Food/drinks: delicious!!!! And very pretty Favorites were the cold appetizer tray with the dips (bread came out warm and delicious) + layered chicken dish Atmosphere: loud but sooo lively! I had so much fun eating here with a large group! They also do birthdays the best and at happy birthday from the speaker! Service: very busy when we went so service was just okay! Price: seems expensive at first but it's actually to match the portion! Most dishes are huge and meant for sharing!! read more

Al Badawi - Fattat jaj!! Very good - Middle Eastern Near Me - New York, New York

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Al Badawi means well, but falls short on service, cleanliness (bathroom) and taste. In all fairness, it was my first time trying Palestinian food, and after my evening here, I guess it's not my preferred palette. Whe we arrived, I mentioned I had a reservation. The "host" didn't look us up in a system but just grabbed two menus and walked us to a table. Had he looked at our reservation, he would've seen we requested heated outside table and my son's nut allergies, but we got an indoor table. It winded up being very cold that day so we didn't correct him. I used the bathroom upon arrival and it was not clean. Smelled badly and garbage bin so overflowing that paper towel was accumulating on the floor around it. I believe if you want an idea of how clean the kitchen is, assess how clean the bathroom is. The server women are sweet, but their English wasn't fluent and communication took longer than usual. Sorting out my son's nut allergy (only allergic to cashews and pistachios but all other nuts are ok) became complicated. For example, she kept saying, "but there are no almonds" to which I replied, "yes, but almonds are ok." I had leftover pizza and asked for to-go containers but she didn't bring a pizza box. I started packing the slices in one of their round aluminum containers when I quickly ran out of room. I flagged her down and asked if they had a pizza box instead; to which she replied, "of course we do" (wonder why she didn't bring that in the first place seeing we had leftover pizza? Again, they were nice, tho. The taste of the dishes were so-so. I didn't wind up eating much, but again, this may just be preference. I have a pretty wide palette and I guess this is one of my limits. Their BK Heights location is more highly-rated and wonder if their cleanliness and service is better. read more

Great Palestinian spot with helpful service and lively ambiance. Food offers many different options for all interests, overall meat heavy (which we loved). We got 4 dishes to share with 4 people. We had bigger eyes than stomachs because we couldn't finish and took leftovers home. The only downside to the food was that the meat was fried/ cooked too hard in the Fattat Lahma and felt hard to bite through. I think it's because we came late and maybe the food had been cooked longer? Not sure. Nonetheless, all the other dishes, pistachio flatbread, chicken kebab and hummus were great. We brought our own wine and the restaurant provided us with glasses. Great service and food. read more

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Started with the muhammara and this version wasn't to my taste, a bit too heavy. Their complimentary pita bread was hot and pillows. The main dishes were great. The mansef and lamb ouzi were both good, although I liked the mansef flavor more while the ouzi has a roasted texture that is more familiar. The ouzi could be a bit too aromatic strangely. They also gave us complimentary pistachio baklava that was warm and a perfect level of sweetness! I wish it was crispier but I loved the nuttiness. The menu is almost the same as ayat. read more

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My husband, cousin, and I came here on a Saturday evening. My cousin has been itching to go for a while, so we booked a reservation on the Resy app. The restaurant is on the corner of 89th and 2nd Ave in the UES. It was packed at 8:40pm, which gave me confidence that we were going to have a great meal! For starters, we ordered the Mezze Filistini, which is a mixed platter of hummus and other dips. Delicious!!! We also ordered the Wara Diwali, which are the stuffed grape leaves. Also very tasty. We unfortunately did not realize the portions were going to be so huge before ordering entrees, nor did we think about it being family style sharing. We should have ordered 1 MAYBE 2 entrees at most. Instead, we each got something: my cousin got the mixed Shawarma and cheese flatbread, I got the branzino fish platter, and my husband got the lamb chops. My branzino was just OK. It didn't look like the pictures and it needed more lemon and salt to cut the fishy taste. The rice and pickled veggies served with it were good. The other two entrees were amazing. I think if we had gotten a flatbread and maybe one of the meat dishes, I would have been happier. Still had a nice time and would go back. Oh and btw- it is BYOB, so make sure you bring your wine bottles. We ended up buying a bottle at a small store next door and the price was double than normal! read more

