Great service, food and drinks. The hummus and wood roasted carrots are delicious sides to try! We also got the Israeli salad with chicken and the Za'atar roasted half chicken. Every dish was packed with flavor and I had enough leftover for lunch the next day. Definitely go for happy hour and make a reservation! read more

Ash'Kara - Heavenly hummus and pita - Mediterranean Near Me - Denver, Colorado

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When your dinner can consist of solely bread and dips and you'd die happy- you know it's good. The pita are as big as your head. Warm, airy pillows of love. And they have gf pita! Order the saganaki- make mini grilled cheeses and thank me later. But honestly- you can't go wrong here. They understand flavor and anything that comes out of the kitchen is incredible. read more

Ash'Kara - Mediterranean Near Me - Denver, Colorado

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Good humus. Good pita. The rest of our food was oversalted and unremarkable. Positive note: prepares one to accept disappointment.

Great experience, many gluten free options including gluten free pita. The server was very knowledgeable about cross contamination in the kitchen. We even received a free lamb dish by accident. The food was so delicious! read more

Ash'Kara - Gluten free pita, hummus, French fries, olives, feta - Mediterranean Near Me - Denver, Colorado

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Food: OK Ambiance: Nice Service: Good Bang for buck: Meh Overall: Ok, but will not be going back My party of 3 ordered baba ghanoush, falafel, Lamb kofte and Tagine for Two. I'm Middle Eastern and grew up with delicious homemade food. Everything was salty. Way too salty. The lamb kofte left so much to be desired. The meat was dry and the seasoning just didn't hit the spot. The tagine was spice overload without clear direction. It was as if the dish couldn't make up its mind about which flavor profile it was going for. The falafel was good. And, that's about all that was good. Overall, mediocre tasting food that is very overpriced. Very puzzled about the hype. Won't be back. read more

Expensive Arabic food. Mediocre and not very authentic. Think they need to make a lot of changes. Staff wasn't very friendly either.

This place is delicious! I am usually hesitant about middle eastern/Mediterranean food because my wife and I eat a ton of it, but this place adds a unique flare on traditional food. The labneh, the kibbeh, and the large tagine are all great for sharing! read more

This was the perfect date night--great ambiance, unique dishes, artistic details. I recommend getting the pita with any dip-able dish. It was some of the best ever! I also think this would be a great place for a large party because the dishes are shareable! It would be great to sample a ton of options. read more

Ash'Kara - Tagine for Two with Eggplant - Mediterranean Near Me - Denver, Colorado

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Went here for brunch today and overall had an okay experience. First thing to note is for reservations there is a 10 dollar deposit per person. We went today at 11am and it was empty so a reservation may not be needed. If you do put a deposit down, rather than put the deposit amount towards the bill they say they will refund you the amount on the card you paid so your check is for the full amount. This includes a 20% service fee which they advertise on their website and the waitress was very upfront about when she gave us the bill. We were seated very quickly and service was prompt. There is the option to sit inside or outside and the outside is very shaded which is great for hot days but the inside has a very cute feel to it. The shakshuka was delicious, hearty and unique because it had a lot more mix ins than the usual but they didn't serve it with pita or bread which I thought was odd. The curry fried chicken which is marinated in yogurt was not my favorite as I was expecting something really flavorful and it tasted rather bland and on the drier side but it was nice and crispy. I think it would be great if the served it l with a yogurt curry dipping sauce. I like the pickled onions in the side salad but it didn't have as much dressing as I would hope and the leaves were pretty dry. The roasted potatoes were fine but I prefer something crispier and these were more like baked seasons potatoes. I can't comment on the simple breakfast as I didn't try it but it came with the same potato' and salad as the curry fried chicken. Portion sizes are generous and we had leftovers. I think this restaurant has a lot of potential but could use some tweaks. read more

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Tried to go next door, called here for a reservation and what a surprise. Loved the wagyu beef and the 1/2 chicken. The artichokes were delicious. Our group loved their meal and the family style made it enjoyable to get to sample everything. Can't wait to return and enjoy their brunch which they recommended. read more

