Amazingly flavorful, we changed plans and came back a second time on our vacation trip…read more The schnitzeled oyster mushroom salad was 10/10!

Absolutely three best chicken sandwich I've ever had! Not only were the chunks of chicken cooked to…read moreperfection and the seasoning and sauce tasted like I was sitting in Tel Aviv but the pita bread was out of this world! I always thought pita was pita everywhere. I don't know if they buy this or bake it themselves but it was warm and rich and amazing! Really fantastic. The beet salad was excellent and everything you'd want in a fresh salad. Dressing was sublime and didn't overpower the rest of what was on the plate. Can't wait to go back! Very reasonably priced as well. We don't drink but it looked as though they had a nice selection of wine and beer.

This place was absolutely terrible. I stopped and ordered two Pitas for the road and a fatoush…read moresalad. The flavor of the iceberg overpowered the small amount of tasteless chicken and lamb. The salad was equally terrible in a different way. It was drenched in dressing and had a pitiful amount of salad or maybe it dissolved in the dressing. The owner should be ashamed of what they sold me for $38.

Falafel is deep fried....not how this place makes it! Taking a falafel out of the freezer and…read moreputting in the microwave is not how the dish is served! Where is the crispy outside and soft middle? Not here...it's just a squishy flavorless ball of chickpeas. The spinach pie is awful as well...a doughy nightmare! Where is the phyllio dough? No feta inside either! Chef Ramsay would scream! The only thing working hard in this place is the microwave which they use constantly! Good work Chef Mike!

This restaurant was extremely delicious. Very fresh ingredients, tasty meats, amazing falafel,…read morelots of herbs and seasonings, phenomenal flatbread. Highly recommend! My only critique is that the interior feels a little bit awkward, to be honest. I'd like to recommend more dimmed light as a start--it's very bright in here. It needs some adjustments so that it feels more comfortable and less like an airbnb, but I can't recommend the food enough. Portions are large too so the prices are higher because it's a lot of food!

Stopped in for a late lunch before heading to the airport…read more Food was yummy and the ambiance is so cute. We tried the chicken bowl and the wrap. Service was great, I'd go back.

Zeina's Cafe is a an absolute gem. Everyone who works there was extraordinarily nice and…read morewelcoming. The food is outstanding, and, equally important to me, the quantities and pricing is fair. My large party had some diverse palettes and requirements. Our host patiently explained all the different options. All the food that came out was excellent.

The restaurant is located on a street that seems like it used to be bustling, died out, and is…read morestarting to revive. We arrived around 2:30pm on a Thursday, there was only one other group there. We were immediately greeted and our waiter was super friendly and chatty. The inside is pretty casual, and they played 2000s hits at a good volume. We started with a cup of Turkish coffee... I've never had Turkish coffee so maybe this is standard, but they did not offer cream or sugar. I don't usually like black coffee but it was surprisingly light, and the serving was pretty small so I actually quite enjoyed it. The owner later said it was the brand Utica coffee (which I love). We ordered the loaded fries, which came with taziki sauce, feta cheese, and tabouleh. Usually loaded fries feel very heavy and greasy, but these tasted very fresh. For the main dish, we ordered the Elias Gyro and the Layla Gyro. My pallet is usually more oriented towards lots of flavor and spice, so I found the Layla Gyro to be lighter than I would have liked. There wasn't as much sauce as I was expecting, but it was still very moist. I loved the pickled vegetables in it, but I wasn't a huge fan of the fries. The Elias Gyro was a lot more flavor heavy thanks to the garlic sauce, which was delicious. The meat in both gyros was cooked perfectly. Lastly, we had the baklava. Ive never had baklava before so I have nothing to compare it to, but oh my goodness it was so good. Overall, super positive experience. It's always such a treat to see the owner walking around interacting with customers, and I would definitely go again whenever I want something light and fresh.

Great food, great service and great location. The portions…read moreat big! I loved the small picnic tables outside for eating. All around a great experience.

Lafa is always consistent with their food and today I stopped in for a quick lunch to try their new…read moreStreet Corn Falafel! The place is clean with many options for seats, and I was lucky enough to snag a table outside. I got the Street Corn Falafel wrap and if you order it in person you can watch them create the wrap right in front of you on the saj they have. There are so many toppings to choose from, but I definitely recommend the crunchy pita chips, cucumbers, and tzatziki. They also usually have some tasty lemonades! It's a solid place to have a tasty lunch or dinner, and take out is a popular choice here as well!

The night we were there was buffet night and the place was extremely busy but our waitress did an…read moreexcellent job of keeping us all well served. The Lebanese food was excellent and very reasonably priced. My favorite was the taboulie.

Quiet night. Met both owners and my server was very friendly, great conversation and wonderful…read moreservice. Food is top notch. Portions are big, and prices are good.

Very quick friendly service, apple desert very tasty simple crisp puff pastry with warm Apple…read morefilling a bit of whipped cream dusted with cinnamon and lovely treat!

I was on a short road trip to Syracuse New York, and thought I'd try out a few places recommended…read morefrom Guy Fieri's DDD series, and was really looking forward to it, given the yelp reviews. The place was pretty small and unassuming from the outward appearance. Upon coming in, there are limited seats, but everything was neat and clean. I could smell some enticing aromas from the kitchen. Not sure if they are short staffed, but it took a while for someone to come to the counter to take our order. I really was looking forward to having the lamb gyro, so that was what I ordered, as well as ordering a baklava for dessert. The food took a while to come out, but I'm fine waiting for something great to eat. They did have a number of takeout orders that were served while we waited, maybe 3 of them. Once the food came out, the lamb was pretty nice, and there was a reasonable portion of meat in the gyro, as well as some tomato, lettuce, and onion on a nice pita bread. But the tzatziki was very disappointing, it was very thin, and didn't have much flavor. That sort of killed the whole gyro. The baklava was very tasty, and had nice pistachio crumbles on it, but the honey was a bit too much, giving it a very soggy bottom. Flavor was good though, and I don't mind a little messy dessert. All in all, I was a little disappointed with the meal. I tend to be a little generous in my reviews, so I gave it three stars, as I felt I couldn't rate it as a 2, but I couldn't quite give a four star rating. I'd give it another try, but maybe not go for a gyro.

