The hummus was the highlight of my order and it was delicious. Overall the meal met my expectations.

Have been going to Aladdin's Cafe since the current owners converted it from Jerusalem Cafe many years ago. I eat Mediterranean food across the country and this is still some of our favorite anywhere. Carnivores, vegetarians, and omnivores like me have plenty to choose from. Eat at a chain restaurant like the one down the street and then eat the same kind of dish here and they don't even live in the same universe that's who "real" the food at Aladdin's is. Some of our favorites are (forgive the inevitable spelling errors): lentil soup, chicken shawarma(even the Agengers have figured this out!), smoky baba ganoush dip, any of the pita wrap sandwiches (from lamb's meat to vegetarian hummus and felafel), Jasmine combo, halloumi cheese appetizer (baked cheese on dried seasonings), grilled cauliflower dish on saffron rice, grilled lamb strips on hummus, the spinach krass pastry, and on and on it goes. Great ambience, friendly staff, cooks, and owner, just two locations, one here in Lawrence and one in Kansas City near the Med Center. Great family business with dedication to tasty food. read more

Aladdin Cafe - Incredible lentil soup and a view of Mass Street in downtown Lawrence, Kansas. - Greek Near Me - Lawrence, Kansas

Slap me on the wrist cause I've never eaten at Aladin's in KC. I was doing my required walk down Mass Street, one I've done several times. I remembered I'd bookmarked Aladins on Yelp. I walked in, and was immediately seated. There is outside seating as well. i was given a menu, and sat there, trying to decide. I should've gotten the babaganouche. But anyway, there'll be another visit for that. I chose the eggplant parmassean in the pita wrap. I also chose the Greek salad. I don't even like salad. It's useless in my life. I often don't care for the taste of dressing. blech. And soup has no place in my life either. It's another blech. So, I opted for the salad as my side, and decided to try to eat it just once. The dressing wasn't good. It was sour, and tasted like I don't know what...next time, I'll order it without dressing. The pita wrap was good. It had eggplant, and some kind of creamy cheese, with other vegetables. I like eggplant.....why I didn't order babaganouche, I still don't know. The pita bread was fresh and thick. The wrap was worthy of 5 stars, as was the service and decor....uh, hookah pipes, which is fitting for Mass. Street. read more

I love Mediterranean food so the Aladdin is now one of my favorites. Lawrence has at least three really good Mediterranean cafes so I'm really happy because I love Mediterranean food. read more

We stopped in on a really, really cold December night. We both ordered gyros and split a tea that sounded spicy, warming, sweet, and good - it was. The gyro's were nothing spectacular, but they were filling and the flavors were in the ball park. It was an enjoyable dinner but the one thing lacking was warmth. It was cold outside but no matter what I did, I couldn't shake the chill. I ate with my coat on and even the tea didn't seem to alleviate it much. This discomfort probably affected my overall experience in a negative way because when I'm cold, I just can't relax. The restaurant's fault? No, probably not, but they could have turned up the heat a little. I mean the front door blasted cold air into the dining room each time someone came or went which was at least a half dozen times during our visit. So, I'd like to try it again when it's a bit warmer and see if I like it better. read more

Aladdin Cafe - Greek Salad - Greek Near Me - Lawrence, Kansas

One of my favorite local spots. Don't expect to order a drink though as it's byob. I have tried several things on the menu and I've never had a bad experience. Bonus is the patio, great people watching! read more

Very friendly staff, chef even visited our table. Lentil soup is excellent and the hummus is superb. the gyro sandwich is a staple. Some of the best mediterranean food ive had. This is a great find in lawrence Check out Aladdin's Cafe from 11-3 on Sunday for their buffet. It's worth $12 read more

From the moment I walked into the restaurant I felt welcomed. Samir was an incredible wealth of information and so kind. He suggested a few of the customer favorites and his favorites and was great at checking in to make sure I didn't need anything more. The food was amazing! I had the Jasmine platter and everything was delicious! My fave was the baba ghanouj and lentil soup! You won't be disappointed if you try this awesome place! read more

Great food, great service, good prices. The staff is very friendly and appreciative. The lamb is fresh and the spices used are fantastic

This place... the food is amazing. I promise the food isn't anything "crazy" but it's perfect when you want to try something new. It's perfect during these pandemic times; you can travel without really leaving. The staff is so friendly. The owner will stop and talk to you and make sure you liked everything. It feels like being welcomed into somebody's home. It's a perfect little casual hangout... p.s. if you like coffee, skip the Starbucks and grab a Turkish coffee. Super smooth and will give you quite a jolt. read more

