Hidden gem!!! I came here with a couple of my co-workers one evening when we were in Orlando for a conference. I have sadly driven past this place so many times and not even known of its existence! This restaurant is in a pretty busy town center area with quite a few large chain restaurants so I worry that this place might get overlooked by tourists. The atmosphere is absolutely wonderful. It's very beautiful inside and set nice and dark. The service was fantastic. The food was amazing!!! And to top it off they had an awesome belly dancer come out for entertainment!!! She was soooo good and got the guests involved as well. We all had the absolute best time and the food was filling but light. Plenty of leftovers to go back to our hotel with. I will be back myself and start taking more clients there as well!!! read more

Cedar's has the best Lebanese food in town. It's out on restaurant row, but it seems to remain hidden from most of the tourists. The atmosphere is very authentic and the restaurant is full of middle-eastern families, which always makes me feel like I'm in a good spot! My favorite thing to do is to order a bunch of appetizers for the table. They bring amazingly fresh, poofy bread so we order hummus, babaganoush, tabbouleh, falafel, spinach pies, garlic sauce, and house salad. Then we fill all of the poofy potassium with toppings. Amazingly fresh and plenty of food for the table. On weekend nights, they have lively music and belly dancers. Makes for a great night out. read more

I have had a lot of Lebanese and Middle Eastern food (from growing up near one of the most highly Middle Eastern populated cities in the U.S.) and this place was just O.K. The prices were a little steep for what you are getting. If I spend $20 on a meal I kind of expect to have a soup or salad included with it-- I had the kibbeh and I got 4 little kibbeh balls in a soup with a plate of white sticky rice. That was worth $20? And I have NEVER had white sticky rice at a lebanese restaurant. I'm really baffled by that. Usually it is long grain butter rice with almonds. The atmosphere was lacking-- we sat outside and I couldn't fathom why on an evening that was in the mid-80's they wouldn't have the ceiling fans on. It was a hot box!! All in all it was alright but I have had MUCH better, and I don't think I'll be going back. I'm confused by one of the reviewers who was trying to make her visit seem absolutely horrible. She claims she kept trying to get a wine menu from her server and they ignored her requests many times. That can't even be true-- the wine/beer menu is right on the back of the menu-- they don't have a separate one. Sounds like someone is making up stories. read more

Stopped in to take a break from Christmas shopping hoping for a seat at the bar, an appetizer, and a couple of drinks on a weekday late afternoon. They don't have seating at their bar so we grabbed one of their outdoor tables. We got the Black Cherry Barrel and the Tennessee Peach to drink as well as their hummus and falafel appetizers. The drinks were a little small for the price ($9.50 for maybe 8 oz) but they were absolutely delicious and packed a punch. The food was even better, so good that we definitely ate most of it before I even thought about taking a picture. Hummus was smooth and perfect. The falafel was a parsley falafel that was served with perfect tahini sauce, lettuce, tomato, pickled beets, and the best tasting pita type bread I've EVER had. Seriously looking forwards to coming back for a full meal. read more

