The food was delicious and the portions were generous, definitely great value for the price. The atmosphere was calm and relaxed -- perfect for having a good conversation without too much noise. However, the service was quite slow. It took a while to get the server and was inattentive nor helpful with menu items. I hope they work on improving the service, because the rest of the experience was very enjoyable. Not sure we are coming back. Food: Hummus Mixed Grill Baklava Water (no refill) read more

If you like good food, you'll love it here. The venue alone is a great reason to come and appreciate the beauty and detail of the restaurant inside and out. A beautiful restaurant also calls for great music and that is exactly what you'll get. The staff is beyond friendly and attentive and the bar offers all non alcoholic options but I promise they do not disappoint. As to the food....delicious! Everything is fresh, flavorful, tastefully seasoned and presented. The portions are pretty big so come hungry or prepare to share. This is wonderful addition to an already diverse restaurant scene in Somerville nj. This is now a go to spot for me and cant wait to go back! read more

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We went to this place after some friends recommended us to go here instead of Patterson. So here it is. We ordered 3 different platters because they didn't have any family platter smaller than for 6 people. We ordered Chicken Kabob, Chicken and Mix platter. We also ordered a mix appetizer. ALL food is either sourced from other stores and just warmed up and served to you. Nothing seemed like it was prepared fresh. Meat to rice to hummus to Babaghanoush. All were what you buy at local Costco or cooked ahead of time and reheated for you. Food is 3/10 And then comes the service. We always tip well wherever we go. Here we were discussing how to tip as low as possible. Servers were more interested to stand in a corner and talk to themselves instead of asking if we even needed water refill, which was never offered. When asked for dessert menu, no one came back to ask if we wanted to order any desserts. Overall 0/10 on service. Atmosphere and location is however perfect. 10/10 for that read more

The ambience and service at this place is next level, the staff are so friendly and welcoming. The mocktails are absolutely delicious and pair really well with their mezze platter and fresh bread. So many delicious traditional dishes to choose from, cannot wait to go back to try more! read more

1st Time here (definitely NOT the last!) Excellent Food (We eat alot of Middle Eastern Food) Very well seasoned. The Pita Bread is particularly Excellent! Very Attentive Staff Five Stars from our perspective read more

Fresh, flavorful mid-afternoon meal. Hot puffy pita, luscious olive oil, all dishes beautifully served. Cheerful, helpful service. Comfortable, brightly decorated, large room but not crowded tables. read more

Al Badawi - Makloubi and the creamiest hummus - Middle Eastern Near Me - Somerville, New Jersey

I would say the food was average but service is poor. We went today 10/31 and when we walked in there were only few tables occupied. We were seated promptly. Ambiance was good! But we didn't get any service for 15 min until we flagged someone. Every time you need something you have to flag someone. Unfortunately we won't be back. read more

This restaurant outclasses every comparable option. Their pricing undercuts similar establishments. The flavors dissolved perfectly while I savored with closed eyes. The service team is particularly pleasant and helpful. This restaurant has earned my regular patronage. read more

Don't come here if you are hungry and want to try Palestinian food. That was our original goal when we made reservations for this place a week in advance on Resy. Reservation was for 8 o'clock in evening on a Saturday night and when we walked in the door it was pretty packed. We waited at the front for a server, or anyone, to help us check in, and after 10 minutes a waiter flagged us down and asked how many people we were. We told them 4, and that we had a reservation, he said reservation doesn't matter and he found us a table. So first bit of advice, don't make reservations. They don't care about them. We waited an additional 20 minutes at the table for waiter to come and take our order. We saw a group of 5-6 waiters standing in a corner chatting, my husband got up and had to ask one of the waiters if he could at least have a menu while we waited for someone to take our order. They handed him two and a few minutes later one of the waiters arrived and said he would be taking care of us. We ordered our soda/water and appetizers and our main dish and thought we were set. But no. All we got to eat until 9:15 pm was bread, olive oil and zaatar. The appetizers arrived in stages. The hummus was there, but no bread. Then the soup arrived but no spoon to eat it with. I've never seen more grossly incompetent scatter brained waitstaff in my life. Finally, at 9:45 pm, two out of the four dinner dishes we ordered arrived. Then 15 minutes later the 3rd dish. The maqluba I had ordered for my meal NEVER ARRIVED. It was now 10:20 pm. Over two hours since we arrived . Everyone else at the table was done eating but I never got to eat dinner. Again, the original waiter who claimed he would take care of us was nowhere to be found, so I just asked one of the random waiters hanging out in the corner to cancel my dinner and take it off our bill and asked for the check. I went back to my table and shortly a waiter came with the check and a to-go bag with the maqluba in it and said, "this is for you, it's Maqluba, and we took it off the bill." But when I looked at the bill, the charge for the Maqluba was still on there! Unbelievable. These people have no clue how to run a restaurant. I again went to the Waiter's Corner to tell them they didn't remove the charge for Maqluba and wanted my bill corrected . They removed the charge, we paid and then we left. The first impression was the last impression. I won't ever be coming back here. Next time I want authentic Middle Eastern food I'll drive to Paterson to Al-Basha or any one of the restaurants there. This place in Somerville is a complete nut house. The only thing they have going for them is the decor. It seems all the energy establishing this restaurant went into the decorations. But the food, cleanliness of the bathrooms , and service is not a high priority for them. Neither is establishing repeat customers. I doubt anyone who comes here ever comes back. Horrendous experience. They are only getting 1 star because the interior decoration was nice and the hummus and bread was good. I would have given more stars if I got the dinner I ordered, but oh well, they're not gonna get it now. read more