Al Badawi - Mezze Filistini and Wara Dawali with warm Pita Bread - Middle Eastern Near Me - New York, New York

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I saw an influencer make a video about this restaurant and so I came to try it recently. My boyfriend and I were at the restaurant at 7PM waiting for one of our other friends to join us (we were early for our 7:15 reservation). We had checked in with the restaurant and since it was so busy inside, I opted to wait outside and just read the other Yelp reviews about this place. I noticed a couple reviews that spoke about subpar service. I was thinking oof, sure hope this doesn't happen to me. I jinxed it lol My friend finally arrived at 7:15 so I told the staff that we our party was all here. They said they were still getting our table ready and that they would find us when it's time for us to be seated. We waited outside the restaurant for a while and I checked in with the staff again to see what was taking so long. I couldn't find the original guy that I was talking to, so I talked to a different staff member. He asked me if I had a reservation, to which I responded yes, he asked me what time, I said 7:15 (it was 7:40 when I was talking with him), he looked at his watch and told me that I'm too late and that they wouldn't be able to seat us. I was like...I've been here since 7 dude........ A woman staff member overheard this exchange and had seen that I had been waiting for a while and she apologized to me on his behalf. I really should have just left the restaurant since they don't charge for missed reservations but whatever they finally had a table for us. Pretty much everyone gets the Mezze Filistini app that comes with free pita. This place doesn't serve alcohol, which isn't a problem for me since I prefer to get mocktails anyway. I got the lamb kebab mashawy as my main entree and...omg...the lamb was mad overcooked like hard as a rock. I let my boyfriend and my other friend try the lamb and we all agreed it was so bad. Basically inedible due to how tough the meat was. They both got chicken mashawies and at least theirs was not overcooked. Overall unpleasant experience from the rude staff and mid food, also for pretty high prices. I will not be coming back and would not recommend this restaurant. I'm giving 2 stars instead of 1 because I think it could have been worse, it's just a little better than very bad imo read more

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Zaatar was $18 for a tiny cup of spice. They charged an automatic tip on a party of 4. Food was not bad. Service was slow. Went a while on end without seeing the waiter. read more

Met my friend for dinner which turned out to be a great 3 hour experience This lovely restaurant is a BYOB and we brought two bottles of wine along with the amazing food we ate! The hummus was delicious! And I loved our platter unfortunately I am not sure how to pronounce it fully. We enjoyed the food and were enjoying our wine all to ourselves. The service staff were attentive but also spacious and I hope to be back again soon! The server who sat me in the beginning did mention he HIGHLY recommended making a reservation on the weekends due to the high volume of people dining in! read more

Al Badawi - Fattat Jaj - Middle Eastern Near Me - New York, New York

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What an amazing place! I got a reservation a few days back through Resy. But they were full and highly recommend a reservation. Service is fast and efficient. Couldn't recommend this place more! FYI credit card payments incur a service charge of 4% I had seen the portion sizes from a food influencer before so knew to order the right amount. Their portions are huge so don't be fooled :) They started us off with some complimentary pita (flatbread?) with some olives, olive oil and zaatar. That bread was soft and impeccably made. You see they making the bread actually through their semi open kitchen We also ordered the meat triangle thing called Ikras Lahma - it's just the one piece but that's a big triangle. Only small thing - it would be the perfect dish if it came with like a yogurt based. Cooling sauce. The meat was warm and aromatic enveloped in that warm hug of a bread. Was missing something yogurt-y I guess. But their pickled veg was a great idea too We got the cheese and mixed shawarma flatbread. Had one piece each then boxed the four others. It was the same delicious bread loaded woth cheeses and their beauti Ft Tully shawarma meat (beef and chicken). Beware it's a full sized pizza type thing We shared the mansaf as well - this was a gigantic lamb shank made with subtle but punchy (yeah I know) spices. It was understated but overwhelming - I know I'm saying mixed tings but it was a beautiful l dish. It comes on a bed of saffron rice on a thin piece of flatbread similar to the Indian roomali roti) and with a side of a yogurt peppery sauce, highly recommend this dish but we had to box some of the meat too. Finally we ended our meal with the cardamom coffee which gets served in beautiful cups. Think cardamom (not the artificial flavor crap) in Turkish or Bosnian coffee Finally finally we couldn't resist or wrong the Knafa as it's my favorite dessert and it was amazing too. Huge portion again so order wisely. I have had better kunefes but this was pretty damn good too! read more

