I walked by a few times, curious about this place. I wasn't a TGI Friday's regular though and wondered what the new space looked like. I noticed they were busy last Tuesday at 6:00 so I gave in to my curiosity and walked in, asked for a takeout menu and quickly looked around ~ nice space! We made a reservation for 7:00 last Saturday and were promptly seated in the back of the room when we arrived. Our server (Seret?) was patient and professional, our drinks came quickly (mister had an Efes beer and I enjoyed a glass of Sancerre), and we loved the fresh, hot bread with olives. We shared a Mediterranean salad then tore into our lamb and beef kebabs ~ YUMMY! I spied Baklava on the menu, so we asked for a takeout container and split an order. More deliciousness! The women's bathroom is beautiful, elegant, and so clean with a beautiful mural and statue of a pair of bunnies taking a selfie ~ so sweet. We're DEFINITELY coming back though I admit the 18% automatic tip is a turn off since we usually tip 22-25%. Dear Owner: please, please rethink this 18% automatic tip practice. New Yorkers TIP! Please trust our community to tip your excellent staff. Please! read more

Zara Austin - The beautiful mural in the ladies bathroom with two sweet bunnies taking a selfie in foreground. - Mediterranean Near Me - Forest Hills, New York

Had a delicious Turkish dinner at Zara Austin restaurant in Forest hills with a group of friends. I actually arrived early at the restaurant and decided to have a lychee martini and I was able to take my drink with me to the table when the rest of the group arrived. They brought out this huge fresh bread from the oven with olives. And we ordered calamari for appetizer; which was totally delicious. For entree, I had the chicken shish kabab that was the most delicious. It was served with tasty grilled cube chicken that was flavorful, fresh salad, a small hot green pepper, red pepper, and yummy delicious basmati rice. For dessert we had Turkish coffee that was served with a piece of chocolate. Our waiter was from Istanbul and he was amazing. Lovely place to dine! Would definitely go again. read more

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So this new Turkish place opened up in my hood and every time I walk by there's tons of folks eating so once it was my college friends meetup decided to try this place and everyone was willing to try. We loved the ambiance. Huge beautiful space and the women's bathroom was so pretty. A few ladies were taking selfies since mural was beautiful. The food was good and plentiful! We had 5 of us and the waiter recommended the platter for 4 and we still couldn't finish. Three of us brought leftovers home. We also ordered the babaganoush and falafel appetizer. We got their 1st complimentary balloon bread as well as pita bread to eat with the babaganoush. The balloon bread came with olives and olive oil. It was definitely a popular birthday spot. There were quite a few folks celebrating their birthdays so no joke they kept singing happy birthday pretty much the whole time we were there. Definitely a lively spot and good for groups. We all enjoyed so maybe heading back. read more

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Stopped by on a weekday night after seeing their store front and saw how busy it was! Even in a weeknight, the place was ~80% full. They just opened two months ago, and i was so impressed by their service and food quality. I saw earlier reviews note how bad/slow their service was, and I can confirm it has improved since. It was easy to flag servers down to order and my water was never empty. Now important part - FOOD. You get their famous bread baked fresh from their fire oven, served with olive oils and olives. Who can say no to fresh baked bread?? we got their grilled octopus ($22) which came with two perfectly grilled tentacles, albeit very tiny. It was served with grilled tomatoes and mashed potatoes. We also got their chicken kebab with yogurt which def packed a punch in terms of flavor - you get that char flavor from the grill then the spices which just adds to the flavor. Make sure you save some of the bread for your meat order! Lastly, we got their milk pudding with cinnamon and Turkish coffee which came with a chocolate covered Turkish delight. 18% is automatically added to your bill and the menu noted a 3% additional fee if you pay with card (although I didn't see the extra card fee on the receipt!) The place seemed large with high ceilings, comfortable seating with good amount of space between diners. But it does get pretty loud with everyone talking.. it's pretty echoey. And whenever there's a birthday celebration, they play the birthday song on the loud speaker! read more

