I've been eating their food since 1985, when the owner had a little hole in the wall in Porter Sq. called Good Stuff Cafe, and I was hooked on the salad dressing back then -- it's still every bit as good. I followed him to Arlington and back to Cambridge. They are serious about good quality, fresh ingredients -- I almost always want to order ful mudammus as an appetizer, and vegetarian kibbe, and since it all feels so healthful, next thing I know I'm stuffed. Meeting friends there tonight and this time, I'll get an order to go so I can finish my entree! read more

I love Cafe Barada so much. I've been multiple times now and every dish has been incredible. Some highlights are the limeade, fried cauliflower with spicy tahini, falafel and mujederra, but everything is good. Everyone is so kind and patient. Their specials rotate often and are always fun if I feel like changing it up, though I'm pretty loyal to the falafel. The hummus is also phenomenal. I'm gluten-free (celiac), and the servers are always so helpful in identifying what is gluten-free and adapting if necessary. The main items that aren't gluten free are the pita and pilaf, but I always just get plain rice instead of pilaf. Of note, the fryer is gluten-free, which is especially why I love the falafel! The prices are fair as well. You really can't go wrong with anything here. Plus, in the summer you can sit outside! read more

This restaurant has amazing food that is always fresh and delicious. The falafel, fattoush salad, and chicken kebabs are amazing. The owner is an incredibly friendly, hard working guy. I've gotten take out from here several times during the COVID crisis and am so glad that Cafe Barada is in my neighborhood. read more

I don't understand why this place doesn't have lines out the door. After going here for the better part of a decade, I figured it was finally time to share the secret. It's just outside Davis and Porter, and worth a short walk from the Red Line. If you're driving, there's always parking (free after 6PM!) on Mass Ave. With the exception of a place in Dearborn, MI this is the best Lebanese food I've ever had in the U.S. The chicken is just... perfectly flavorful--charred without being dry. The rice is buttery but not oily. The hummus is light and almost whipped, and the fattoush and Syrian salads are so fresh and crisp. My vegetarian friends love the kibbeh. And the owners! So kind. The only drawback is that drinks are pricey--but many of them are unique wines and beers from Lebanon that you can't order anywhere else, so I still think a $9 beer is worth it. read more

If I could give this cafe a 0 star I would. The customer service is prejudice. I needed to use the restroom before I purchased something the worker who was in the back eating said no. Out of politeness I asked ahead of time because it's common curtesy. I live right near this place! Do not recommend. Should actually be ashamed of the customer service read more

They do things the right way here. Delicious, authentic, healthy Lebanese food right on Mass Ave. My family and I have been going to Cafe Barada for over 15 years (used to be in Arlington but only the real ones know that), and have never had a bad meal once. After all these years, the owner still recognizes me and my family. It is still to this day one of my favorite restaurants for so many reasons. Get the Syrian salad and Stuffed grape leaves, you won't be disappointed; You can't really go wrong though. read more

Were delighted with the wide assortment of menu items we got for a take-out dinner for four tonight. Everything was delicious and the portions were generous enough for leftovers for all. Pita was especially good -- warm and home-made. Will make this a regular stop from now on. read more

One of the best and most authentic Lebanese meals! Get the grape leaves and the Lebanese salad!

We've been before and it was okay but last night was fantastic. The food was delicious and the service (and elderly gentleman forgot his name sorry) was wonderful. Go! read more

Cafe Barada is one of those little family-run restaurants where the cook is the server is the owner. A hard-working, seemingly humble man who takes pride in his business, his food and his manner is presenting it to you. This sentiment carried throughout the meal, as he reminded us to take our time, checked on us in politely hushed tones and encouraged us to come back anytime. And come back we will. For the best hummous I've ever had (so silky smooth with a biting, salty flavor that prompted my boyfriend and to scrape the bowl with our spoons long after the pita was gone because we couldn't stop eating it. The man serving us did offer more bread, but we had two entrees coming, so we opted to save some room. The spinach pie (a special of the day) was flaky and piping hot, served with a heaping portion of lightly dressed salad. The lamb kabob was tender and juicy, sharing the plate with a pile of rice and lightly charred vegetables with a smoky flavor. We traded bites of each until we could fit no more ad packed the rest to go. Cafe Barada is generous with the portions and the hospitality. They serve a limited selection of beer and wine for those who like a some sauce with their Lebanese food. And they are currently a cash only establishment. read more

