Arabesque

For years I've heard my sister rave about her absolute favorite restaurant and in Columbia. And…read moreafter years of never being able to catch the Mediterranean Tea Room during its open hours the day finally came to see if the hype was worth it. And update: it totally was. We came in a bit later in their dinner service and had no issue being sat and were even able to park in their small adjoined parking lot rather than hunting for street parking. I went with the grilled chicken kebabplate and subbed the Greek Salad for a small side of pita and hummus instead. I also wanted to try the kofta so was able to order one piece à la carte to try. It didn't take long for the generously portioned meal to come out....and it also didn't take long for my plate to be scraped clean. Everything was fresh, tasted excellence and seasoned to perfection. I preferred the chicken to the kofta but was glad I tried both. Pro tip - make sure to ask for a side of the yummy salad dressing to mix into your rice to really lake the flavor over the board with the chicken! Between the great food and service I see what the hype is a about for this little Columbia long-time staple.

Wow, this is my new favorite Mediterranean spot! Went on a Friday night, and the parking lot was…read morepacked, so had to find street parking. There was a slight wait, but everyone was very friendly. Started with the baba ganoush and tried the kofta medallion entree. Absolutely loved everything. Tasted fresh made. Kofta was super juicy and had a nice chargrilled scent. The yellow rice sopped up the seasoned meat juices. Salad was crisp and plenty. Best part was how affordable everything was! Bang for your buck! Definitely a hidden gem.

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Grilled Chicken Breast Platter

Sahara On Main

4.3(119 reviews)

1.8 mi•Downtown

I think one of the best Mediterranean restaurants Columbia has to offer. I've been a frequent diner…read moreof this place for years while I resided downtown, but now that I'm a little ways out, it's a treat to dine here, but still really enjoy their food nonetheless. I've always gone with and recommend the chicken kebab. It comes with about 4-5 pieces of grilled chicken, yellow rice, vegetables, and side of tzatziki sauce. The grilled flavor of the chicken just mixes so well with the rice, so having that clean "chicken & rice" meal while maintaining the awesome flavors. The menu is pretty diverse, despite Mediterranean being their speciality. They offer other American dishes like burgers or even pizza; never tried them though, but options are there to diversify. Right now due to Ramadan, their hours are adjusted for dining in, so they stop seating people around 7:30pm. To go orders are the only option; not a big deal for me though. I highly recommend people to try this place out if they haven't; seriously a solid 4 star dining establishment!

The lamb was juicy, spiced beautifully, and crispy on the outside. The pita was as large as a pizza…read moreand covered with herbs. The owner brought me something to try that he was eating for dinner, and I don't remember what it was, but it was made with quinoa and was a bit spicy! Whatever it was, it was delicious... Since I came in by myself, and it was an "off hour," the owner spoke with me about all kinds of things going on in the restaurant and what was coming up in the future, including that they are adding Indian food! He was charming, sweet, and very nice! He really made my day! The food is delicious, and the staff are very sweet... Excellent dinner experience!

Turkish fatayer

Parking for the custom.

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Baklava is a Middle‑Eastern dessert. It is a rich, sweet pastry made of layers of filo filled with chopped nuts...

Falafel King by Bombay Grill

4.3(76 reviews)

1.2 mi

Awesome food and even better service every time we go!! We have friends that visit from Atlanta and…read moreevery time they come they have to have Falafel King

While visiting Columbia, SC, I had a craving for a good falafel wrap and used Yelp to find Falafel…read moreKing. I have to admit, I was a little skeptical when I first pulled up because it appeared to be inside a gas station. Thankfully, I quickly realized they were separate businesses, and the clean environment immediately put my mind at ease. The falafel wrap was exactly what I was looking for fresh, flavorful, and made to order. The falafel was seasoned well with a nice texture. I would have preferred more topping options but the tzatziki sauce complemented it beautifully and the chickpea salad was a great side. It was definitely worth the stop, and I'll be back the next time I'm in town.

Front counter

Build your own plate. Chicken schwarna, hummus

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Not sure what to do with this bread

Boeshreen

4.1(177 reviews)

5.2 mi

I recommend! Food…read morewas hot and fresh. Service was prompt and they keep the restaurant clean! Lunch special was fulfilling and I have plenty more left to eat for later. The menu has plenty of options for the entire family!