Not only is the atmosphere 10/10, the service is outstanding and the food amazing! I've been here twice and both times have been amazing. I love the tapas style eating as it gives you time to enjoy your company and taste many dishes. Each dish is packed with so many flavors! I recommend of course the hummus & pitas, falafel, wood fired carrots, and spiced rice. It's worth visiting for the pitas alone - holy smokes!! Best pitas I've ever put in my mouth. The carrots would not have been on my radar except a friend told me to order them. They are perfectly cooked & packed with flavor!! I added the feta & it was amazing. Definitely recommend! read more

Came here in search of brunch outside of the normal "snooze" selection and was not disappointed. Service seemed a little slow at first but it felt like things picked up through out the meal. The pancakes were amazing and have the perfect level of sweet spices. We ordered the whipped feta, chicken sandwich and magna kofte. The magna kofte is the perfect balance of sweet and savory. The chicken sandwich was moist and very flavorful. Do be ready to spend a pretty penny as the prices are a bit more than typical brunch prices- still worth it, though! There is a 20% service applied to the bill and shared by the whole house. Additional tips go directly to your server. This is shared on the menu to eliminate surprises at the end of the meal read more

First timer here recommended by a friend. A quaint very friendly and personable restaurant with Middle Eastern type food similar to what you might find in Israel. We shared numerous plates of pita and dips like hummus and babaganoush; main plates of braised beef and za'atar chicken; and wood roasted carrots. All was very delicious but I especially could have eaten a dozen crispy falafel! David and especially Lauren we're over the top attentive and charming! I would highly recommend spending an evening here. read more

Ash'Kara - Mediterranean Near Me - Denver, Colorado

This place is amazing! Great food, great service, good covid precautions! We had the baba and hummus to start - both really tasty and came with these cool puffy pita breads. The fresh tomatoes on the baba made it really incredible! The lambs lofte and the albacore were both just incredible. The balance of flavors was amazing! I'll never say no to a lightly seared tuna - cooked just on the outside and super tender in the middle. For desert we did the tahini brownie which was great because it wasn't too sweet! You could taste a hint of tahini which was cool! For covid they had us nicely spaced out and checked our temperature. The staff was super friendly and knowledgeable. Overall a tasty and pleasant experience. read more

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Food: 3.5 / 5 Service: 2 / 5 Ambiance: 3 / 5 Ash'kara is a wildcard for food; not up to par on service; expensive. There are better places elsewhere. I would not come back. Came here for a mid-week dinner. Very excited for the meal - I had heard Ash'Kara compared to Safta in terms of the quality of its food. The meal and broader dining out experience was very underwhelming. The food here is such a mixed bag. We ordered everything on the menu except the feast dishes. The saganaki was flavorless, the octopus was too rubbery and salty, the lamb was over seasoned and overcooked. Two standouts were the squash with lentils and the labneh. Most disappointing? The fact that they give you a morsel of pita with your dish and then charge $3 per additional pita. That is undercover thievery of your customers. Safta has unlimited pita! To boot, the service and ambiance leave a lot to be desired. We showed up when there were 3 other people in the restaurant. Our reservation specified a regular table and not a high top. We were initially seated at a high top and when we requested a regular table the seating hostess had to confer with her team for about 90 seconds to see if they could accommodate. Then, during our meal, we were constantly being pestered about what plates could be removed. Let us enjoy our food in peace. Although that was hard to do given the terrible background music and incoherent interior design. read more

I was really excited to try this place out, but the service was so horrible that it probably clouded my judgement of the actual food. There was just no care or effort. - Waiter was unattentive - Never asked us for drink orders - Brought us 1 lamb when we were specially told there would be 2 - Food came out in an absurd order. Who ends their meal with vegetables? - Never offered us dessert - Took 15 mins to bring me back my credit card. 15 mins! What are you doing? As I said the horrible service probably clouded my judgement, but the food was okay at best. read more