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Great ambience paired with truly top-notch ingredients -- and let's talk about that olive oil... OMG. Authentic Palestinian cuisine done right, with stellar service to match (shout-out to Bertin, the manager, for making the experience even better). The lamb shank was solid and comforting, but whatever you do, don't skip the pistachio cheese flatbread -- it's the kind of dish you keep thinking about long after the meal is over. read more

Al Badawi - Lamb Shank - Middle Eastern Near Me - New York, New York

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Food was good. But it did not knock me socks off. Was expensive too. I understand it's family style but it still felt pricey.

I was really excited to try this new local spot but was sadly disappointed. Service: Our server was really rude. He made us feel like we were wasting his time just because we didn't know what we wanted to eat within the first 2 minutes of being seated. When we did order, he gave us a hard time about the amount of food we had ordered. They rarely gave back to fill our water glasses even after we asked multiple times. I haven't had such rude service in a really long time. Food: The food felt average at best. Everything felt underseasoned and their bread was slightly raw (see picture). I really liked the concept of their Mezzo platter - we got so many different things and I thought it would have been fun to try it all. Unfortunately, most of the items were disappointing. Price: I think for the quality of service and food, everything felt overpriced. Ambiance: They have nice outdoor seating and inside feels like a small intimate set up. read more

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I went here months ago with a group having been both to their other location in Cobble Hill/Downtown Brooklyn right by me as well as their original spot Ayat. This was the first location where I could see the shrinkflation but that appears to be the same in all locations now unfortunately. I partially prefer the design of their Cobble Hill location but it still looks nice. The staff was fine like the other spot though it took longer to get things here. As per the other place, they give you bread along with olive oil (with olives) as well as za'atar. It's always tasty regardless of spot. The best thing here and still the most recommended by a mile would be the Mezze Filistini consisting of a platter of hummus, baba ghanoush, muhammarah, tabbouleh, salata tahuna & labneh. The portion has shrunk but it's still excellent with particularly good muhammarah/muhamarra and baba among other things. The Zahir Ma Laban or fried cauliflower on tahini with pomegranate molasses is also a tasty appetizer. The cauliflower was well roasted as per the other spots with enough molasses for some sourness and sweetness and some richness from the tahini. For main dishes, the Ouzi Lamb with traditional rice, minced meat, peas, carrots, onions, herbs & spices made with generous sized pieces of succulent chunks of roasted lamb and garnished with fresh parsley and roasted slivered almonds is definitely a lot smaller than it is used to be. The flavor is still outstanding and the lamb is perfectly cooked but it's harder to recommend. The Fattat Jaj with 6 layer dish of chicken, rice, chickpeas, garlic tahini, crispy pita, slivered almonds, & mint is also solid. Also tasty from the larger platters are the Maklouba or Msakhan which are other traditional Palestinian chicken dishes. if you want a meat platter, the Beef or Mix Shawarma is a better choice than the kabobs which tend to be a bit dry. The platters come with rice., lettuce, and pickles are solid. The Kefta/Kufta is also pretty solid though a bit dry for the price point. We also had Kanafe for dessert. This was a very solid version without too much sweetness compared to other spots and plenty of pistachios. I would recommend this as well. I'd still recommend this spot heavily even with the smaller portion sizes. The flavors are overall excellent though I'd stick with the mezze as noted as well as the larger plates than the kebabs you'd try in other similar Levant spots. Upper 3/low 4. read more

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I loved the outside seating with sun beaming. Initially popped in for brunch and chose a seat outdoors. Immediately got menus but no one came around for 15 mins to take our orders. We decided to not just walk out on the table. My parter flagged her down and she finally came over. We decided only to get a latte and mint tea and not stay for food. Personally I didn't think I'll go back. Ambiance/ view won with lively crowd, inattentive service, mediocre latte. read more