We come from Detroit & this definitely compares to their food. Delicious! We had the shawarma chicken & a vegetarian plate. The lentil soup was fabulous. Salad dressing was amazing. We truly enjoyed everything. read more

The ambiance was nice, our waitress was quick, efficient, and very sweet. The food was phenomenal and quick to get to us. I highly recommend the lamb gyros and hummus, and the Turkish coffee is really good! read more

In the past I used to go to Lawrence a lot and would eat here over and over. The food is great along with the service. If you like Mediterranean food you have come to the right place. Now that I no longer live in Lawrence this place still crosses my mind because the food is just that good. Order some hummus and enjoy a falafel, pretty much if you enjoy most Mediterranean food and have had something you like at one place then you won't go wrong ordering the same thing here. It will be full of flavor and made to order. Just writing this review makes me want to return up to Lawrence and enjoy another good meal here. Every time we went to town with a group of friends we made a point to enjoy a meal here as well, it's that good. read more

Went here on a whim the other day. To be fair, it isn't much to look at from the outside, and might not attract many of the newcomers looking for a place to eat on Mass. However, it has honestly become one of my top places to eat. With every entree you get a cup of lentil soup or a greek salad. I would HIGHLY recommend the lentil soup, it is rich and flavorful (and rather filling.) The entrees themselves are amazing. I have tried both the lamb kabob (every bite was savory and delicious) and the kifta sandwich, which was amazing as well. In addition, the appetizers are delicious, the raja dip rich and flavorful and served with fried pita. I would highly recommend this place if you are in the mood for Mediterranean! Its food is rich taste that you will begin to crave. read more

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My son and I just ate lunch here, and it was amazing! Excellent dishes, and nice sized portions. The flavors are fresh and not overpowering. It was excellent! read more

I usually love this place, but I ordered chicken curry for delivery, which is supposed to be creamy, and this is what came. The hummus and lentil soup were good as ever, but the chicken curry was a bland broth with three pieces of chicken and a couple of potatoes and carrots. Plus, the portion size of the appetizer hummus was absurd. It was literally a single scoop of hummus with garnish. Nothing comparable to what you get in person. Not what I expected, especially for the price. Really disappointed, considering this has been one of my favorite places in town to eat. read more

Aladdin Cafe - Greek Near Me - Lawrence, Kansas

Came here for a quick lunch, but it wasn't too quick. It took at least an hour for 3 simple sandwich orders. As others have said, the service was slow and not super attentive. The food was good to okay. Didn't knock my socks off, but it hit my gyro craving just fine. I've had better experiences at their KCMO location. The place could use some cleaning up, especially on the bathroom walls and what not. read more

We wandered in last Sunday afternoon for a little nosh to break up thesis day. Not knowing what to expect, and being quite experienced with the genre, what really set Aladdin's apart for us was its authenticity. Nothing we ate was really spicy, nor avant garde, what it reminded us of was the home cooked meals that we had eaten across the Middle East. Aladdin's is definitely not haute cuisine, but what it might lack in effects or presentation it more than makes up for in its recipes...home cooked deliciousness! read more

Update: get the vegan cauliflower and falafel sandwich here, it's definitely a bit different than your standard Mediterranean sandwich - but that garlicky roasted-ness adds another dimension to the falafel, which fall a little short in my book in terms of flavor (not a lot of it) and texture (not enough outside crunch/inside fluffiness). And for those of you who may be turned off by the word "vegan," this sandwich was light and satisfying all at the same time. So, no, not all vegan = rabbit food! Also, keep in mind that Aladdin's is pretty up and down with their speed of service - we were there for a good 1.5 hours for one entree! All right if you're taking a slow night as we were, but I could understand being annoyed if you weren't. read more

I really like Aladdin Cafe. But I don't love it. Aladdin Cafe has been around Lawrence for quite some time. The food is fairly average on the whole, but some of it is really good. For instance, at my last visit to Aladdin, I had the vegetarian platter which is really more like an appetizer than an entree. It had hummus and baba ghanoush that were ok, but the stuffed grape leaves and red pepper dip (genie dip) were pretty good. I've never had bad service here and sometimes have had great service. The last time I was here was one of those occasions when the service was great. Even though we had a pretty large group, our waitress managed to serve us all quickly, efficiently and with a smile. If you happen to be seated in the back of the restaurant, you'll see that there are lots of hookahs for sale if that's your thing and also some Mediterranean groceries including really big bags of basmati rice. read more

