Note- Same listing as https://www.yelp.com/biz/fattoush-by-salma-new-york (asked for a merge)…read more
Recommended- Muhammara, moutabal, warak eneb, msakaa
Good- Fattoush, kebbeh, falafel
Decent- hummus, tabbouleh, shawarma
Bad- The rest of the grilled meats
I was at this Lebanese restaurant with a large group a while back, having previously been to their alright original location, Salma, which is around the corner. The space inside this one is a bit nicer, with there also being more room, but the lighting is much darker, so the photos came out pretty poorly. The seating arrangement was a bit cramped, but we made do. As with their other location, the mezze are much better than the grilled platters, with the meats being overcooked and dry, so I would stick with their hot or cold appetizers. On an unrelated note, I do find it a bit odd/humorous that the menu goes back and forth between the Arabic and French spelling for their namesake salad, being either fattoush or fattouch.
We started with the Mixed Appetizer Plate, a selection of hummus, kebbeh, fattouch, warak enab, falafel, and msakaa for $38.50. The warak eneb, or grape leaves, were particularly tasty, with the msakaa, or moussaka, being good as well. The namesake fattoush was good from all the pita, though maybe a bit too overdressed for my liking, as it was a tad sour. The kebbeh/kibbeh were decent, and the hummus was OK. It was a perfectly good mixed plate and plenty large for the price, with this especially being the case in the East Village.
Along with the mixed appetizer plate, we got a few other mezze, which were either of better quality or similar to the warak/msakaa. Best was their take on Muhammara for $16, a dip made from roasted red peppers, walnuts, garlic, pomegranate molasses, and lemon. It was nice and thick and well-spiced with a good amount of red pepper and just enough sweet and sour flavor from the molasses. I would recommend it heavily.
Also very tasty and cheaper was the $10.50 Moutabal, or fresh eggplant grilled over charcoal, lightly mashed with tahini and freshly squeezed lemon juice, and topped with EVOO. This was delicious, with it being thick and smoky.
Alright, the Tabbouleh, a mix of parsley, tomatoes, onions, lemon juice, and olive oil, was for $14.50. It was fine, though a bit lightly flavored even compared to other spots. If you are going to get a salad, stick with their namesake fattoush.
We otherwise got the Family Mixed Grill, consisting of two shish tawouk, two lamb kabobs, two kofta, two lamb chops, shawarma, fattoush, and rice for $139.50. As mentioned, and similar to the one around the corner, the meat was overcooked and dry and lacking spice. The lamb kabobs were chewy, the shish tawouk was dry, and the kofta was both burnt on the outside and dry in the middle. The lamb chops were overcooked as well, but probably had the best flavor. The only saving grace was the shawarma, which was slightly dry but at least had some decent enough flavor, making it by far the best by being just average. This was terrible overall and not remotely worth it.
It's hard to rate this spot. I certainly preferred it over my previous meal around the corner, but the meats are still pretty terrible. The fact that they charge $140 for that is a joke, even with the portion size. Stick with their mezze/appetizers to have a good time, and if you have to get meat, the shawarma is decent. I prefer the nearby Zesty, but this is still decent. Upper 2/Low 3.