First time ordering food from Boeshreen. I ordered a Gyro sandwich with lamb meat and 2 Greek…read moresalads. Glad I only ordered one Lamb Gyro. The lamb meat was overcooked and mushy with no flavor. The bread was dried out/stale or hard to chew. Very disappointed in the sandwich but the Greek salads were fresh with large portions. In the area of service, the food was delivered as agreed.

Diner

4. Shrimp Dinner Combo Platter

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6. Gyro Combo Platter lamb

Green Olive Restaurant

3.8(130 reviews)

1.8 mi•Downtown

Came here for dinner. It was completely empty. Not necessarily a bad thing, but it was something…read moreto keep in mind. Ordered the chicken and lamb shawarma. It's was ok. It honestly lacked some flavor, and the rice itself was basically flavorless. Adding salt to the dish helped. Overall, there are better spots to get Arabic/Mediterranean food.

What little food we had was decent but my goodness was our server rude. I can't remember the last…read moretime I left a restaurant because of service. Server didn't greet us and proceeded to yawn in our faces. When we got our appetizers she just dropped the plates on the table and walked off. Sadly won't ever be back because of this.

Mixed Kebab (Chicken & Lamb) which I took off of the skewer.

Gyro platter

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"tabouleh" couscous not bulgur wheat

NoMa by Al Amir

4.5(143 reviews)

2.8 mi•Elmwood

I chose the Damascus bread plate as it listed it as their specialty. It did not disappoint…read more The hummus was so smooth and creamy it was like a mediterranean mashed potato and chicken stew. So flavorful and clean. With the Greek salad on the side it was almost too much food and I left stuffed.

I would rate 3.5 stars. Prices are great and few dishes we…read moreloved and few absolutely didn't. We loved: hummus, Babaganoush and Damascus bread. Very flavourful and tasty. The bread was soft inside, crunchy crust - delicious! Chicken kabob was also tasty (4/5). Rice was delicious! What we didn't like: Falafel was too garlicky for my taste. The worst was tabouli salad. It was soggy and full with tomatoes. Usually the main ingredient is parsley and thats what we hoped for. But parley was barely there.. big disappointment (1/5). Gyro was very oily but it was okay. Overall we would like to try more dishes. Customer service was also good, food arrived fast and they have plenty of parking up front.

Front of restaurant

Hummus and Babaganoush was delicious!

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Delicious rice

Gervais & Vine

4.0(239 reviews)

2.4 mi

Beautiful way to start a long weekend on the patio at Gervais & Vine. This month's special wine…read moreflight is from Argyle in Oregon - a delight. The wine menu for the flight is actually embedded with flower seeds! Also enjoyed hot goat cheese dip, fingerling potatoes, Spanish meatballs and scallops. Everything was fresh and tasty. Sitting on the patio is a unique experience. We encountered a slight tilt, many overly load mufflers and some delightfully well behaved French poodles. Service was kind and attentive. Already looking forward to our next visit.

I was only in town for one night so I was torn on where to go to dinner. I looked through Yelp and…read morereservation sites to see what was available and then honed in on what might be a wow dinner. I had a few options, but ultimately landed on Gervais and Vine and made a reservation. On the recommendation of our server, we started with a bottle of In Sheep's Clothing and got to ordering. I had already scoured the menu before coming in so I was pretty sure I knew what I wanted. I love that it's smaller portions so you can order different dishes and try a bunch all at once. We started with the baked brie which I think had an apricot spread plus some fruit and bread. Then we did the petit filet mignon, pork with gorgonzola cream sauce, spicy shrimp gambas, and the seared jumbo scallops. This may sound like too much for two people and you would be right but it was so delicious. I highly recommend everything we had. If I had to choose some standouts, the shrimp were phenomenal and I'm still thinking about them. The biggest surprise was the pork. It was a good size portion in comparison and the cream sauce was so good. Honestly, if you followed this order to a T or any variation of it, you can't go wrong. We weren't rushed in any way so in lieu of dessert we took our time finishing that bottle of wine. While there were some other menu items that jumped out at me, I would absolutely come back and order the exact same thing again. This was one of my favorite meals this year.

Gervais & Vine

Spicy Shrimp Gambas

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Crispy Fingerling Potatoes

Pitas

4.3(98 reviews)

1.7 mi

Genuinely one of my favorite finds in Columbia. The Lamb Shawarma plate is delicious and the flavor…read morecomplexity is amazing from one end of the plate to the other. The service is always on point and the restaurant actually feels like a local family owned establishment. This place is definitely within my top 2 for lunch spots. I have yet to try Pitas out for dinner but I'll update my review whenever I get around to it.