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We got here about 10 mins early for our 5pm reservation and they let us order from the happy hour menu and boy am I glad they did! The mezze platter was not on the regular menu but had exactly the 3 dips I wanted to try so it was perfect! All 3 were delicious with the labeneh taking me surprise because I didn't think I would like it but I really did. The pita was amazing and hot and soft and pillowy and so much better than any pita I've had before. Also the fried halloumi and panisse were only on the happy hour menu and I knew what halloumi was but not panisse and holy smokes am I glad I got to try that, it was my absolute favorite thing! The falafel were good. We got the pomegranate braised lamb tagine. We're not huge lamb fans but like to get it every once in awhile when we feel a restaurant will cook it will in order to try it again. While still not a fan of lamb, they made it perfect! Fall off the bone soft and all the goodies like the rice and veggies around the lamb were so good! I really enjoyed this meal and would love to go back. read more

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The server was amazing!! I wish I could remember her name. My friend and I went for happy hour drinks and apps. We ordered the saganaki (not on the HH menu) for $14. We also ordered the garlic hummus with chicken and pita bread and it was so good. It's a great deal for happy hour but they charged an extra $8 for the chicken on top of the price for the $6 hummus. I loved the Moroccan type décor inside. We both had the old fashion for $8. We sat outside and it was super relaxing. I cant wait to go back and try some other items on the menu. read more

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Food was delicious the bread and hummus there were out of this world! Next time I would come solely for the bread and hummus. They cook everything out of the traditional clay over and it looked beautiful. The staff were very nice and helpful they even helped us get a table for my two babies. I definitely did not like that they require a deposit for reservations. I called for a reservation and they said they were pretty booked and would require a deposit if I wanted to reserve a table for a party of 5 ( 2 of those are babies). Decided not to reserve and walk-in. The restaurant had 3 other tables there, I was just scratching my head like you gotta be kidding me (false advertisement?). Great restaurant but they create a lot of barriers for customers to come eat, would eat here again but probably not recommend to others read more

Ash'Kara - Mediterranean Near Me - Denver, Colorado

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Came to this spot the other day with a few friends and we all had the same reaction. AMAZING! We explored the menu a bit by trying the hummus with the addition of cauliflower shawarma, a side order of the olives, the Israeli salad, trio of mushrooms, lamb kofte, the roasted half chicken, and lentils. Literally everything we ordered was extremely tasty and again I highly recommend this spot to anyone in the area who is looking for their Israeli food fix. read more

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A couple friends and I caught up over drinks and small plates the other day. I started with the fig old fashioned and it was quite tasty. I actually would have kept ordering if I didn't have to drive. We decided to share the hummus with herb marinated feta, baba ganoush, Muhammad - a pepper spread with caramelized walnuts and Saganaki which was a gooey baked cheese. All of the dips were served with wood fired pita that arrived piping hot. This is one of my favorite ways to eat; delicious dips with fantastic bread and a cocktail. Pair that with a good catch up with friends, wonderful service and you have a lovely evening. read more

Yes my friend and I came here because of the Ben Higgins connection. We didn't expect it to be great and it wasn't. Maybe it's because we're spoiled with some of the best middle eastern food in the country near us, but I just didn't find anything redeeming about the food. We got octopus, falafal, cauliflower, lamb, and hummus with mushrooms in it. The octo was decent, tender and not overcooked. The cauliflower wasn't very flavorful and the falafal was some of the driest and blandest I've had. Who knows, maybe it just wasn't to my taste and I didn't really get the twist on the food. That said, it's a very nice place to hang out and the atmosphere and service are great. I had two cocktails and both were good, especially one with yogurt in it. I'd definitely come back for drinks and olives, just not a place for a satisfying dinner. read more