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Came for a Friday dinner with girlfriends. Located in the heart of Forest Hills/Austin Street next to the Target. Made reservations and were immediately seated. The interior is beautiful, large open space and different types of tables and seating. We were put in the middle of the restaurant. There is a large bar seating area, they have a wood burning oven where they make their breads and food fresh. Also a salad prep area next to the oven. Right when you walk in, there is a large fridge displaying all the meats they offer. We were brought their popular bread to share with oil/olive to dip. We decided to go with plates to share, we ordered the platter of mixed meats which came with a small salad and rice on the plate and the shrimp skewer meal which came with 2 skewers of grilled shrimp with onions/peppers, arugula salad and rice on the plate as well. The food was outstanding, flavors on point, meat and fish cooked perfectly, and more than enough to share and have for take home too. They give sturdy take home containers and bags. We tried their drinks too. The Verde drink is a slam dunk, I would have never imagined matcha to pair well with liquor but I saw the light at Zara! It had a lychee flavor that made the drink even better. The lychee martini was as expected. The pomegranate drink was not great. Bill included tip and came to just under $170 for three people, full meals, and 3 drinks. I would suffer through the traffic and headache of parking to visit again! read more

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Wow what an awesome experience! The ambiance is warm inviting and modern! Service was top notch! Handsome waiters! We ordered chicken Adana kebab, mixed appetizer, chicken shush kebab. The Adana was very flavorful. The pilaf rice was fluffy and tasted so well with the tabbouleh salad. The chicken shush kebab was so tender and juicey. The fresh bread they bring is a warm cloud of perfection that compliments the mixed appetizer. It has hummus, garlic yogurt, eggplant salad, tabbouleh and a spicey chickpea salad. I walked here but there doesn't seem to be available park lot. Lucky if you get on the street parking. Gorgeous restrooms! read more

Zara Austin - Chicken Adana kebab - Mediterranean Near Me - Forest Hills, New York

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Beautifully renovated space, and good service. The menu options are good, and we were all happy with the overall experience. The lamb shish could have been more tender (it was quite tough and a little overcooked), but other than that everything else was fine. The food quality is average, I'd say, but the decor makes up for it, and it's a good addition to this neighborhood. read more

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New addition to the neighborhood and came here twice in one week. The interior blew me away compared to the old TGIF. They knocked down the walls and everything is so gorgeous and grand. Love how they bring out a ginormous freshly baked pita to the table at the beginning of the meal. It was sooooo good. Pro tip, if you're ordering any dips, ask the staff to wait for the dips to come out and to bring out the warm pita at the same time. Our first mistake after working out was to eat it right away. The first pita is complimentary but the second one is an additional charge. That's not really the issue but we were pretty full after chomping on the first one and then ordering a second one to use for the dips. We ordered an assortment of items to share. If it's your first time I would highly recommend the mixed meat platter to share. Everyone loved the shrimp casserole. The Turkish dumplings are fun to try. Cocktails are yummy here. Second time we also tried the branzino. Can't go wrong with branzino at a Mediterranean restaurant. Service was a little slow at lunch. Service at dinner was pretty attentive. Only issue was that they do this really loud presenting when any parties order the huge meat tray to share. At first we thought it was for a birthday but then realized that it was for delivering the tray. After the 5th time, it does get a little disruptive and annoying. We didn't order any dessert. Walked by and it didn't look too appealing or fresh. Great new addition to FH. Will definitely come back. read more

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My husband and I were passing by and saw people having a good time with delicious food by the window, specifically a large meat platter on fire for a what seemed to be a birthday. We decided to go inside and try it ourselves and we were pleasantly surprised by how great the food and service were! The decor was very pleasing for the eyes as well. I would definitely go back for more. read more