When I need a gyro platter I eat here. Really enjoy the hummus I dip my fries in sometimes. Service…read moreis really good here. Parking lot is always full ton of repeat customers I suspect eat here at Pitas.

Pita platter with Greek salad and fries

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Halal International

4.5(31 reviews)

5.7 mi

i don't remember the name of this dish but i know it's lamb something. i don't even usually leave…read morereviews but my God this food was so good. yallllll it's tender, seasoned perfectly, and a huge portion. and it's all cooked to order. i didn't get the guys name who helped me but he was taking orders & cooking and he helped me pick what to order. 10000/10, i will definitely be back.

Tried Fasha Tuna for the first time. It was delicious. These folks knows spices. Lamb soup is nice…read morealso. An open mind leads to a happy belly.

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EMPTY PLATE SHOULD TELL YOU ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW

Arianas Greek Restaurant

4.0(170 reviews)

5.2 mi

My family just started using Ariana's every week for the last 6 weeks. The food, service, ambience,…read moreand the prices are consistently excellent. It's our new "go to" place for Greek food!

NOT a genuine Greek restaurant - seems like a front for something else. Only about 10 tables. No…read morebread came with the entrées, nor salad. The spanakopita was not real spanakopita. It was horrible. The potatoes were three chunks on the plate as a full serving. Ordered the salads extra and they were very small. There were two specials listed on the board and neither one had a price posted. The price was $24. This was lunch. Out of four people, only one enjoyed their food. Keep going. Looks like there's a genuine, good, busy well rated Greek restaurant down the street

Table lamp

Lamb Souvlaki Gyro

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Lovely ambiance! Great for an affordable date night!

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14 reviews that are not currently recommended

The reviews below are not factored into the business's overall star rating.

Sam S.

8 years ago

Great service, the staff here really knows how to treat their customers right even during a busy Friday night. The falafel and hummus were amazing. And the Shwarma was incredible. Great vibes, would come back. The reason I am leaving a negative review, is because of the Bartender- wine issue that occurred. I by no means am a wine expert, but typically can tell the differences between the reds. Me and my friend ordered a Pinot Noir( I can't remember the name of the brand she requested) and Cabernet Sauvignon (Gnarly Head was what I wanted). Our server took the order, and it was a while before we got our drinks. HOWever, the concerning part is I saw our drinks being poured from the SAME bottle. And it was not either brand we had requested. The bartender then proceeded to put a straw in one of the glasses, which is the "Pinot noir" my friend ended up receiving. I then decided to see if this was a fluke by switching our "Pinot noir" to a Merlot for the next round, and proceeded to watch the Bartender pour the same Green bottle she used for both of our drinks last round. I then proceeded to watch her use the same red bottle for other customers, and can only scoff at what they were expecting vs. what actually hit the table. I understand that there is business in selling wines and beers, but don't lie to your customers. If I wanted a Gnarly Head Cab, I'm expecting a Gnarly head cab. Not a discount store bottom shelf wine. Don't go to Arabesque for the wine, and you should be okay. read more

Lexie B.

13 years ago

The comment below about the same menu as Al Amir is true, but the food here is a LOT better and the prices are about the same... the guy must have been comparing lunch and dinner menus. This place has some of the best food I have ever eaten. I ordered the beef tenderloin kabobs and they were delicious. The hummus is perfectly seasoned and the rice is amazing. I didn't know rice and veggies could be so delicious. I don't eat squash usually, but it came with the mixed veggies and it was so good it was the first time in my life I have enjoyed eating squash. My husband got a BBQ chicken pizza and it was also amazing, one of the best pizzas I've ever eaten. I can't say enough good things about this place. The service was excellent, our server was also the manager and he was one of the best servers I've ever had at any restaurant. Very friendly and attentive. He told us the baklava is made in-house, and you can tell the difference. I've never particularly enjoyed baklava, but theirs is one of the best desserts I've ever eaten. Wow! We will be going back as often as possible. read more

Maria L.