Ashkara - which means 'literally / for real' in Hebrew, is a Levantine-style restaurant with some interesting 'fusion' menu options. The décor is part Jerusalem shuk (vintage carpets on the walls, punched tin lanterns) part Miami coffee shop (pastel geometric wall murals and tile). My husband and I picked this place as a date-night spot because it was last minute and our usual place (Safta) didn't have any open tables. First the good - the cocktails and my mocktail (a sparkling strawberry infused lemonade) were fantastic, and I would definitely return for the creative and well-made cocktails. Our hummus, while not a large portion, was excellent and had lots of good quality (they use Soom brand) tahini. It was perfectly smooth and the bread served with it was delicious and fresh out of the oven (it is a thinner, Syrian/Lebanese khubz style rather than the thick fluffy Israeli style if this matters to you). Our server was really upbeat and personable, and the food came out promptly, and was well-seasoned. The pickles were okay (nothing exciting) and a good portion. For the not-so-good, my husband ordered the 14 hour brisket and it was extremely dry - it was nicely flavoured and well-marbled, but almost jerky-like in texture. I guess they really cooked it for fourteen hours - on high. For the price, it was particularly unimpressive. Similarly, the lamb I ordered was a touch overcooked, though again it was seasoned well (and I appreciated the saffron labneh). The wood roasted carrots were probably the highlight of our meal, surprisingly - although some of them were absolutely massive and thus not fully cooked through - but again, I liked the flavour combination. It's difficult to not draw comparisons with Safta, as other reviewers have mentioned. Safta is superior, in my opinion, with their execution of meat being absolutely on-point and more nuanced flavour profiles. That being said, I think they are appealing to a different audience - the crowd at Safta skews older and the crowd at Ash'kara is younger and hip. Ash'kara is kind of like the bar/restaurants that line the beach in Tel Aviv - more a place to be seen, look cute, and drink delicious cocktails while having some hummus, not a place for a refined culinary experience. Would I visit Ash'kara again? Yes - likely for a mezze (small plates) and some lovely cocktails, but not for a formal meal. Add a frozen limonana to the menu and it's a pretty legit fun Tel Aviv beach type experience. read more

The food and service were good, but the prices/ authenticity not so much. Asked if they had Israeli salad and the waitress looked at me confused/ no idea what I was talking about ( she was awesome otherwise). Ordered pickles, falafel, hummus, and 1 chicken dish NO drinks and bill was over $100. It was good and the waitress was nice which is why I'm not going one star, but I'll honestly never go back, $45 for a 1/2 chicken with no sides is arguably the most expensive chicken in Denver. read more

The service was out of sight. We took my mom and sat outside on the patio, and it wasn't too crowded . The food was so good. I love a good "bowl of yummy stuff", and they delivered. We went for a Saturday brunch and will absolutely go back. I do wish there were a few more "brunchy" items, but they certainly have the right to not do that. And hey, I got a really satisfying amount of mimosas, and isn't that what brunch is all about? They serve their lunch menu beginning at 10, I think. We started with olives and the Muhammara and added the mushroom conserva. The dip was great as is, but I love their dip additions sections. Customize my dip? Hell yeah. The house the house bowl was fresh, bright, herby, not too heavy for a Saturday morning. Juuuuuust right. Like I said, we will definitely be back. This place is a gem. Don't pass it up! read more

Visited Ash'Kara for brunch and similar to my dinner experience it didn't disappoint. The music is much lower volume relative to dinner which is great. The place was half empty around 11am but still the service was super slow such that we waited over 10 min for the check. We started with the falafel which comes in six pieces. They were great and I consider them one of the best if not the best in the Denver area. The brunch sagnaki was great as well. The cheese was amazing and the pita complemented it so well. A bit disappointed the the duck prosciutto didn't have a strong flavor and was a bit low on the portion side. Personally think chicken kidney would go so well with this dish if spiced correctly (maybe add pomegranate). The bistro steak was our least favorite, although the latkes that came with it was great. The steak was a bit cold surprisingly given it took them 20min to bring it out after our initial two dishes were out. Also it lacked strong flavor and was a bit chewy. Overall a great place to brunch. Here are my ratings: Falafel: 8.5/10 Brunch sagnaki: 8.5/10 Bistro steak: 7/10 read more

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The whipped feta was not good at all, it was like they shoved air inside of it and egg whites, there was no flavor and it was terrible. We tried the house wines and they were not good. The white blend was atrocious but certain people may like it The bartender also avoided us heavily after mentioning the 20% additional tip that they add for the staff - I ask so is that the tip or? And clearly he felt like we should be tipping more than 20% of the bill, I don't understand this practice - I am more than willing to tip 20% & OVER but to make it a requirement on the bill to add 20% and then say, please tip on-top making it 40% more than the price on the menu PLUS the taxes? Sounds like a shady business practice and I'm curious why the restaurant cannot pay a livable wage for the "front & back of the house" that is not a server/bartender. read more