This place is like a breath of fresh air in the mundane food scene at Wilkes Barre, PA. Writing…read morethis review gives me a nostalgic joy :) Except the shabby parking spots that are tough to maneuver during winter months, they don't have any other cons. This itself says so much about the restaurant. Food is consistently good, staff (including the owner) take the time to greet the customers & make them feel comfortable and service is very quick (Less than 20 minutes) My favorites were and still are falafel and mamoul cookies. In fact, I tried mamoul for the very first time here and got instantly addicted. They're shortbread cookies (made with a special impression) filled with either dates or fig paste. Not overly sweet and made with the right consistency, I highly recommend them. Prices are fair and although they have a dine-in area, last I checked, they allow only takeout. And, their timings are suitable for lunch and early dinner, so plan accordingly.

Stopped into Pete's Place to get a smorgasbord of Middle Eastern staples the other day. I like to…read moreget a variety of homemade dishes, sides, dips and ingredients there, including the pita bread and some of the candies, little treats and desserts that they carry from other parts of the world. The baba ghanouj is bangin'; that's the first place I ever tried it but anything I've had since then, just doesn't cut it. The baba ghanouj is light and fresh, unlike store-bought brands that can sometimes taste metallic or bitter. Add the meat pie for a well-seasoned update on the pasty we grew up with (apparently the Cornish pasty is a protected food in the EU, like champagne or asiago, who knew).

Never had a bad meal here. Consistently fresh product and is on time when ordered out or dining in…read more Prices are reasonable and you receive PLENTY of good. The "louies cart classics" are really good!!! Shaved lamb is muy delicioso.

Great food, friendly atmosphere and accommodating!! Excellent rice pudding!! Go there every time…read moreI'm in Utica!

I dined here with a coworker a couple of weeks ago. I hadn't been since they opened, but the…read morequality hasn't diminished one bit. Our server was the son who's one of the owners and it's obvious how much he cares about the restaurant and his guests. We really felt taken care of in a way that tands out compared to a lot of restaurants. The dining room was busy but he always took the time to check on us, joke with us, and make us feel absolutely welcome. We both got mocktails. Mine was so flavorful and refreshing, just the right mix of tart and sweet. For our first course we got the spicy feta hummus which is homemade and served with homemade pita. The bread was warmed and very light. The hummus was rich. I loved the kick of the spices and the creaminess of the feta, the exact right amount of heat. For my main I got the fried cauliflower wrap with lentil soup. The soup was warming, well spiced, and perfectly comforting. The wrap was unreal in its flavor. Well seasoned cauliflower fried the exact perfect amount, fresh lettuce and tomato, a creamy sauce. Divine. I was stuffed halfway through but soldiered on because it was so delicious I couldn't put it down. Very reasonably priced as well. Didn't have a bad bite or sip here and I suspect that if I ordered everything on the menu, I'd love it all. This is an outstanding mediterranean restaurant in a city that has no shortage of them. Absolutely worth the drive out to Manlius. Go watch the swans, walk around town, and have a wonderful meal here, you won't regret it.

My wife and I visited Diwan for dinner for the first time last night (7/10/26) after hearing so…read moremany great things about it. We were excited to finally give it a try, and the food absolutely lived up to the hype. This was easily the best Middle Eastern food we've had in Central New York. We started with the hummus appetizer, which was fresh, flavorful, and paired perfectly with the delicious house-made and warm pita. I ordered the beef and lamb gyro, and my wife had the beef kebabs. Both meals were outstanding, and we'll definitely be back for the food. Unfortunately, what keeps me from leaving a five-star review was the service we received from our server, Megan. I'm not sure whether it was because we arrived about an hour before closing or if she was simply having an off night, but from the beginning, the service felt rushed and inattentive, and it never improved. Just a couple of minutes after we were seated, she asked if we were ready to order. When we said we were still looking over the menu, she simply replied, "Okay," and walked away without asking if we had any questions or explaining the menu. My wife had to stop her as she was walking away to ask what drinks were available. A few minutes later, when she returned to take our order, she took our appetizer order and my wife's entrée order while looking around the dining room, said "thank you," and immediately started walking away without taking my order. I had to stop her so I could order my meal. During our meal, while I had my gyro in hand and was about to take another bite, I noticed her standing beside our table preparing the payment terminal. My wife looked at her, the server said "sorry" and then set down the payment terminal on the neighboring table instead. Once we were finished, she handed us the payment terminal and then asked whether we'd like dessert or coffee, after already presenting the check, which felt a bit odd. After I paid, I was in the middle of selecting how I wanted my receipt when she took the payment terminal away before I could finish, leaving me unable to receive an itemized receipt for our meal. The food was exceptional, and we'll absolutely be back because the kitchen deserves every bit of the praise it receives. That said, we'll be requesting a different server next time. The service we experienced tonight was disappointing and didn't match the quality of the food. On a positive note, there was another server working this evening who was incredibly friendly and welcoming. I didn't catch her name, but she left a much better impression and reflected the kind of hospitality we were hoping to experience.