165

13 years ago

amazing food! I've tried a few other Mediterranean style restaurants around the area, and arabesque by far is the best! The food has so much flavor, and is always prepared amazingly. I love how it's always cooked to order. The service is excellent and the staff always makes me feel like I am part of the family. I've been coming here for a while now without having any problems and have yet to have to make a single complaint. I would definitely recommend this place to everyone. even the atmosphere is outstanding. This place is perfect for a romantic date, a casual dinner with friends or family, bringing a crowd of friends, or even having a quick lunch by yourself. I am officially a regular, and even the servers have begun to remember certain things about how I order my food. =) read more

Douglas G.

338

5 years ago

Was disrespected by the manager Shelley when I complained about the cold uncooked pizza my elderly mother snd I had ordered. She is clearly transphobic as she would have never spoken to any of her other customers the way she spoke to me in front of my mother. When we left she and her staff stood as if they were going to gang up and fight me, Who gangs up on a transgender woman just because i am taller than that woman. She is horrible and should be fired. Do not go there if you support the trans community. read more

Adam H.

10 years ago

I thought this one was pretty cool,. We had a lot of food and I talked to a Turkish guy there about soccer and religion and he was a cool dude very nice recent immigrant and just all-around nice guy I've been there before and I've never had a problem it's a nice place to eat and the food is really good it's not too terribly expensive and that's something I like because I'm cheap. read more

Ken W.

13 years ago

One of the best restaurants in Columbia! excellent food. last time i came here about 9 months ago, but the whole place has completely changed. ask for sean as your server and try the lamb kabobs. also, the hummus was very good. much better than the sabra stuff you buy at walmart. the atmosphere was amazing, and the cocktails were out of this world! read more

Filip R.

659

9 years ago

This is by far one of my best restaurants in Columbia and I feel like home every time I come here. Owners are amazing and the food is made fresh daily. Very authentic. Love the owners and the staff. Highly recommended this place. read more

Michele J.

9 years ago

We went here a couple of weeks ago while our daughter was visiting and the food was fantastic! Good service, good atmosphere, and good prices what else could want We will definitely go back read more

Anna Claire M.

269

10 years ago

The food is AMAZING! Omg! The flavors were amazing! And the staff is so friendly!! Reasonably priced! Great happy hour. :) the decor Is cute. We sat in the bar area. Definitely coming back! read more

Victoria P.

5 years ago

So shelly the manager is a transphobe and when you just complain about good kivks you out. So this place is a no for me and i will be telling my gamily never to vist this place ever. read more

Becca H.

11 years ago

One of the best middle eastern restaurants I've been to in Columbia. The pizzas are great. Definitely try the Damascus bread with hummus.

Bill T.

10 years ago

Here for fifteen minutes. No drinks. Only contact was after ten minutes asking what the order was. No food is worth this kind of service.

Diana C.

224

7 years ago

Excellent food with large portions! The owners are great and have a passion for serving great food! Definitely recommend!!!

A M.

5 years ago

Pizza was not to our liking. Not a happy with our meal.

Arabesque - mediterranean - Updated October 2026

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I am extremely disappointed with the service and hospitality our group received at this restaurant…read more This past weekend, we reserved a private dinner for approximately 31 adults to celebrate a 50th birthday. Upon arrival, the restaurant itself appeared beautiful, and our group was seated in a private dining room with water already placed on the tables. Unfortunately, the level of service that followed did not match the atmosphere or the upscale prices we paid. Our entire party appeared to have only one server, whom I later learned was named Sarah. She did not introduce herself, welcome the group, explain how dinner service would work, or tell us what was being served. We were divided among four tables, which already made communicating our needs more difficult. A fifth table was designated as the "food table," where we were expected to serve ourselves both appetizers and entrées. I have attended many group dinners and celebrations, and I have never experienced this type of setup at a restaurant presenting itself as an upscale establishment. The process felt disorganized and lacked the level of hospitality we expected. If guests are paying upscale prices, the service should reflect an upscale dining experience. One of the most concerning moments occurred when it was time to serve the birthday cake. As our dinner plates were being cleared, we expected to receive clean forks for dessert. Instead, Sarah told us that the restaurant was "short on forks" because she believed people were stealing them, and we were told to keep our dinner forks to use for cake. This explanation was both surprising and inappropriate. I later encountered the chef and asked him directly about the restaurant being short on forks. He appeared genuinely confused, told me there was no shortage that he was aware of, and immediately asked whether we needed clean forks. After I explained what we had been told, he brought our group clean forks. That interaction was especially troubling because it left me questioning why our server gave us an explanation that the chef himself did not recognize as true. As a group of predominantly Black guests, the inconsistency in what we were told and the overall way our party was treated unfortunately left some of us wondering whether we were being treated differently because of our race. I do not make that statement lightly, but the experience made the concern difficult to ignore. As for the food itself, it was okay overall, although several items were a bit too salty for our taste. There were also significant issues with the amount of food provided. We initially ordered based on the quantity recommended for our group size when making the reservation, yet we ran out of food during dinner. We then had to wait nearly an hour for additional food to be prepared. After that lengthy wait, we were ultimately unable to take the remaining food with us, despite the amount of money our group had paid. For what we spent on this celebration, the quality of service simply did not justify the cost. This was an important 50th birthday gathering, and several members of our party were veterans. It was disappointing to see our guests receive this level of service during what should have been a special and memorable evening. A beautiful restaurant and upscale pricing are only part of the dining experience. Hospitality, organization, communication, professionalism, and the way guests are made to feel matter just as much. I sincerely hope management takes this feedback seriously and provides additional hospitality and professionalism training to its staff, particularly regarding large private parties. This restaurant has the potential to provide a wonderful experience, but our group unfortunately did not receive one.