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Visited Zara Austin on Saturday night after they had just opened Wednesday in the old TGI Fridays space, and honestly this was one of the better accidental finds I've had in Forest Hills in a while. The space has been completely transformed. Warm lighting, upscale without feeling pretentious, and the open dining room gives it a much more polished feel than the old chain restaurant setup ever had. You could definitely tell they were still in grand opening mode because the staff was everywhere in the best possible way. Plates cleared immediately, drinks constantly refilled, everyone attentive and eager to make a good impression. We started with the babaganoush and falafel. Both were excellent, but the fresh bread might have been the standout of the meal. Warm, fluffy, and clearly made to be part of the experience rather than an afterthought. For mains we had the beef and chicken kababs. Both were cooked very well, flavorful, tender, and properly charred without being dry. Rice and salad were fresh and balanced the meal nicely. Finished with baklava, which was rich without being overly sweet. For a restaurant only a few days into opening, they looked surprisingly polished operationally. Service was sharper than places that have been open for years. read more

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Food was really great . Got the golden family platter for 9 ppl [including 2 kids] and it was more than enough. It came with rice and salad. When you order the golden it comes with loud music and a whole show of ppl clapping so if don't like attention I would ask to skip it lol. They have kids chicken and fries and apple juice boxes if needed. Fries are amazing. Octopus was also delicious. The service was ok the waiter definitely seemed overwhelmed but always helpful and kind. I think they need to hire more waiters. They also put on music for birthdays. The place is beautiful! read more

Zara Austin - Zaras Family Plate - Mediterranean Near Me - Forest Hills, New York

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Had lunch with friends today. Will go back for dinner and then make a final decision. However, lunch was not the greatest. Pros: They pour water constantly!! Cons: They spray the tables next to you (while you're eating) with Windex (they are not Greek lol). Who puts Windex on wood tables? Spray a cloth with cleaner in the back then bring the wet cloth to wipe the tables. The spray goes everywhere. All tables had salt and pepper, but not ours. All tables were served puffed bread and olives, but not ours. After our meals came, we had to ask for it. The bread was beautiful and delicious, the olives were bland. Two of our lunches arrived together and the third, which was just a side of rice...we had to ask for. No one asked how we were doing. They automatically add 18 percent tip to the check no matter the size of the party. Pretty nervy, so that's what they get even though I always tip 20 percent and above. The falafel was good, the salad was dry and flavorless, the rice was good. The club soda was nearly flat, so easy to fix. Next review for dinner. read more

This is a late review- I went on the 2nd day they opened. It was a very quiet opening, no announcements or anything. We figured the food would speak for itself! We came for a late lunch, were seated promptly as they weren't very busy yet. Had the complimentary baloon bread, and ordered fried calamari, the Zara family plate for four people, and the chocolate soufflé for dessert. The fried calamari, although evident of good quality squid, was different. It wasn't as fried, the batter quickly falls away from the squid, wasn't crispy, and overall very flavorful but a little bland even with the squeeze of the fresh lemon wedge. This one was a little disappointing. The Zara family plate had a beautiful presentation, with its meat platter or lamb, chicken, and beef. They explained there's also supposed to be falafels but as it was their second day of the restaurant opening, they didn't have it yet. There were two kinds of lamb, two kinds of chicken, and 1 kind of beef. The lamb was cooked nicely, and one of them had a minor kick to it. The chicken skewers were nice and flavorful, but the chicken bites were overly dry. The round beef patty was nice and wish we actually had more of that. In addition, the family plate came with 4 portions of sweet rice and salads. Overall a good dish to order if you're looking to try a variety of things. The chocolate soufflé was nice and full of chocolate lava from the center and paired nicely with the vanilla ice cream. Very heavy on the chocolate flavor so that was great! For the 2nd opening day, I'd say not bad but they still need to get things together in terms of how they cook the food. I probably won't come back for a while until they are able to cook the meat properly so it isn't as dry. There was a portion of the meat platter we just couldn't eat because it was dry and hard, particularly the overcooked chicken. However, presentation was on point and the open flame added that wow factor. Not to mention, the renovation of the restaurant was spectacular and has a more upscale feeling to it. The staff were nice and checked in once in a while as you're eating to make sure all is okay. But if you're waiting for them to come to you because you need something, it does take a while. They have different wait staff standing around. There's two who stand by the wall and they are mostly in charge of cleaning up. The waiters themselves who take your order, or answer questions regarding the food or gives the check, wear the same color clothes as the clean up crew and are running around quite a bit so it did take a while(over 5 minutes) if you need something. It was a little confusing at first why the clean up crew looked directly at us, watching us raise our hands, did nothing, and then watch us eventually put them down and sit there for a long long time unassisted. That was a little frustrating as we knew there were only the handful of window tables filled in the restaurant. But then again, for the 2nd day of the restaurant being open, it is understandable that they were still trying to figure things out and hopefully will be able to find their groove on operations and dry chicken. read more