a palestinian authentic restaurant delicious so unique! the interior is amazing life size lifelike sculptured olive trees and high leafy filled ceiling beautiful atmosphere the nicest help staff they first served us basket after basket of hot steaming out of their brick oven very ultra thin round pita almost fleshy consistency never had anything like it wonderful we dipped it in olive oil and ground dry seasoning purée creamy lentil soup schwarma huge rolled falafel sandwich rolled in the amazing pita hot moist yellow rice the highlight was the big round thick soft hot flatbread with melting cheese topped with a thick layer of fresh ground pistachios and spices better than any pizza and as you can we by my photos a beautiful presentation browned around the crust! can't wait to go back! read more

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What a great addition to Somerville! The decorations and ambiance were beautiful and made it an immersive experience. Our waiter was very friendly and attentive. Great portions and felt very fresh! I will most definitely come back as the Maklouba was very memorable. read more

Al Badawi - Middle Eastern Near Me - Somerville, New Jersey

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What a fabulous place! They have only been open one week, but I'm hoping it remains a long time. There was no outside sign, so we just walked in to inquire what type of place it was, with no intention of eating. Then decided Why not? The drinks were so good! The pistachio smoothie was just so delicious. No added sugar just the natural flavors of the pomegranate, mango & pistachio. My husband had horchata. He said it was the best he has ever had. And he has had quite a few.The hibiscus drink was a mistake, so they just left it for us. Warm taboon bread ( Palestinian flatbread) came to the table with the finest olive oil, Za'atar ( spice mixture to dip in) & olives. Perfect! I ordered a salad with chicken kabobs. OMG! The chicken was tender, juicy & charred just enough with a Hint of the yogurt marinade. My husband had the lamb shawarma salad. I will be having that next time. Loaded with juicy thin slices of the most amazing lamb. Both salads were dressed perfectly. Thinly sliced red onion, cucumbers, feta, cherry tomatoes. Fresh & chilled just right. The service was excellent. Maria was Friendly, professional & attentive enough not to be a bother. We had baklava that was out of this world. Made with pistachios, just as it should be. Tender with honey that was not sickening sweet, just fantastic! The ambiance was beautiful! The pictures speak volumes! If you're looking for a new experience please try this new restaurant in Somerville. You won't be disappointed. We are already thinking of all our friends to bring there! read more

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First time coming here and was pleasantly surprised at the quality of the food. All dishes were well prepared, fresh and delicious. Service and ambiance were good as well. Worth visiting if you are in the area. read more

Enjoyed our meals, would go back to try more dishes. Ambiance is beautiful and staff was very friendly. read more

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Amazing food and service. Great ambiance. Good vegetarian options and good for big groups

I enjoy the atmosphere and have been here several times. plus, I've recommended the restaurant on social media. My concerns are we ordered the Mezze Filistini platter (a platter of dips) for $29.99 and was charged $3.00 for bread. Also charged NY state sales tax vs. NJ sales taxes. I really want this restaurant to be successful, but they need to correct these charges. Because if these issues, I give it three stars. read more

Delicious authentic Palestinian food with attentive staff and fun atmosphere. Recommend the mezze falastini and chicken shawarma wrap!

THE FOOD IS AMAZING. It's unique and flavorful! The muhamarra (spelling might be wrong) is to die for. Everything is to die for. Every single staff member is genuinely kind, cool, and calm. The music choice is perfect. I need the playlist!!! I've frequented a few times and if I could respectfully suggest anything, it would be this: the music is very loud and it's hard to have a conversation. This would be such an aesthetically-pleasing date night spot, but it would be so hard to hear the other person--which makes me want to go elsewhere--but I'd love to come here with a date. Maybe turn down just a few notches. The lights are super bright and it would feel more comfortable if they were dimmed a bit. And lastly, despite how hard your staff works, there needs to be at least 10 more employees on the weekends. I know it's hard to find workers everywhere these days though and I know it's often not the restaurants fault. Keep up the great work! I love it here. read more

Food was delicious, service was great and ambiance was amazing. Great choice of music and an authentic setting. Free Palestine!

