger with a side of fries, and calamari. The food tasted great. Service: The service was not as impressive. I believe that good customer service should make you feel welcomed. We had to flag our waiter for a few things such as straws and refill on waters. Either way, we had a good experience.

My wife and I had dinner for the first time at the Mediterranean Grill and were very pleased. The…read morerestaurant was clean and bright, nicely decorated, and comfortable. The staff were most friendly, efficient, and helpful. The prices were quite reasonable as well. I ordered the Gyros platter (lamb/beef, hummus, pita, tzatziki sauce, Greek salad), and my wife had the beef loin kabobs (sides of tabouli, grape leaves). The portions were very ample and the food was great--the ingredients were fresh and high quality. The hummus and tzatziki sauce were among the best I have had. The lamb/beef gyro meat was very tasty, and the beef loin kabobs were outstanding--they also removed the skewers before serving. We enjoyed our meal so much that we will be certain to visit this restaurant as often as possible. If you enjoy Greek cuisine the Mediterranean Grill is a must if you are in Durham.

A complete disappointment. I 've been eating more vegetarian lately so decided on a roasted…read moreeggplant wrap. Nothing on the menu indicated it was cold or pickled. I was expecting a hot roasted soft yummy eggplant wrapped in pita with feta and hummus (my additions). Instead i got cold, ie chilled pickled slightly chewy and tough ie, undercooked eggplant slices in a wrap, with hummus and feta added. OMG! I think what they did was to stuff my wrap with the cold marinated eggplant salad from their deli case. WTF? The cashier refunded my money. I'm giving 2 stars because most of the time their food is good.

Oh my god sooooo good. This is one of those places you feel like you're actually in the country in…read moreEurope. Everyone was Turkish the food was ridiculously accurate and delicious. It's not the typical American get in and get out which was kind of nice. Next time we go, I'm going to get all MEZZE because they were also amazing looking and we only got a chance to get a couple. We loved Baha!!

We've been going to Talulla's for over 15 years and they never disappoint. The food is delicious…read moreand authentic. This family owned and operated restaurant is a must try if you haven't already been there.

This used to be the go to spot for some shawarma with fries. But the quality has gone downhill and…read morethe last time I went and brought food in person it was cold and had barely any meat. 3 years ago this place would have gotten a 4/5. Filipino food is subpar. The chicken skewers are the only think that gives this place an extra star from 1 currently even though it's almost always overcooked.

Local joint in a strip mall. I went for the filipino food of course. We ordered a few items and all…read morewere on par. If you are looking for pancit or chicken adobo and just need to get your fix, give it a try. I drove 25mins so not sure if I would go just for the food.

A great lunch spot with plenty of healthy options. My wife and I both enjoyed a "build a bowl"…read morewith the chicken shawarma and lamb/beef shawarma. Both entrees were fresh and tasty. I highly recommend the Toum, which was extra garlicky. The Baba Ghanouj and Tabouli also hit the spot. We also shared the spinach feta Man'ousheh, which would be a suitable entree, itself. Straight out of the over, it was so hot and fresh! As a bonus, a server was walking around an gave each customer a free sample of the baklava. Oh yeah!!!

The grilled chicken bowl with Mediterranean rice was really good, especially because they cooked…read morefresh chicken for it. The grilled chicken in wrap was not freshly cooked and it was not great. The kale salad was really good paired with the grilled chicken. We wanted to go back and try this spot again, but the my were closed on New Year's Day. That should tell you how good the freshly grilled chicken was! Only problem is they didn't send any eating utensils with our to go food, and it's not great finger food.

I ordered a gyro and fries to go, and overall it was just okay…read more The gyro had a good amount of meat, but it lacked flavor and didn't really stand out from other average gyros. Nothing bad, just nothing memorable. The fries were the bigger disappointment. They were plain, slightly soggy, and had no seasoning at all, which made them feel like an afterthought rather than a side worth ordering. Not a terrible experience, but not one that left me excited to come back. It was fine for a quick bite, just nothing that impressed. I ordered to-go so I cannot comment on the interior or the service inside the restaurant.

Really solid food for $8! I got this on the Too Good To Go app, and I was not disappointed. Decent…read moreportion, amazing flavors, the grape leaves were okay and I wished you'd get a whole pita instead of half. But nonetheless...would choose this over Chipotle or Chick-Fil-A any day of the week! Will definitely be coming back.

Oh My -- Ate at my First Aladdin's Eatery twenty some years ago when a shop opened up in Dublin,…read moreOH. I was kinda annoyed because it had replaced a Dairy Queen I liked. But what first appeared as a Lebanese "health food, vegan, vegetarian" restaurant even though they had some meat dishes -- turned into one of the favorite restaurants of my life! Their hummus, pitas (light and fluffy but not overy thick), hot sauce, shawarma, salads, kibi, lamb plate, soups (V9 rules) all became things I craved for the next twenty years. And the desserts! I think they made up for all the "healthy" stuff by having freshly made cakes to indulge after a good meal. Thank goodness they had franchises in Cleveland (where I visit my mother) -- when I had moved away from one I could get my fix there. But while in Columbus area, Dublin restaurant closed and I went to the one in Grandview quite a bit. I have been back in North Carolina for 12 years now. On a day trip to Raleigh, I stopped by the store at Brier Creek (8201 Brier Creek Pkwy #107) OH MY! It has been a while (I think I need to go visit my mother! ) Had my lunch staple. shawarma salad with Aladdin's dressing (they used to have a zesty tomato back in the day that was really good) a small hummus and HOT SAUCE! I am so glad the south is staring to get the grand taste of Aladdin's Eatery! Like I told the owner -- From the first day I tasted any meal to yesterday, the meals and food are consistent -- if you go back in time, they would be prepared and taste the same -- like Heaven, mother's milk! Now Lebanese, middle eastern may not be for everyone but if you want a good healthy salad or some great soup, I am sure you can find something here.. but you will miss out on the spices and flavors! I think the main thing about Aladdin's besides stellar food and consistency is the people! I have not met an owner, server, host that was not friendly, courteous, gracious and human! These folks are great! And just like the food has been so since day one! I wish all restaurants and business could be like Aladdin's, the world would be a better place -- after my meal yesterday, I am refueled and ready to go in body and spirit! Thanks for the lifetime of great meals, see you soon!

Good food, great service, but one thing stood out: I was recommended a wine over the one I chose…read more It was offered as "more authentic to match the food, same price." It wasn't good - I didn't appreciate being pushed old inventory that had started moving toward the "vinegar" stage. This doesn't deter me from going back - the food is great! - but I will be more careful.