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Amazing place. Not sure what's better, the ambiance or the food. Order the octopus for an appetizer and the ZaRa Family plate for dinner (more food than you can imagine). Also, there is plenty of parking on the street, but if you can't find one there, there is a paid parking lot on top of the building (enter next to Target). Definitely give this place a try. You will be glad you did. read more

Zara Austin - The Octopus appetizer and the flat bread. - Mediterranean Near Me - Forest Hills, New York

Food and ambiance were great! Love to see a new halal spot in the neighborhood. Real authentic Turkish food. Service was a bit hectic probably due to how busy it was. But overall great experience. Definitely recommend for date night or group celebration! read more

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The bread and hummus appetizer came quickly; the latter was somewhat bland, though it was smooth. The chicken thighs were visually appealing and generally grilled well, though a touch dried. Service was disappointingly inattentive as we didn't get our water refilled and we needed to flag someone to pay the bill, but perhaps the operations will improve. read more

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Tried Zara Austin in Forest Hills (the old TGI Fridays spot) and loved it. The Iskender Kebab was one of the best dishes I've had in a long time -- perfectly spiced sliced lamb gyro with yogurt on the side. So delicious. Prices are comparative. They also give fresh balloon bread and olives with the entree fresh from the clay oven, delicious. Service was very attentive too. Only difficult part is finding street parking on Austin Street as we all know. read more

Zara Austin - Iskender Kebab with yogurt - Mediterranean Near Me - Forest Hills, New York

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My friend and I went here after looking for a place around Forest Hills to have lunch. There aren't many Turkish restaurants on the area and the other reviews on Zara looked promising. The food was amazing, wells seasoned and everything came out hot. The place is surprisingly spacious and well decorated. The staff was also quite pleasant. I'm definitely coming back :) read more

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Been here a couple times, and we love this spot so much. Our waitress Beyza was so fantastic, the balloon bread, baba ghanoush, and mix grill were delicious. Cocktails were yummy and strong. We'll be back here regularly, so happy there's a nice spot on Austin Street. read more

First and foremost, I would highly recommend for you to make a reservation. It's almost impossible to get a table without one. We came on a Saturday night at 6:30 and it was packed. The waiters were attentive and we got our bread and appetizers pretty quick (the ones I liked were the eggplant salad and the salad with the red bell peppers, the rest were rather bland). The food took a little bit longer but it was worth the wait. The branzino fish was amazing, the lamb chops were fresh and the steak was yummy too (pictures not included here because my party started eating by the time I got my phone out lol). For dessert I would recommend the tiramisu, it was one of the best I've tried in a while. We also ordered the mixed berry cheesecake but it did not taste like the typical American cheesecake, it was much softer (still good though) and the chocolate soufflé (will take 15 minutes to prepare) was a bit too sweet for my liking. I would definitely come back again! read more

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The food is very good. Service very nice. I had the gyro, great flavor. The rice is also very good. I really liked the hummus and the bread they give you is fresh and delicious. We also enjoyed the falafel. My husband enjoyed his mixed grill. Only improvement would be the runners - nice but forgetful with drink requests. I would definitely come back and already recommended to others. read more