Really nice lunch buffet - for $11 you get hummus, baba, salads, fish, chicken, falafel, roasted veggies, pita, rice, lentil soup, and rice pudding. So yummy! Anything I've tried off the menu is delicious. Definitely better than the Mad Greek in my opinion. BYOB. read more

Aladdin Cafe - Buffet plate - Greek Near Me - Lawrence, Kansas

Omg carb overload. What's a guy to do? I ran a mile and a half this morning so i'm giving myself a break. Perfect zaater with hummus that seemed really fresh. Did I say the zaater was perfect? Yes, yes I did. Fresh, fragrant and on perfectly toasted pitas. I just made zaater 2 nights ago at home and it wasn't nearly as good. My guess is my zatter sits in the cabinet too long and has lost its fresh zing. The roasted cauliflower is also the bomb. Maybe even better than ali babas version is dallas. Was gonna go w the kifta but the waitress claimed she didn't have a problem finishing the kabob combo so I went w that. Yum! Kifta is so good just barely pink in the center, spiced well. The chicken taouk as well as the beef and lamb hunks strewn about the plate were delicious as well. The rice was perfectly cooked and fragrant, too bad TRYING to be low carb I only ate a few bites while trying to consume the meaty bits. So yeah I ate way too much. Located off the trendy downtown mass ave the place really picked up @ noon. Guess this would make dorothy wanna come back to kansas toto. read more

FYI- since they don't serve alcohol, you can bring your own wine, beer, etc to enjoy with your meal with no corkage fee. read more

Aladdin Cafe - Lentil soup - Greek Near Me - Lawrence, Kansas

In Lawrence, while the choices in Mexican and Italian are plentiful, your dining choices for the cradle of civilization are somewhat limited. Aladdin Cafe, once Jerusalem Cafe, allows you to experience the tastes of that region that all can agree on. The decor reminds me of Arabian Nights with posters and decor from the region as well as rugs on the wall and brass lamps. To add a modern feel, you'll also find TVs showing news and music videos from the region. The food is exactly what you'd expect from a standard Mediterranean restaurant: falafel and hummus along with gyros, shwarma, and kabobs. Everything I've eaten there is of excellent quality. The hummus has less tahini than most and the dominating flavor is the chickpeas. Others tend to like more acidity from the lemon or the tanginess of the tahini. This hummus is the middle ground. The zatar appetizer has the intense taste of sumac combined with the richness of the olive oil and the crunch of sesame seed. My favorite dish is the vegetarian lentil soup included with most meals - it is not to be missed. A thick yellow soup that satisfies on a cold winter day. Warm pita flow like the sands of the Sahara and you'll rarely see your basket empty before one of the attentive server fill it . Want to try it all? Get a sampler platter (both omnivore and vegetarian varieties exist) or try their Sunday buffet. My only complaint would be the the lack of more exotic dishes. Everything you'd expect to be there is there, and occasionally I like the unexpected! Given the instability in the region, keeping things simple and of high quality is the safer road. Whether you say Shalom, Salaam, Peace or simply "yo", your belly will be tranquil and calm after leaving this oasis. read more

One of my most favorite places downtown, especially in the winter! Their hummus and pita is excellent and they don't charge for additional pita like some restaurants. The pita bread is warm and fluffy. The hummus also comes with this spicy green stuff on the side and it is AWESOME! I have no idea what's in it (jalapenos and green peppers maybe?) but it's fantastic and I always ask for extra. Most of their meals come with a choice of Greek salad or lentil soup. Forgo the salad because it's just OK and definitely get their lentil soup. It is the best I've ever had. A little spicy and has so much flavor. Their lamb/beef gyros are excellent as well and the meat is super tasty. They do not serve alcohol but allow you to bring in your own beer or wine. There is also an area in the back good for groups! read more

I used to love their split pea soup. That was until the day a large bug came out of it. Call me ridiculous but I just cannot stomach walking in here again. The Rose lemonade is also good. This place has always seemed a little run down. Next door they also have a hookah lounge which is quite enjoyable, usually it's private on an afternoon. read more