After having this bookmarked forever, I finally went there last night. I'm so glad I did, but also a little nervous about how much this is going to cost me on a regular basis as I already want to go back. We started with the Lebanese Ful and it was delicious. i think i almost cleared the bowl of it, but tried to hold back after reading the reviews here of the portion sizes. For dinner I ordered the falafel & hummus sandwich with the lentil soup. I debated between the soup and salad and in the end ordered the soup. While the sandwich isn't cheap, like other reviewers said the sandwiches are HUGE. You could easily split one, plus it comes with your choice of soup, salad or rice. My side arrives and they give me a salad. Not what I ordered, but i didn't say anything. A few minutes later he comes over with the soup and apologizes. I totally win and get to keep both. I start eating the soup and salad and that's when my enormous sandwich arrives. I was so full that I had no idea how I was going to eat it, but I still managed a few bites and was wishing I could manage a few more. Lucky for me, it just means I have lunch today. The husband decided to get coffee, and I was just going to sit there but somehow I managed to find just a little space for some baklava. It might have been the best I've had (and I come from a Greek family). For two of us we got an appetizer, two meals, a beer, coffee and dessert for $48, not bad. We also both have lunch for today. Thank goodness the other reviews warned me that this was cash only, otherwise I wouldn't have been prepared. Don't fret though, there's a bank next door if you need it. Overall the food was amazing and the service was great. The place was filled with regulars, which is always a good sign and something I just might end up being. read more

Get your delicious, delicious Lebanese food here! This was one of my favorite places to pick up dinner in Cambridge on my way home from work. Reliably fresh and good hummus and falafel. Join the e-mail list to be notified of special offerings (they always send out a message when pumpkin kibbeh is in the house) and get discounts (free appetizer with $20 purchase coupons are frequent). In addition to being a good spot to snag take-out, Barada is a nice place for date night or a girls' night out. The interior is fancier (and bigger) than it looks from the outside, and the wine list is bangin'. read more

Best Lebanese food I've had since my grandmothers cooking! I've been searching for authentic homemade middle eastern food for years now and I've finally hit the jackpot :) The grape leaves are my favorite so far since they taste just like my Grandmothers! Almost exactly the same seasoning! The salad was to die for! I need the recipe for their dressing. Food-five+ stars I gave four stars cause it's cash only and the wait was about 40 minutes but worth it! read more

While Cafe Barada is on Mass Ave, you might have missed it! This place is a gem. It doesn't exactly have the ambiance some might look for, but this place will still rock your world. The staff is excellent and super helpful while making suggestions. He suggested we start with the sampler. Hummus, tabbouleh, lentils and baba ganoush. They were all amazing on the pita that was bottomless. I would try and stop eating but he'd bring out more pita so the tasting couldn't end til it was gone! For my main meal I split the falafel sandwich with my friend. The sandwiches are huge! We had more hummus and tabbouleh inside the pita pocket. It was super tasty and flavorful. My taste buds were screaming with joy when it was all over. My stomach was also screaming for me to stop eating! Needless to say- I went home happy and very full. read more

A very, very good Lebanese restaurant. I've been here for three meals so far and everything has been stellar except for one dinner when the falafel was overcooked. But other than that: top notch. Particularly good were: * Mujeddara (lentil dish) * Hummos and Falafel (except for the one time the falafel was overcooked) * Bazella (lamb stew) * Fasoolia (kidney bean stew) and the list goes on. Service is friendly. Appears to be family owned. Baklava for dessert very good. An all around winner. read more