My boyfriend and I tried this new restaurant ,Zara on Austin located on 69-32 Austin street in forest Hills Queens , NY. The food is delicious and served instantly. The ambience is beautiful and well lit. The decor is attractive and roomy .Our waiter Burak, was very charming and cordial. We recommend this restaurant and definitely be back. read more

Horrible delivery experience! First and last time I'm ordering from them. They did not deliver my baklava, and when I called them back, initially they were going to send it over, then I got called back saying that it's been 5 hrs since I placed the order, so therefore the manager told the delivery person that they aren't gonna send me anything. Outrageous! When I asked to speak to the manager, she initially said to wait, then I hear someone yelling in the background and the girl said, sorry, the manager is not here anymore. How blatantly dishonest! They also tried to blame the Grubhub delivery guy, although the bags came full to the brim and tied up. The food was okay- liked the chicken adana and lamb gyro. The salads did not look too fresh, and the manti was cold and dry inside. What a big disappointment- I really like turkish food and was happy that have manti on their menu. Not a lot of turkish restaurants do... read more

Overall score 2.5/5 or 5/10. Food was a disappointment. Physical space is beautiful. Got the mix grill and stuffed grape leaves for the appetizer. The stuffed grape leaves had no flavor inside and were generally not tasty. I would give them a three out of 10. I then ordered the Zara mix grill, hoping to get a nice sampling of all the meats that they do. The beef skewer had no seasoning and on top of this, All of the meat was lukewarm or cold. I repeat all of the meat was lukewarm or cold. The only satisfying food I had there was there was the flatbread, which looks like they made fresh. All of the mixed grill items look like they had been reheated on a flat top before they brought it out. And the icing on the cake is the flavors were flat and not there. Very disappointing I wanted this place to be fantastic because we have so few good food options in this area which has become overrun with fast food garbage. The service was not on point either. The person next to me had to ask three times for his check and he waited at least 10 minutes for it. When I asked for my food to be packed up to go, they brought me a Takeaway box. This must be what casual dining is these days. I expect the way to take my food in the back box it up and bring it out, but I guess those days are over. read more

We ordered the chicken nuggets with fries, calamari, the branzino, the salmon, sangria, zara funte and the fruit blossom. The sangria was but apart from that everything was great.The restuandr looks very nice and I love the naan making brick oven. We will certainly be returning. The pricing is just as I would expect. read more

This place is a refreshing welcome addition. It is very well renovated, clean and spacious. It's so much better than the TGIFridays that occupied this space. The food was fresh and tasty. I would skip the burger and try some of the more authentic dishes. The waitstaff is very friendly and welcoming. They are still soft opening so there are hiccups. Sometimes there is a bit of wait for the food and the check. Also the breakfast options were not available. The place charges an 18% gratuity, which is stated on the menu. read more

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We had exquisite chicken shish and lamb kebab. There are plenty of Mediterranean joints around, but we were so lucky to find this authentic Turkish place. read more

Zara Austin - Chicken shish - Mediterranean Near Me - Forest Hills, New York

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Food was unsatisfactory and very bland and dry. They served us rather quickly and the complementary bread came fast yet we had to constantly flag someone down for further assistance. The place is gorgeous physically but very poorly organized. Staff members were regularly arguing behind us. read more

I didn't think I would like this restaurant but I was pleasantly surprised by how much I loved it. The food selection was really good so it was easy to find something. The decor is beautiful and the set up was really nice. When we sat down we were given this huge bread which was enough for the 5 of us to share. The portions were big so we did share some of the orders. Had a delicious lychee martini to start and shared a lamb gyro sandwich and fries. Was so good. For dessert we shared the baklava and chocolate lava cake with ice cream. Then the ladies room was redone and beautiful and so clean. I enjoyed it so much and can't wait to go back to this local restaurant. I highly recommend. read more