Ambrosia was the perfect place for a birthday dinner!…read more Upon arrival we were greeted and seated. Reservations were made on resy. The restaurant is absolutely beautiful with amazing service to match. For appetizer, we enjoyed the calamari. The bread was served with a delicious balsamic vinegar and oil. Our entrees included lamb shank, roasted Greek potatoes, vegetables medley and shrimp and scallops pasta! Highly recommended if you enjoy Greek cuisine

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Local as local gets. Some of the best fried chicken I've had in a while. Don't expect much for…read moredecor but the food was delicious - even with mashed potatoes out of a box. My friend also liked the heaping plate of shrimp and grits.

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Convenient and consistently fast. Staff is friendly and the hours are always open when I need them…read moreto be to for healthy. I just wish they offered a military/veteran discount:)

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This is a bodega style deli fully equipped with clutter and random misplaced overstock items. The…read moremenu was falling apart though reads well. I had the falafel gyro with fries and a pomegranate soda. I will not have that again though I have searched some of my local markets for the pomegranate soda. Everything was dry and lacked flavor. While the falafel were piping hot, there was no flavor at all. There was just a sheer smear of hummus, one piece of iceberg lettuce and one tomato cut in half along with two or three cut falafel. No red onion or tzatziki sauce which is what made this so dry. The fries were hot though dry (not sure how that happens) and they had OLD BAY sprinkled on them when he asked if I wanted salt, not old bay. The service was prompt and quiet, no engagement which is typical for a bodega. The seating was standard and clean. I was just disappointed in the meal I chose.

Our ROMEO lunch group of 8 went here for our first time today. I was a little surprised when we…read morewalked in because when I first looked at their website I only saw the dinner menu, which basically was Middle Eastern dishes with almost all of the them priced around $32.95. I figured this must be a nice restaurant with sit down tables and decent lighting. However, after opening the door it basically looked like a fast food, order at the counter restaurant, with about 6 tables or so with around 6-7 small chairs around each table. There was one person waiting outside and inside there was one person sitting at a table eating. There was one person cooking and nobody to take orders. We stood there and watched him cook for about 3-4 minutes without him acknowledging our presence. Finally he finished cooking, wrapped it up and gave it to the guy waiting. He took our orders one by one and while he was taking the third order a guy came out to do the cooking. This was about 11:20AM. Three of us ordered Lamb Gyros with fries. We had one order for a hamburber, a chicken gyro with fries, two combination paninis and one other chicken sandwich. The three lamb gyros came out first. They were very tightly wrapped in a thin paper and then with aluminum foil. The lamb was good but getting the wrapping paper off was a mess. Very messy to eat (but hey, it's a gyro) but the taste was good. The chicken sandwich came out around 35 minutes after ordering. The hamburger was out at about 30 minutes. It didn't look like much and the bun was like something you'd buy off the shelf at Walmart or local grocery store...nothing special, just a normal ordinary hamburger bun. It was rated as a 2.0 by the guy that ordered it. The fries were good, again nothing special but there were quite a bit with the orders. We weren't very impressed with the restaurant as far as friendliness or ambiance. Our average overall rating for it was a 2.87 so we probably won't make this one of our favorites of the 179 restaurants we've eaten at in the Cola area.

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