Really enjoyed our meal at Cafe Barada. Per yelp recommendations (yelp love), started with the sampler (13$, baba ghannouj, hoummos, mujeddara and tabbouleh). This was excellent and enough for 4 people to munch on. The standout for me was the mujeddara since I had not eaten it before. The one hot item on the plate it was mildly spiced lentils with onions. It was delicious and was even good the next night as leftovers. There was only 2 of us and we probably made it close to half way through it by the time our food came out. Thank god our food came out because we probably would have ate the entire thing and not been able to eat our entree. We split a falafel & hoummos sandwich. They cut this in half for us to make it easy to share. Really good sandwich. I was disappointed with the syrian salad served with it. While a good sized salad, it was mostly lettuce (not a surprise), but the dressing was either oil or vinegar based and was extremely plain. It would be nice to see another dressing option for people that want flavor on their salad. This was a minor flaw in an otherwise really good meal. Next time we go we will get something other than the salad. We were too stuffed to eat dessert but we took one of their baklava to go. I did not ask but I believe these were homemade and was the best baklava I have had at a restaurant. One piece is pretty big and runs $2.35. Definitely try one of these! Service was friendly and made you feel like you were at home since this was obviously a multi-generation family run place. Prices were OK (a little high) but portions are great. We liked the lighting in this place on a Wednesday night as could see your food! There were a few decorative items in the place that caught our attention and were really nice. We would've liked to seen a few more antiques or cultural items added in the restaurant. Overall we really enjoyed our visit and hope to make it back soon. read more

What a treat this little spot turned out to be! Warm, welcoming, accommodating and delicious -- in short, the perfect spot for my Dad and sister's birthday dinner, which included my 13-month-old niece. We got there early, as the place can really fill up and was wanted to be sure to get a table for the seven of us. When I told the owner the plan, he quickly came up with an ideal spot for us right in the window, and told me the table would be ready for all of us in 30 minutes, but that he would only seat us once we'd all arrived. Sure enough, when we returned he brought us right to our table and too our drink order. We the proceeded to order nearly every appetizer on the menu, and an entree each. He never flinched, and the impeccable service only continued from there. Falafel, grape leaves, hummus platters, shish kebabs, lamb stew and kafta all appeared before us, each more delicious than the other. We ate and ate and ate until we were absolutely stuffed -- everything was amazingly delicious. The hummus was smooth and paired beautifully with the tabouleh, babaganoush and lentils it came with. The kafta was a tad on the dry side, but seasoned so well I barely noticed. The nice beer and wine list is all you really need to accompany the food. The space is clean, comfortable and nicely updated. I wouldn't hesitate to return here again -- it's just lovely and the staff is wonderful. read more

Walked into this place today with my wife for lunch. There was one small party and us. So effectively, empty. The single waiter walked us to a table, and when I casually put my cell on the empty table beside it he barked at me about using only one table. Wife went to the bathroom while I took a quick look at the menu. Where I discovered that the average price for pita wrap was about $13. For lunch. So when she got back I told her, nope, not this place not this time. And we began to leave. Same waiter took a moment out from serving the only other customers, and hissed as loud as he could: "Next time you come look at the menu BEFORE you use the bathroom!" Real tough guy, berating/embarrassing a 70 year old woman. Stay classy, Cafe Barada. Stay classy! I wouldn't go back to this place if they were giving stuff away. read more

Syrian salad, hummus, and falafel are the three keys to my heart. Cafe Barada gave my husband a run for his money tonight, even though he was siting across the table from me. The salad was tangy and delicious, with crisp cucumbers, sweet tomatoes, and a chopped herb dressing that was full of flavor. The hummus was perfect -- garlicky, lemony, savory. The falafel was by far the best I've had since moving to MA... Crispy exterior, mooshy interior, rich spiced flavor balanced well by the tahini sauce... Yum. I stole some of hubby's food when he wasn't looking (and even when he was looking), and I must say the lentil soup is divine. The lentils and spinach were mixed in a rich broth that was flavored with a strange sweet spice (cinnamon? cardamom? nutmeg? I don't know). It was so good that I could have eaten the entire bowl, but I was stuffed from the ginormous falafel sandwich. The prices seemed a little high until we got our food, and then we realized that quality Cafe Barada comes with a price - and rightfully so. read more