Food was good, location was good. But... the waiting staff was slow and inattentive, we had 5 flies buzzing around our table (indoors) and toward the end they were playing Spanish music ( which would be ok, but it took away from the Palestinian vibe). read more

Excellent restaurant! The food, the service, the ambience was all fantastic! Must try read more

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We went on a Saturday night. The restaurant was barely half full. The food was good but the service was horrendous. The two people we had stop at our table didn't seem to understand when we asked questions. We brought a wine bottle and asked them to open it and said we needed 4 glasses. They only brought 3. We asked for 1 more glass and ordered appetizers. Someone came with a water glass. I pointed to the wine glass and said we need one more of this. They took the cup back they brought but never returned with the extra wine glass. My husband and I ended up sharing one wine glass for the night. Having a nut allergy and avoiding using an EpiPen, I tried to make sure they knew to separate foods with nuts or just let me know so I would avoid sharing those plates but they didn't understand my ask. I ordered the yogurt drink. They brought me the whole plastic bottle like you buy in a store. I had to ask for glass and straw. They collected our menus without taking our dinner orders so I had to ask the waitress to get the dinner orders. All of our food came out at different times. Out of 6 entrees,the times varied by 15-20 minutes. Waiting for everyone to get their meals to eat together wasn't an option so the 6 of us ate sporadically. Food was good but service was not. read more

Ambiance/ Restaurant is beautiful! Food was great, service was fantastic! Just need to add phone number to the website as well as signage outdoor. Otherwise, definitely a place to check out in Somerville!!!! read more

Al Badawi - Inside restaurant - Middle Eastern Near Me - Somerville, New Jersey

I went in for a light to-go snack and ordered the okra soup and baba ghanoush. The soup was great - tomato-based with a lot of okra. The baba ghanoush was amazing! It was a very generous portion with parsley(?) moxed in and sprinkled with sumac. The staff were very friendly and accommodating, and the decor was beautiful. Looking forward to my next visit to this Palestinian/Middle Eastern gem! read more

Visiting the area and tried Al Badawi for the first time. Tried the fried Haloumi appetizer; sadly soggy - had it been prepared correctly it may have been okay. Ordered the falafel platter - came with 4 small falafel balls and a massive chunk of rice. Said the platter came with a salad - the salad was a few sad leaves of lettuce shoved alongside the rice. The falafel was so salty they could double as salt licks at a petting zoo. So not worth it for the price. read more

Not gonna lie, I normally have a very bland American palette, but I gave this place a shot with my Fiancé and cannot wait to go back. Everything was absolutely delicious, good portions, super flavorful and not overpriced like everything else in town. Definitely going to be back as soon as I can find an excuse to bring a friend. read more

Food was delicious! A bit smoky inside from the grill after some time but was still okay to sit in. Staff was so friendly and checked on us-also made sure to tell us to get in our order before a very large table ordered so our food wasn't delayed which was appreciated. would definitely come back again. read more

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Tried this place for lunch that just opened yesterday. Ordered Lamb shawarma salad, bread, and a lemonana drink. Space is beautifully decorated and service very friendly. Shawarma juicy and well seasoned. Salad crisp and fresh. Dressing tasty and not overpowering. Generous portion. Bread was more pita like in thickness but fresh and warm with excellent quality olive oil and seasonings. Drink was delicious with fresh lemon and mint. Will be back read more

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Amazing food & very authentic middle eastern food. Highly recommend it & be ready for a surprise.

First time here and found a keeper. Excellent food and great service. I highly recommend this place!

The food itself is delicious and cooked perfectly. So I'd definitely go back. However, they seriously need a proper restaurant manager and an actual system for managing their tables and orders. The staff was completely lost. Delivering the wrong food to the wrong tables. Taking FOREVER to put the orders in and get them to the tables. There was no actual wait staff. Basically just ONE guy taking everyone's orders on this tiny note pad that doesn't seem to note any table #'s or anything. And then he's entering the orders somewhere else. And then others are bringing over the food according to what he said I guess? So I don't know how they're managing the tables with the orders.. Didn't seem like there was any system or organization in place at all. We didn't get pita bread we were supposed to get and had to ask for it multiple times. Had to ask for the appetizer multiple times. It was a mess. Everyone around us was frustrated as well. Also the restaurant doesn't have a sign with its name on it outside. It's very strange. We almost couldn't find it. So.. I hope they fix their table management and figure out how to get food to the table fast and correctly. Because their food is delicious. They just need to fix the service. read more

Al Badawi - Mix grill platter. Delicious. - Middle Eastern Near Me - Somerville, New Jersey

Food was delicious and authentic. Ambiance is wonderful and service was great. Location is easy to get to and parking was convenient.

Amazing! I love this place! Halloumi and watermelon was so good! The pita is the best!

great service welcomed like I was at home and food was amazing enough for me to congratulate and thank the chef

Ambiance is incredible, food is amazing and service is great, all for a fair price! This place is an absolute must if you live in or near Somerville. Special thanks to the manager Mariam for being friendly & helpful to us! read more