The service was over the top amazing! Beyza had it all! Knowledge of menu which is not easy with a new restaurant and large menu options! She had fantastic recommendations for all courses ! She is a keeper when I return I am goi g to try to book a table in her section before I even make the reservation! Bravo Beyza!!!! Lady and of course every course wqs delicious we had a group of 5 and had several different appetizers , all had separate mai. Course choices so we Could sample 5 dishes and dessert menu and Beyza recommendations for us were fantastic ...Turkish coffee and Baklavas for me ! And 4 other desserts as well so we could all sample the varied dessert menu ! Ambiance is beautiful as well! read more

If the owners have enough money to turn the restaurant into a Mediterranean extravaganza, why can't they put that effort into training their staff and cooks. My husband and I were so looking forward to having a nice dinner but that didn't happen. To sum up my experience, we will not be going back there. read more

It was fast service large portions. Prices were decent beautiful inside friendly people.

This is a mixed review. We've been to Zara twice. The first time it was a five star restaurant. Everything was just fine - - ambience, food, service, and the all-around vibe. We were very happy with the restaurant. However, our second visit was on a Saturday night. The place was packed, quite noisy, and we were seated in a crowded area in the back. The waitress, although very pleasant, was overwhelmed by the number of tables she had to cover and the busy crowd. The falafel was lousy - -tiny portion of hummus and over fried. The beef shish kebab was just OK. Truly, nothing special and the beef was a bit tough. Will give the restaurant another try on a less crowded night. read more

Not just your usual burger joint or sports bar. It's very well designed... Elegant is the word that comes to mind for the decor. Food was very, very good. If you live within striking distance of this restaurant, you're very lucky. We were seated for lunch immediately and with a smile. Food was excellent: lamb enter, , beef entre and falafel as a starter. Almost too much food, but we feasted it on it for several meals after our lunch. I wish I had had room for the avocado salad. The service was excellent. I don't know how the lone server (I think her name is Beza ?) was able to cover the whole place, but she did without batting an eye.... Even when the lunch time crowd started to gather. We were approached several times by the gent whom I assume was the manager. Very friendly, very attentive. will definitely return. Also... It seems to be a huge space so it might be a great place for a big party. Food was truly excellent. Don't miss this fine place! read more

Food was ok. It was hard to get attention from server, because short of staff i guess. It was probably because this restaurant opened recently. The bread they serve was warm and delicious. read more

Came for lunch today. Has the Iskender kebob . It was fantastic and definitely enough for 2 people... also comes with a huge balloon bread to start with so I suggest sharing if you're not starving... Service was great also.. BEYZA was my waiter.. she was very nice!!!!! the places, very elegant! I highly recommend it read more

The food is delicious and fresh and the service is excellent. Great place for a celebration!

I went with five friends to Zara Austin on Sunday. It is an absolutely beautiful restaurant with incredible lighting fixtures, comfortable yet elegant seating, and a completely new bathroom. The food is so tasty. The highlight for me was definitely the lamb shish; they got a perfect cook on the lamb. The desserts were amazing too. We ordered several for the table. My favorite was a piece of Baklava I tried. If you haven't eaten here yet, it is worth a special trip. Zara Austin is an incredible addition to our neighborhood! read more

Zara Austin - Lamb Shish - Mediterranean Near Me - Forest Hills, New York

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So my 4th time , food is good , place is nice waiter was great, finally after 4 visits , the waiter told us there was a 18% gratuity on the bill I was tipping 25 % on top of the 18% , so be ware the 18% is on the bill I like to tip 25 % so I made up the difference, it's good food ! read more

Complete waste of time and money!!!! They're trying very hard to sell you their decor and to seduce you with their free pita bread but other than that place is a joke. Good has absolutely no taste. Everything tastes like microwaved rubber. It's for people who don't know any better and it's an absolute insult to authentic Turkish cuisine!!!! read more