After a great recommendation from a couple of friends I decided to try out Cafe Barada. They had raved about the falafel sandwich and the hommus so I decided to try some take out from there. I have to say that I was terribly disappointed. Perhaps I have been spoilt by the magnificent Lebanese food in Los Angeles. The Chicken Kabob was so dry that I had to feed it to my dog. The Kabob's at the Greek Corner up the street are much more moist and tasty. The Hommus was fine, but nothing special and a bit too dense. The grape leaves are definitely home made, but were terribly dry as there was no olive oil coating on them. The best item was the Falafel sandwich which was huge and tasty. read more

What an amazing meal! I came for lunch with a friend can't wait to come back. These guys are making beautiful, light, delicious food - you can't go wrong with anything on the menu. Great beer selection, amazing lentil soup and the best Falafel I have ever had. Perfection. The space is small and intimate, well decorated and stylish. I can't wait to go back. LOVE supporting a small business in the neighborhood, especially when the food is so outrageous. read more

I've gone twice in two years. That's about right for this casual, table-service Lebanese restaurant. The food can be good. I enjoyed their foul, which is more soupy than at most places, but the soup is rich with delicious EVOO and lemon juice. The mujaddara was also soupy, and I don't care for ricey soup: I prefer this dish dry. Neverthless, it was tasty. I'm also not a fan of Barada's falafel. Too crunchy, too tough, too pungent. I prefer moist, oily, savory falafel. This might be the first time I bring up "plating" on Yelp. Plating is particularly bad at Barada. The dishes are very dark and plain, especially for the forgettable interior, and like I said, the food inside looks soupy. Furthermore, the pita bread is served in a bag--and it tastes like it came from a bag too. This restaurant should think more about appearances, and about adding some nice salads and pickles to the plates for balance. It kind of goes without saying with Lebanese food, but vegetarians have lots of good choices here. read more

"I'll try the Falafel's" "Sir, if you are in a hurry just so that you know, the Falafil's will take 15mins" Typically I'm not happy when I my first choice isn't an option. However, in this case, it was explained that Cafe Barada will not, under any circumstance, sacrifice the quality of their falafils, and I can respect that. See, unscrupulous falafel vendors will sometimes cook them in advance, nuke 'em, and serve 'em. Cafe Barada wants you to taste the freshest authentic Lebanese food. Talking to the son a little more helped me appreciate that this is homestyle Lebanese cooking. His mom is your chef, and he's grown up eating special number 1 and special number 2. He says the people love their falafils, baba ganouj, and hommus. "I'll try the tabouleh" And then I tuned out to the sound of lebanese pop, wondering if the proximity of the St John the Evangelist Church to a fine Lebanese restaurant made some comment on ethnic harmony. Or maybe its just that food brings everyone together ...? read more

Delicious and super authentic Lebanese food. You can't get more authentic than this...everything is cooked by a Lebanese mother! Definitely going back as this is one of the better sit-down Middle Eastern restaurants in the greater Boston area (much better than Byblos for example). Some other observations: ++ Welcoming atmosphere...a very cozy, clean, and family-run establishment. ++ Menu is fairly extensive with lots to choose from and a has a rotating list of daily specials (all are dishes you would see in a home-cooked Lebanese meal). This is NOT a quick shawarma and falafel shop (though they do serve falafel). ++ Standouts (from what I tried) are: the Kibby (outstanding!), Tabbouleh (nearly perfect), and Mujeddara (spiced lentils, rice and onions...which was great). Their grilled meats are also very tender and flavorful (though I didn't try their chicken yet) ++ Arabic coffee and rice pudding was a perfect way to end the meal. Both were great. Anyhow...I highly recommend Cafe Barada. Just remember...it's cash only! read more