This simple place has some of the best food we've had since moving to the KC Metro from the Bay Area last summer. All the ingredients are fresh, the flavors are well-balanced, and everything we tried on the buffet was yummy. Each dish was solid: there was really nothing I or my husband (who's Persian) didn't like. The restaurant is clean and the server, friendly and attentive. We also tried the new Jerusalem Cafe across the street since the KC one is so well-known and it was fine, but we'll stick with Alladin in the future. Really the only tiny improvement that could be made would be to serve Olive Cafe pita bread. What was served was great, but the Olive Cafe stuff is awesome. read more

I love this place. It's my go to falafel and babaganoush fix any time I need it... which is quite often. I haven't had anything here I don't like. Of course it's super vegan friendly by nature of the cuisine. The lunch buffet is fantastic. read more

Aladdin Cafe - Lunch buffet - Greek Near Me - Lawrence, Kansas

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Aladdin Cafe has beautiful architecture paired with an inviting atmosphere in thanks to the wonderful and helpful servers. Camille and Emily had a fun going and playful banter, which kept us entertained. The food is delicious, especially the Gyro. read more

Aladdin Cafe is easily one of my top 5 favorite restaurants, we usually frequent at least once a month. Best falafel ever, and I've tried a lot from many different places and sometimes make them at home. They're light and fluffy and crispy, lots of herbs, not too dry and the seasoning is just right. (I don't really like cinnamon in mine and they don't seem to put any in) The roasted cauliflower that you can get on a falafel sandwich or as an entree is awesome and inspired me start making it at home. The gyros are also excellent, probably the best I've had as well, crisped up nicely with lots of yummy browned bits. They also make my favorite salad/dressing- very bright and lemony and herby, with high quality feta. I wish I could get that recipe to make at home! My only complaint with the salad is that they give you a big hunk each of tomato and cucumber which is difficult to cut because of the shape of the bowl; lettuce has gone flying more than once. We pretty much always get the Agrabah appetizer combo, which comes with hummus, babaganoush, red pepper dip, hot green pepper sauce, falafel, and dolma. We don't like dolma so we ask them to hold it, and they are kind enough to offer to give us a little extra of one of the other things instead. It's so tasty and filling that we're often too full to finish our entrees, but that just means leftovers, yum! The chicken kabob used to be one of my favorites, but the last time I ordered it a few months ago, the chicken was different, like some kind of frozen tender/rib meat type of thing that I didn't enjoy, and I've been afraid to order it ever since. I'm hoping they just ran out of the regular chicken that day and it was a one time substitute, hopefully one day I'll be brave enough to give it another try, but at $12 I'm a bit hesitant to take that risk, and hate sending things back. Once a few years ago I got a falafel with a hair in it and it was also a bit gritty, like maybe it had been dropped on the floor. (They comped it) Around this time they also got a less than stellar review from the health department, which made me a bit nervous. They don't seem to have a ton of servers and I think it's always the same one guy in the kitchen, so if it's busy (usually only on weekend nights) service can be a little slow but they are always friendly and polite, and the food is generally consistent. Despite some of these things, I can't seem to bring myself to take off a star. I'm willing to risk anything like this because the food is just so good! Basically, every mediterranean/middle eastern place we try is measured against Aladdin. read more

My wife and I came in and had an early dinner/late lunch, around 3. The place isnt much to look at from the outside (not unusual for Mass Street) but it was very clean, smelled great and service was prompt and friendly. We ordered the shrimp and feta app.....and good god it was fantastic! We could have made a meal of that! The salads were very fresh, great tasting. Wife had shwarma and I had a gyro platter. Grilled veggies that were PERFECT.....meat on both very skillfully handled. Two huge thumbs up! We'll be back, and often! read more

Excellent casual food stop when visiting KU. My wife and I love a quick stop here to enjoy a pot of tea or rose lemonade with lentil soup (seriously just try it) and their grilled cauliflower. Simple meal but we order it every time. read more

Aladdin's Cafe is a great option when you're looking for something a little different. A nice choice for a cooler day, since the soup (served as a side option with most entrees) is wonderful. Drinks - Rose lemonade is pretty awesome, nice and sweet. Tea is sometimes unavailable (I think they must use their coffee machine for hot water?); it's not special tea, but several times I've been disappointed that I can't have it. And red creme soda available - yay! Apps - Halum cheese is nice slightly salty cheese to eat with pita, baba ghanouj definitely tastes roasted which can be odd but is tasty, and the zaater is nothing too special. Entrees - Get the lentil soup with your meal; it's fantastic. The rice served with the meals is okay, the grilled vegetables are a nice simple side. My favorite is the Shwarma or Shish Taouk. The potato garlic sauce is kind of like garlic mashed potatoes, which means it's awesome.The dill and sumac chicken dishes are worth trying, but can be a bit overwhelming near the end. Dessert - I have only had two; the rice pudding makes you feel a bit like you are eating lotion, but it's very nice. I DO NOT like the baklava here - I've never had it at Mad Greek, so I can't compare, but the layers of phyllo are too thick,and it's hard to cut through, thus also to eat. Hope to try the buffet here sometime! The interior is a nice change of pace, and I have never actually gone far enough back to see the grocery, but they have one. read more