I finally made it here for dinner after having it on my list of 'places to try' for so long. I wish I had come sooner because it was excellent and if you come for happy hour the prices aren't bad. I got a glass of house red wine and my friend got the sangria which was very light and refreshing... almost more cocktail like than a traditional sangria. We shared the hummus appetizer and it did not disappoint. The hummus was so fresh and yummy and the warm fresh out of the oven pita bread was drool-worthy. We also shared the roasted carrots main dish along with the chicken dish. Both were excellent! I was shocked how good the carrot dish was! If I could make carrots like that at home, I would eat them way more often! read more

Yum!!!! Everything we ordered was fantastic. We sat outside at the picnic table and had a wonderful time. Maybe next time I'll add the rice because I was still a little hungry after arriving home. I'm already craving ash'kara again... read more

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One of the best meals I had in Denver. Everything was fresh and delicious. The chicken was perfectly cooked and moist. And the short rib was out of this world especially combined with the sauce they use. Will definitely come back here for any nice dinner. read more

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Food was heavily overseasoned and staff was rude (aside from a male bartender). 20% gratuity was automatically added to the check.

Last week my best friend & I decided to try something new last week. He's British & his go to pick is Indian and my go to is sushi or seafood. We both had never had Israeli food and he was pretty hesitant since he "hasn't found a great Mediterranean restaurants out here in Denver". Never the less I talked him into trying Ash'Kara cause "it looked cute, the pictures of all the food looked bomb & it had great reviews". Holy crap am I happy we did!!! The ambiance was so cute and inviting. From the moment we checked in for our reservations to the min we walked out, everyone we encountered was so nice and made our experience. Lauren (H. I think, hey girl heyyy) was our waitress. She was absolutely fantastic. I let her know that I didn't really know what to expect or what to order since we've never been before & I'm not super experienced w this type of cuisine. She went over the menu w us, asked if we wanted guidance or time to figure out what we wanted on our own. You could definitely tell she loves the food & was super excited to share the experience with everyone. She recommended the falafel's, pickles, baba ghanoush (sp?), Mushroom Conserva w black garlic, the feta & fresh house made pita to start. I've only had falafels twice, once as some restaurant (they were Dry AF!) & once homemade by a Lebanese friend. I'll be honest, I don't get why people love falafels cause they are kinda dry & chalky even w a ton of sauce. BUT... If you come to Ash'kara and you felt the same way as I did about falafels in the past, ORDER THE FALAFELS!!!! If this is how they are supposed to taste then I now understand why people love them! I kinda felt how I think some of my American friends felt after I take them to try real Vietnamese food for the first time. These were SO GOOD, so much flavor, the texture inside was perfectly moist followed by the outside crunch...it was the dipping sauce it came w wasn't overpowering & complimented them so well. Next up was the baba ghanoush paired with the mushrooms, feta on fresh pita!!! This combination for me was something I never knew I needed in my life. I could of ate a Costco size amount of it if it was available. I don't normally like eggplant but clearly it's because I haven't had eggplant done right. I will definitely be ordering this again. Last up Lauren recommended the braise beef, truffle fries w aoli, and the roasted carrots w herb labneh, topped w crushed pistachios. Everything was fantastic, I can't wait to come back again when my girl friends come to visit in a few months cause I can't wait for them to try the food. I'll definitely be taking the girl to either their happy hour or they weekend brunch! I know this is already a novel but I'll end with this... I moved to Denver 9 years ago for work & it's been hard for me to find restaurants that puts out amazing flavorful authentic food, especially food from different cultures/countries. While I can't compare their Israeli food to food from Israel or even other restaurants (in Denver or any other state), I don't even know if the food is actually authentic...but what I can say is the food, customer service and the overall experience for me put Ash'kara in one of the top 5 or 10 places I've eaten in Denver. Fingers crossed they are consistent and I didn't over hype the review for some of you. Because it really was a great experience for me and my bf even when I found out that night I had a mild allergy to pistachios in my 30s. ‍ no anaphylaxis or serious reaction, just an slightly itchy tongue. But Lauren & the manager or owner were so great in handling it. Thank you again Lauren! read more