Al Badawi - Middle Eastern Near Me - New York, New York

The food was pretty good, I've had better Palestinian/middle eastern. I ordered the beef kefta kebab platter, and sampled the dip sampler platter, pita bread, and the chicken shawarma plate. The meat was a bit dry and tough (both the beef and chicken). The flavor was good but a bit lackluster. The dip sampler was probably my favorite. The pita bread was yummy. Service was interesting, it might have been our server's first day. read more

Al Badawi - Kefta Kebab - Middle Eastern Near Me - New York, New York

We didn't have the greatest experience here. The decor inside was very striking. The ceiling is covered in thick and sprawling tree leave decorations, which created a nice, airy ambiance. We had a lot of trouble flagging down the waitress to take our order and throughout the meal when we needed water and such. Sometimes it seemed like she was flat out ignoring us. She also was not very knowledgeable about the menu when we asked questions. Foodwise, the appetizers were quite good. I love halloumi and the fried halloumi dish included five thick pieces. It was served with a subtly sweet and vinegary sauce that was interesting to try, but not my favorite pairing. The cheese itself was crispy, firm, and very tasty. We also enjoyed the baba ghanoush, which was creamy and tangy. They provided a basket of pita for the table, which arrived very hot, fresh out of the oven. It was delicious with the accompanying olive oil and seed mix. Almost none of their entrees are vegetarian. I ordered the falafel plate. The falafel were pleasantly crispy. However the dish had very little flavor. I asked for a side of hot sauce (which the waitress forgot to bring until we asked a second waiter), which added the tiniest bit of spice, but it wasn't enough to redeem the dish. My husband got the ouzi lamb and was happy with it, particularly the large portion size. My mom and sister said the mixed grill was just okay. The service really put a damper on the experience so I don't think we'd return here. read more

Great food all around with interior vibes being laid back. The food was delicious. Muhammara was on point. The salmon kabob plate could be shared with 2-3 people if you're ordering appetizers. Hummus and insalata were honestly just okay, and I might not order the mezze again because the yogurt/labneh, baba, and muhammara were the stand outs. The desserts were pretty good, the baklava being the favorite. I think service could be a little better. Meaning the waitress could have been friendly and acknowledge us, but I think the gentleman working the night we came who was the general manager, he was very accomodating and a 10/10 professional picking up the slack and asking if we needed anything. Great service. read more

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Great meal at Al Badawi! OBSESSED with their flatbreads!!! The chicken one was incredible. Mezze Filistini was huge and fed 8 of us. Would also recommend ordering a Halloumi for the table. Service could have been better. Very beautiful restaurant, decorated with fun wall art and leaves. read more

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The area around is hard to find parking. Large space and inside has a lot of room for seating. It's family style so the portions are large and good for sharing. The mezze is great to try a little bit of everything. The lamb rice is good and flavorful and there's was a chicken rice dish that we ordered that had tender chicken. It had a lot of fried almond spices on it so that was a bit much because I couldn't take a bit without eating almonds. They give hot bread and refilled it for us periodically. Staff also gave us hot mint tea at the end of our meal because it was cold outside. The baklava is good and not too sweet. read more

Came here for like 30mins for iftaar and tried the special ramadan menu along with a mixed shawarma flatbread pizza. the special menu included mixed grill not pictured here. the mixed meats was absolutely atrocious overly cooked not edible burnt and hard to chew. i was not enjoying it at all. the flatbread was ridiculously greasy as well. the service was kind but a few of the staff didn't really know how to communicate in english so there was a language barrier for a bit. i wouldn't go back here. but try it out yourself maybe they just had a bad day. C+ 6/10 read more

Al Badawi - mixed shwarma flatbread - Middle Eastern Near Me - New York, New York

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Delicious Palestinian dinner! I had dinner here with a friend recently. Service is friendly, portions are generous, and the food is delicious! This would be fantastic for larger groups. The price point is what you'd expect given the location but not unreasonable. read more