Cafe Barada is like having dinner at your sweet Lebanese next door neighbor's house. This wonderful family owned Cafe is a true hidden gem. They just won Best of Boston 2007. Syrian Salad is all about the dressing, crisp iceberg lettuce with this wonderfully light, delicious simple dressing of lemon juice, olive oil. and few spices. Smooth and creamy hummus, tangy Tabouli and garlicky Labany Bil Toum are perfect with their thin, soft pita. Also the Falafel are crisp on the outside and still light on the inside. Although not my taste, my syrian friend loves the stuffed grape leaves. They also have generous portions for the price. read more

i am a big fan of Middle Eastern cuisine. And like to try different places. What brought me to this one just a simple Groupon discount. I was hungry and very exited. What i have to say a place is not a white tablecloth restaurant if you want to have romantic diner. Very simple (but friendly!) environment.Cash only.But if you just feel like to have a good food,grab lunch or dinner and you are around,that is the right place to be!!!!! The lentils that we had was the best ones i ever tried. Chiken cabob, grape leaves...Everything was so good. We were supervised by very nice guy who wanted to make sure that we ate well and we liked it. I think he was the owner. i do recommend this place! read more

I've been going to Cafe Barada for over 20 years now... and unlike some places, it's never wavered from giving us the best Lebanese food. Everything we've tried here has been good, and the family and staff are welcoming and wonderful. My personal absolute favorite dish is the Mujeddara, but I love everything vegetarian on the menu. Even their hoummos is better than anywhere else. This place is definitely worth trying out - and then coming back to. read more

I came here CRAVING a spanikopita, or spinach pie.. and I was so happy with my choice. It was soooooo good! It came with a side of a delicious salad that was a really pleasant little add on. My boyfriend had the hummus and falafel sandwich which was also really yum. Everything on the menu looks wonderful.. I can't wait to come back and try everything! I really want barada to become a certified green restaurant.. it would make me feel good about coming back and giving my consumer vote to an environmentally responsible restaurant =) read more

This past summer we went to Cafe Barada because we were both craving a falafel sandwich. We live about 45 minutes away but we thought the drive was worth it. It was a warm day so we thought we'd sit outside. All the tables were empty and there were about 2 tables with customers on the inside. A woman was outside cleaning tables and she came over to tell us that their computer was down so they could only take cash. We said no problem and my friend went to the ATM down the street. I waited at a table and mentioned to the woman that we were so excited to be here because we were excited about having one of their falafel sandwiches. She didn't respond to me. My friend returned with cash and we were given menus, whereupon we discovered that they stop serving falafel sandwiches at 3:00. I asked why and she said they take too long to make when the kitchen is busy. We asked if she would make an exception. (it was 3:20) She said no so we left and went to the Mediterranean Restaurant down the street where food was excellent. Later we learned that the woman is actually the daughter of the owner! Good to know. read more

I've eaten at many Lebanese restaurants, and Cafe Barada was by far the worst. No one in our seven person group had a decent meal. The baba ghannouj was very average, as was the falafel. The pita was cold and flavorless, and the atmosphere was lacking. The entrées were extremely overpriced for being such mediocre dishes. I'm amazed so many people can rate this place with four and five stars. My friend's chicken was so dry it was inedible. When I politely told the server how bad my friend's chicken dish was (she was too embarrassed to say anything), he completely blew me off, doing nothing to correct the situation. This place might be tied with Finale for being the biggest let down in Boston. read more

Nice enough service it was fast and fresh. I ordered the kibby and an Arabian nights cocktail. The drink was a bit pricey for its strength (or lack thereof),and the kibby was a but dry and hard at the edges, but overall very good and tasty. Would return if I lived here! read more

Cafe Barada - a plate of food with rice and meat - Kebab Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

Cafe Barrada is a fantastic place for authentic Lebanese food. I was very impressed with authentic selection both in the app section and main courses. Staff was very friendly and food was hot and delicious. Went on a random Tuesday night and the place was full. Now let's get down to business! For apps, we ordered kibby (it is ground beef with onions and spices all wrapped up and fried to delicious perfection). Also had Lahma ba'ajeen (Let's say it all together now... Lahma- ba-a- jean) It is a thin bread baked with a topping of meat and spices. In American, we would call it a flat bread pizza with no sauce, but lots of chopped meat and plenty of spicy flavor. No spell check for that app! For main course, I had Kefta Kebab entree. It is ground meat with herbs and spices that is grilled. It comes with pita, rice, and grilled veggies. Tahini sauce (white sauce) is a must on the side. Gf had a shish kabab sandwich with garlic sauce. Both portions were really large. The meat in all of them were really tender and tasty. The food was very authentic and the servers were very friendly. There is also an authentic dessert menu, but due to too much gluttony on the apps and main course, we could not handle any dessert. One final kicker about this place. They have a wide selection of different+ beers. I was pleasantly surprised by this as I needed something to wash down all that good food. Dont miss out on this fantastic place! Happy eating. read more