Oh man, how did I miss this place for so long? I've been in the area yet had never step foot in Aladdin's, until now. We had a group of 8 for lunch, and were seated immediately. Drink orders taking immediately, and brought out very quickly. The service all along was friendly and efficient. At many places, a party of 8 at lunch will cause the food to be slow, but not here - it all came out in a very timely manner (maybe 20 minutes at the absolute most). The salads came out within two minutes and were awesome - fresh, refreshing, and with a very tasty dressing. I had the dill chicken sandwich, served on a pita, and really enjoyed it. The sauce itself had a strong dill flavor, which I love, but when paired with the other stuff on the sandwich (chicken, lettuce, and the pita itself...I passed on tomato and onion), the dill barely came through at all. That was the only bummer. It also came with a small bit of rice which was tasty. I recommend Aladdin's and will certainly return now! read more

The falafel and roasted cauliflower pita is amazing, as is the hummus and gyro pita, so it is always a struggle to decide what to eat...this is the best kind of dilemma since it involves choosing between two tasty, and inexpensive, entrees (both of which come with rice and lentil soup or a salad). Oh, the lentil soup. I could eat a trough of it alone, but haven't since I also have to also save room for their delicious hummus and baba ghanouj--served with warm pita. The food is good, as is the service and the middle eastern music videos on tv add an element of interest while you nosh on the middle eastern delicacies. And, bonus, you can also bring your own beer and wine in to have with your meal (really, I have done it...they do not serve alcohol, but if you want a frosty one to wash down your pita, bring it). read more

Really good food, great service, fair prices. Glad to have tried this place out! The food was quality and the atmosphere was nice, but relaxed. read more

Stopped here today for their gyro platter. Was the usual spread; lamb, rice, some grilled vegetables, pita bread and tzatziki sauce. The pita bread was really amazing. I know, pita bread is pita bread, but this stuff was really good. The vegetables were grilled perfectly and everything was really good. A really good sized portion too. It also came with a Greek salad. Thankfully, it was not completely drowned in dressing, as many places do. The restaurant was really nice inside. Very clean and big roomy booths. The service does run a bit on the slow side, even when not busy, but they were friendly and I still managed to make it back to work in less than an hour. I will definitely be back. read more

Amazing food. Had the Shish Taouk which was recommended by our server. The chicken had a lot of flavor and tasted amazing. My partner had the sumac chicken, and son had shawarma chicken. Both were really good; the shawarma tasted sweet. Excellent service, excellent food; would definitely recommend. read more

Aladdin is probably the place we have eaten most often in Lawrence, due to the fact that our son, from the time he was 8 months old, has been able to eat ANYTHING on the menu, which makes it a great place for parents who NEED an outing to go with their hungry child. Our absolute favorite thing on the menu is the appetizer sampler plate. It comes with hummus, baba ghanoush, a red pepper spread, a spicy jalapeno spread (seriously spicy! you've been warned!), stuffed grape leaves, falafel, feta cheese, and a basket of pita. We could actually eat that as a meal by itself! We also love the lentil soup (this is our son's favorite as well). It's warm and garlicky, and I really, really want the recipe. :) My other go-to is the gyro plate. Lots of warm gyro meat with all the fixings, rice and veggies on the side. Great, family-friendly place! read more

This place was delicious. We stopped here on our drive back to Oklahoma City from Ft. Leavenworth, and I was really pleasantly surprised. They had a lunch buffet going for $10, and it was well worth it. They had hummus, baba ganoush, saffron rice, Greek salad, beef kafta, falafel, gyro, etc., etc. Whatever dish you might be craving. The gyro meat was the absolute best I've ever had. It just melted in your mouth. The baba ganoush was full of flavor, and the beef kafta was amazing. So tender. Should I ever find myself in Lawrence, KS again, we'll be stopping here. read more