Al Badawi - Middle Eastern Near Me - New York, New York

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I was in search of a late dinner option and decided to stop by. Started off with baba ganoush and I loved it's consistency but wished it was seasoned a little bit more. The complimentary bread was chewy and a nice carrier for the dip as well as the other olive oil and seasoning. For mains, they ran out of several of the other dishes so we got the ozi lamb and ozi chicken. The lamb was very tender and well seasoned. It wasn't too gamy at all. The sauce was tasty with a mix of veggies and ground beef. Rice was chewy with a nice crunch from the almonds. The chicken, on the other hand, was on the drier side and definitely did not have the sauce that the lamb had. Wish we had better food for the price point. Lots of seating options inside and out. Staff were nice but service felt a little messy. Staff were frantically walking around. The large party next to us had to order their coffee twice and the couple next to us asked for their to go boxes several times. Probably would come back if my friends wanted to. read more

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This place is excellent. It's family style with in house pita bread they bake in front of you. A must try.

I was debating just getting the muhummarah and baba ghanoush but those two would've cost $29, and the mezze filistini was just a few more dollars for more variety. I've been to the Brooklyn location before and ordered that each time, but I've been liking it less and less each time. The only two mezzes that are good are the muhummarah and labneh. The salad needs some dressing; the baba ghanoush tastes bitter/too sour; the hummus tastes like straight up tahini. read more

Al Badawi - Middle Eastern Near Me - New York, New York

What a great experience I had celebrating my birthday here. From making my reservation to leaving the restaurant everything was so smooth and amazing. Food: delicious mix of starters and main. The lentils soup was so big and tasty, definitely hit the spot. The lamb was so soft and juicy, probably the best lamb I've had in a long time. Rice was well seasoned and portions were enough to feed 2 to 3 people. Drinks: BYOB Service and Ambiance: they were top notch from the vibe of the place, lighting to all servers and people who works there. Celebrating here was a highlight for sure. read more

Al Badawi - Middle Eastern Near Me - New York, New York

Oh, I am overjoyed that I discovered Al Badawi on accident. I was exploring the Upper East Side with a friend and the place looked so cute, we decided to drop by. The inside was beautifully decorated and the outdoor seating was a treat. We were immediately seated and placed our orders. For an appetizer, we decided to do the Mezze Filistini. I highly recommend that everyone gets it, as it's the perfect sampler. My favorites were the hummus and red pepper spread. It was also served with hot, homemade pita, which was the cherry on top. By the time we got the mains, we were already pretty full, so we decided to split the Ouzi Chicken. I had never had anything like it! It had almonds, deep fried pita, rice, and chicken. There was also a garlic sauce on it which made the dish come together. For desert, the server gave us some complimentary rice pudding on the house! It was warm and full of cinammon, which felt like a warm hug on a fall evening. We also ordered the kanafe, which was light and dense all the the same time. This was an incredible dining experienice and I highly recommend to anyone in the area! read more

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Highly recommend this restaurant for amazing Palestinian food and great service! We came on a Sunday for lunch. We were seated immediately indoors; they also have outdoor seating in a covered area. The staff was so accommodating to us having a stroller with us and they were friendly and playful with my baby which was really nice. The food was so good, the mezze is a must if you come here, especially the muhammara and hummus which came with fresh warm pita bread. The entrees tasted great, the flatbread was cheesy and had lots of meat on it. There was a lot of salad on the kafta plate but the meat and rice was really flavorful. read more

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I don't get an opportunity to come to UES area often, but when I do it is usually to visit Al Badwi! I love Mediterranean food and a BYOB is the icing on the cake. The environment is always pleasant and the staff is very nice and accommodating. Of course the food is delicious! This place is such a treat when I have an opportunity to visit! read more

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I absolutely love the food here. Their mezze platter is the best mezze I've ever had- so much variety and perfect for sharing. The portions are massive too. I'm vegetarian but my friends who have had their meat dishes said it was really good. Their falafel, muhamarra, hummus, labneh, and baba ganoush are my favorite. They give unlimited super hot and fresh pita which is the cherry on top! The ambiance is beautiful, decor is simple and elegant. Service is friendly. I've gone here multiple times with my family and friends and have never been disappointed. read more

Al Badawi - Mezze - Middle Eastern Near Me - New York, New York

An amazing place to go with to a group so you can try different menu items. Never disappoints. The fattat Jaj was great due to the portion of meat and crispy pita read more