Maybe I just didn't order the right dishes, but I was not impressed with Cafe Barada. I'm always excited about trying new cuisines, so when my friend suggested we venture into Davis Square to try Cafe Barada, I was too excited: Lebanese food and great Yelp reviews. My friend and I ordered the Kibby and the Vegetarian Kibby respectably. Both of us found our dishes to be equally disappointing. I found the Vegetarian Kibby to be very bland and have a rubbery, dry texture. The rice was additionally bland, providing no additional flavor to the meal. I forced myself to eat half of the Vegetarian Kibby but could not get myself to finish the rest. The redeem aspects of the restaurant: we split an appetizer (fried dough stuffed with feta cheese) that was delicious (but nothing special) and the service is very friendly. If you have a choice in the matter, I would personally suggest passing up on Cafe Barada. read more

I really like this place. I've had a variety of things here, though from other customers and from friends who go here, it seems like at lunchtime the falafel sandwiches are by far the most popular. Having lived in Greece, I tend to find that good Lebanese restaurants and other good Middle Eastern restaurants come closer to my experience of Greek food than most American Greek restaurants do, and this one is no different. The main reason this place is getting four stars from me instead of five is because the food is rather inconsistent. You can order the same thing the next time you visit and it will generally taste different, be it a bit or a lot. Even their well-known falafel tastes significantly spicier sometimes than other times. One tasty solution would be to just order something different every time you go. read more

Being a quarter of Lebanese and being raised eating THE authentic Lebanese food, I can say that Cafe Barada has authentic Lebanese food. I almost cried of joy over the grape leaves .... so tasty!! The Kibby was very delicious and it is served with a side of rice pilaf. To finalize, I order Belewa ( a Lebanese version of Baklava)..omg!!! I had mini orgasms at every bite!!! I highly recomended this place. Do not expect fancyness - it is a family run business. read more

This place is so good! My dad has been going for a long time and it totally lived up to all his talk! Great and friendly service, fresh, filling and healthy food! Try the lentil soup- so good! read more

I've been here a couple years now and have noticed this cafe, but I didn't go until a friend recommended this restaurant to me, saying it was run by a family she knew and "one of the best restaurants in the world." So glad I listened to her! This place has the best beef grape leaves I have EVER had! The food is great - especially the falafel. They've recently renovated and it looks so much more inviting now! I think part of why I never stopped in was because you couldn't see in from the street. There's a lot of competition in the area for restaurants - why stop at the dark place with a faded sign when there's a cozy, warmly lit Italian cafe just a couple doors down? They definitely made the right decision investing in the renovation. They added an outdoor patio, which is perfect for soaking up the last of the warm weather. This place is packed now! It's amazing what curb-appeal and a Boston Globe article can do. It was one server (one of the owner's sons) when I went, tending to a full house. Somehow, he pulled it off. We never waited too long, and he was friendly and warm. He was also sweaty from running around like crazy - what a champ! Friendly service, great food, Lebanese microbrews (FYI: 961 is the Middle East's ONLY microbrewery!), Gotham Project wine, and a patio? This is my new summer jam. They're having issues with their credit card reader lately, so it's been CASH ONLY - but that's only until it gets fixed. There's a bank about a block away if you need cash. It's a little pricey for this "genre" of food - an app, 2 entrees, and 2 beers cost us around $50 (not including tip) - but I guess I'm ok with it since it supports a local, family-run business. read more