Delicious! Went here with a couple of coworkers and ordered a bunch of items and enjoyed family-style. Drinks were delicious...I had the guava mule and it was to die for. Every single thing we tried was delicious. The broccoli rabe with tahini sauce and pomegranate seeds were amazing. Very good hummus. The lamb kofte was beautiful. And our waiter was SO nice, probably one of the nicest waiters I've had in a while. We absolutely plan to come back! read more

Ash'Kara - Hummus, falafel, lamb kofta, chicken shawarma, pita, labneh - Mediterranean Near Me - Denver, Colorado

I find myself coming back here every time a newly hyped restaurant misses the mark. The food is solid and the pita is the best. Great spot to order a bunch of dishes to share. read more

The food is wonderful; however, the service is so entitled and bad. We dined here 3/18. We ordered several dishes at 8pm. By 9pm, we noticed that our server disappeared and we were now being waited on by a few different people including the manager. We noticed there seemed to be confusion and frustration amongst the staff, and we kept getting looks from several waitstaff, wondering what the problem was. By 930 pm, we still hasn't gotten a couple of our dishes. We were tired and asked for the check, deciding to forgo the dishes that still hadn't come out. At that point, the manager became COMBATIVE with us. We stayed calm and just asked for the check. When the check arrived, there was a mandatory "gratuity" of 20% for a party of 5 people! I explained to the manager that I really did not feel a 20% gratuity was earned, and provided examples of why. She still was unable to explain why some of our food never showed up, other than "some trouble in the back". She snapped at us that the gratuity is a "living wage divided by all staff to support them for their work being done". I said that's great and I would be happy to pay it IF we actually got the service it's given for! She condescendingly began arguing with me and told me this would be the last time they would serve us! As if we did something wrong by asking where our food that we ordered almost two hours ago was! So unprofessional, entitled, and terrible customer treatment. There are a million places to dine in Denver. I recommend choosing one that is not this place! read more

Mandatory tip of 20% added + took 20% more for service - shady / refused to correct. I don't recommend this establishment.

I've been looking to trying this place ever since I heard it was opening. I arrived around 5:15 on a Sunday with the hostess informing me I still had 45 minutes of happy hour left. Since I was dining alone I took a spot at the bar and was happy that happy hour included not only drinks but some discounted appetizers. As a non-drinker I ordered an ice tea with the server informing me they don't serve that (what?!). Instead, water it was as I cruised through the menu and enjoying the ambience. The decor is very nice and I was so glad they don't have the annoying typical music you find in most Mediterranean restaurants (you know what I'm talking about). I decided on a couple of appetizers to capitalize on the happy hour discount, so I went with the hummus with wood fired pita and pickle plate. For my entree of course I had to try the lamb. The pickles arrived first and was a delicious array of pickled cucumbers, golden beets, and turmeric turnips. Oh man: the plate was so refreshing and delicious at the same time (I didn't even know I liked turnips!). And what can be said about the hummus?? It was so creamy and delicious and the wood fired pita was crazy good. The lamb arrived and was deliciously charred on the outside while being cooked well inside. I went back and forth on the saffron yogurt, but overall enjoyed it as an accompaniment to the lamb. So why 4 stars instead of 5? Although everything was good I found the portions small for the price. That aside, everything was scrumptious and I would go again. I'll even forgive them for not serving tea. read more

I had this on my list to try for months, and when I finally made it in it didn't disappoint. My friend and I ordered about 10 different things on the menu because we couldn't decided. We loved everything! I especially loved the cookie plate. It was the perfect sweet ending to a delicious feast. read more

Ash'Kara - Deciding... - Mediterranean Near Me - Denver, Colorado

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Just a fantastic middle eastern restaurant. Perfect middle ground between fine dining and casual. I've never had anything other than amazing dishes and service. read more

We went to Ash'Kara on New Years Day with four friends and it was incredible. The patio was well-heated, COVID precautions were prominent, and the food and service were fantastic. Highly recommend: literally everything, not kidding - the food was amazing read more