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The interior and the decor is so beautiful and inviting! We came for an early lunch and the food and service were fantastic. I got the mix shawarma platter and it was a very generous portion and had plenty for leftover. Highly recommend a visit! read more

Al Badawi - Middle Eastern Near Me - New York, New York

I ordered the Ramadan special which is a 5 course meal for $45 - not bad. First, came out the bread with oil, olives, and seasonings. Then the soup was next, very delish. The hot and cold appetizers were soooo tasty. However, the white sauce was not good, my friend and I did not like it. Then the main course came out which was huge! It came with a salad, rice, and a variety of meats. OMG - the baklava was extremely delicious - it was so warm and literally melted in my mouth. The meal also came with a minty lemonade that was so refreshing and it was garnished like an alcoholic drink. The service was ok - I was a party of 2 so we got a small table but ordered a lot of food. The waitress did not clear the empty plates when bringing new ones so our table was full of dirty dishes. They play nice Arabic music. read more

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Great, extensive menu. Great food! Great ambience! Decent prices! It's byob so bring ur own vodka, tequila to add to their mocktails. read more

I hope my last post wasn't deleted. I made sure to write a review. The food was not flavored to our desire and no condiments for patrons. The service was pretty slow to even get water. We had a decent size party and the wait wasn't bad, however, for the amount of the bill. It just didn't add up. My lamb kebab was burnt and hard. We order an appetizer and flatbread was not enough for our table. The flatbread was $18/each. Only had 5 pieces total so another order had to be placed. The ambiance was small & loud, however, it's expected in that area. All in all. We will not be returning. We came, we saw, so we shall pass read more

Came here with two friends for lunch. The food is beyond amazing! The portion is massive. Highly recommend the red pepper hummus and the flavored flatbread. The service was fast and friendly. All the meats are super flavorful too. Would come back! read more

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This place is a must if you are on the upper east side of Manhattan. If you are looking to have a meal with a friend, take a client out to a meal, solo dine, or try something new, this place is for you! I highly recommend ordering as a group and splitting all of the food because they are very large portions and everything is so delicious that you will want to try everything. Everything was flavorful, and the MEZZE FILISTINI is 100% a must get at this place! I usually don't get dessert at restaurants, but I highly recommend getting the Kanafe to end on! read more

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Expensive to start off. That said, worth it. But you have to know how to order. They have free fresh bread and high quality oil that is super pleasant to munch on, so unless you want an extra spread, id stick with just getting their bread. Let me put it this way, if they charged for the bread id still get it. Main entrees are meant to be shared. I would not completely be dissuaded by the portions because the food is deceivingly rich and heavy. I dont love all of the entrees but again this could be personal preferencc. I actually really enjoy the interior and vibe of the spot, theyve made a genuinely good effort and it feels like a good cozy balance of decor, but also functionality and a chill atmosphere. My go to is the Fattaj jaj. Chicken dish with slivered almonds, a nice white sauce and roasted chicken with toasted pita. The description doesnt seem amazing but really like the balance of frangrance, feshness but richness with the chicken and sauce. read more

I loved walking into the restaurant. It's beautifully decorated. Our waitress was really nice and the food very tasty. I'll definitely return. read more

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Sofia as server gets 5 stars! Lamb chops have mostly been good, usually perfectly cooked, but occasionally a few have been too well done, so dry and chewy Lamb shank is also good read more

Al Badawi has delicious Palestinian food and welcoming waitstaff. We decided to sample a few different things from the menu to get a sense of it overall. The pistachio flatbread was very similar to a full size pizza, topped with a lot of pistachio (obviously). The Ouzi Lamb was tender, juicy, and very flavorful, and the slivered almonds were a nice touch. The rice itself came across as a little mushy, but overall the dish was very enjoyable still. We didn't know what to expect of the Fattat Jaj (6-layer dish of chicken, rice, chickpeas, crispy pita, garlic sauce, yogurt, etc). We were envisioning something along the lines of a lasagna which this very much isn't, but it is still delicious - just think of it mostly as those things piled on a plate in layers. Again, very flavorful (everything was!) and perhaps our favorite of the night. Also note that it is BYO with no corkage fee and there are a couple of good wine shops close by! read more