Three and a half stars actually - but with a leaning towards four! :) I ordered the falafel appetizer and shared an order of hummus with my fellow diner. The falafel.....or "falafil" as they spell it........is pretty good. It's got a very fried and crispy texture to it which makes it taste like it's a little less healthy than other falafel I've enjoyed. The flavor was very nice, and the texture was not too wet and not too dry. ( I can't stand too-dry falafel which I recently discovered when I had the misfortune of trying the falafel at the Whole Foods salad bar - don't do it!!) Barada makes their falafel bigger than the usual "ball" size - theirs are more like discs. The tahini was super! The hummus was a little creamier than I prefer. I like a more textured and complex hummus. But theirs really was tasty. The only thing I didn't really like was the pita bread. It came served in a small plastic bag and was cut up into little squares of very thin bread. I prefer a thicker and warm pita in usual circle or at least half-circle shape. I know this may sound nit-picky - BUT the reason is I like the pita to be warm so it can also warm up the hummus. A slightly warmed up hummus brings out a little more of it's flavor. And the little squares felt more like I should brush them over the hummus instead of really dip into it. I grew up in a neighborhood that was very heavy in Middle Eastern culture, so I guess I have particular preferences. The service was totally sweet and attentive. We walked in at an odd hour and the place was empty and kind of dead feeling. Although it did seem like the Lebanese family that owns the restaurant were all congregating at a back table, and to me that is always nice to see in a family-run restaurant. I think I looked a little surprised by the "dead-ness" when I walked in. But the waiter/manager/owner? guy must have noticed because he turned on some music and started setting all the tables and put on the string of lights around the window. It really warmed up the place and made it feel more alive despite our being the only customers. It was a nice touch and very welcoming at that. It's worth trying. Not a HUGE destination spot though, but I would recommend it. read more

I don't think you can go wrong with anything on the menu, and I tried most of it when i lived near their previous two locations - both of which were in East Arlington before they relocated a third time to the present location. And what was true then is true today - Cafe Barada puts on a good feed. I don't live nearby these days so when I do get to town I have to order up Barada's highlights and for me that is the Lentil Soup, the Syrian Salad, and one of the specials. For apps - I go the bean route and order up either Ful Mudammus or Mujeddara because where else am I gonna get that? The Lentil Soup is top notch and the lemon and chard taste combo can solve many of your life's problems. (Note: This is one of my two favorite Boston area soups - the other being Picante's Tortilla Verde Soup) I really like a soup that lives up to expectations of what a true soup should be - hot and savory fullness. Usually you get hot water with stuff in it - but not here. This Lentil Soup is about much more than the lentils and is alone worth the trip to North Cambridge. What you taste in this soup results from a generational recipe imbued with love and tradition. The Syrian Salad is your basic Mediterranean salad with feta but the true star is an amazing but simple dressing of garlic, lemon, mint, olive oil, and, for me, the right amount of salt to support it all, though it might be too salty for some. I make a near facsimile of the dressing at home and though it lacks the Barada charm it is good enough to dump on anything that comes off the summer grill. The entree specials rotate daily and the standouts for me are Lubia and Fasoolia b'Laham which both feature tender juicy cubes of lamb. There are plenty of veggie options as well and they are as hearty as the meat dishes - probably due to the mild but rich sauces. And most are all tied together with a rice pilaf that is done to perfection and in itself becomes an object of craving after a few visits. One great thing about Barada is that it is a perfect place if you love to eat and especially if you like to eat till you are full. You tend to feel healthy and happy with a stomach full of Barada rather than bloated and sleepy - which is a major achievement in itself. Probably due to the good, fresh ingredients and the homemade love and care. The other great thing has to be Sami and his family. They are attentive in their roles as owners, cooks, and servers and treat all as honored guests. And as such, I always feel good about spending money at Cafe Barada. read more

My son took me to place to make me relax a bit after a hard day at work. Love the atmosphere, you can dress casual nothing fancy or if you want to dress up. Family own business and the service was excellent did not rush you. Plus not being able to eat pork and knowing they do not serve it was a relief. I tried the special that evening the spinach pumpkin kibbie with pilaf. Did not know what to expect , but let me tell you it was a whole new experience for me being that there was no meat at all. Love it love it and the portions were so much I ask if i could take the rest home. Which they did not mind. Only thing I wish they would do and when I do return is to warm the Syrian bread when it comes to the hummus and appetizers. Otherwise I will be back... P.S. They do not take credit cards anymore so make sure you bring enough cash. I would not bring children here unless they are older. read more