This is a tough review as there is a fair amount of "not good" about this place, but the good is really really quite good. So the "not good" - I've found the service to be adequate to poor every time I've been. Typically there are long waits to order if you aren't ready when they feel like taking your order, trouble finding your server for drink refills, and sometimes a whole lot of glaring and eye rolling from the server. Also on the "not good" side, the ladies room seems to be perpetually out of toilet paper in at least one stall and half the time there is simply a jumbo roll of paper towels sitting on the counter rather than actually being placed in the dispenser. My family and I are big fans of the minute differences in Persian vs. Lebanese vs. Greek vs. Turkish cuisines so we try and order the items where Lebanese cuisine really shines. This is actually a wee bit difficult as I am slightly disappointed by the entrees at Cedars every time we visit. The appetizers are outstanding! And the pitas! It would almost be worth going for the little, piping hot, wood-oven puffed pita breads alone. They are amazing and we always eat an embarrassing number of them. For appetizers, we are fans of the hummus, which is well seasoned and smooth, and the baba ganouj is always mellow, with no bitter hints as eggplant spreads can sometimes have. I adore kibbeh (little balls of meat and cracked wheat stuffed with more meat and pine nuts) and theirs is excellently seasoned, though a little dry. On our most recent trip, we tried the Makanek, described as homemade sausages sautéed in lemon. Two members of our party really liked them but the third found the idea of cloves seasoning sausages to be really odd. I think there was a touch of sumac as well, which I found interesting. Sadly, after appetizers most of my meals here go right downhill. I usually get the mixed grill (one skewer each of the chicken kabob, lamb cube kabob and kafta kabob). The meats were well grilled, though the lamb was a little tough and the kafta a little dry. But the huge letdown is always the mixed veg. For totally unknown reasons, Cedars uses a frozen veg mix of carrots, cauliflower and broccoli which they jazz up a little with garlic. How do I know they are frozen? Because they were served to us ice cold on my last visit. The waitress seemed somewhat annoyed at us for complaining but had the kitchen prepare more, HOT, veg. Most grilled entrees are served with rice...which is rice. Not really seasoned but usually cooked well enough you don't pay much attention to it other than as a bed for the meat to nestle on. So, yeah. Never outstanding but we keep going back because the appetizers are really good and there aren't very many Lebanese places. Yet, I always feel a little cheated - that I've paid too much for too little that was really notable. Maybe one of these days we will start the meal here and then go next door to Seasons 52 for the rest. read more

This Lebanese restaurant had a mish-mashed confused decor' theme, but the food was pretty authentic. Appetizers of goat cheese, falafel and soft pita bread were awesome, although the lamb and beef sausages weren't that great. Main courses of stuffed chicken breast went down well with my boss, while my team mate enjoyed her salmon. I had the shawarma (sp?) which was decent, but the beef was a little dry. Food wise, I'd give this place 3-stars, but the service was so amazing that I have to up it a little. I asked the waiter for red sauce to put over the beef and he had one specially made - asked me to taste it on the spot to see if it was alright.. and it was delish. Made the dry pieces of beef that much saucier and yummy. Oh yeah, there was also a belly dancer.. so.. interesting place to come for pretty decent food...especially if you're a bunch of greasy 30-yo dudes with an inordinate amount of 1-dollar bills (weirrrdosss). read more

This is a nice little Lebanese restaurant in restaurant row. The prices aren't too bad compared to the other restaurants in the area and the wait staff was friendly. I kind of wish they would have had music or some other form of background noise because I felt like everyone could hear our conversation, haha! We tried the hummus, falafel, friend kibbeh, tabbouleh, cheese roles and the shawarma. Everything was very tasty. The falafel stood out for me! Very flavorful! And and tahini sauce they serve it with is delicious as well. Service was a bit rushed, which was odd cause most of the restaurant was empty, but we'll definitely be back! read more

I love Lebanese food, and in Orlando, this is as good as it gets. The service was good and the ambiance was nice. We decided to share a variety of apps and selected the grape leaves, the baba ghannouj, the kibbeh, the cheese rolls, the falafel, and the spinach pie. We either got lucky and picked the best items on the menu, or all of the options on this fairly extensive menu are equally well-made. I'd definitely make the trek to restaurant row again to sample other items from the menu. read more

Cedar's Restaurant - Middle Eastern Near Me - Orlando, Florida

Absolutely my favorite restaurant in Orlando, hands down. Wonderful service, AMAZING food, great atmosphere. The baba, fattouch, and falafel are must haves on every trip. I can't speak to the entrees because we usually do a tapas style appetizer feast. The fatayer and grape leaves are very delicious. My favorite is the shanklish -- what's not to love about cheese?! We have never had poor service or poor food here and we have been visiting for over ten years. Sit outside if the weather is nice and you don't mind people being able to smoke around you. read more

On a recommendation from my brother in law my daughter and I went for dinner. We were pleasantly surprised finding everything delicious and quite filling. We ordered hummus and tabbouleh to start, it came with outrageous fresh hot homemade Syrian bread. Yum! For our dinner we shared two meals, kibbeh and Shish kabobs both were delicious and plenty of extra food at the end. Must go back to try some more and you should too. read more

Cedar's Restaurant - Menu cover - Middle Eastern Near Me - Orlando, Florida

3.5 stars here. I'm really not sure why I can't bring myself to give it 4. The food is good and the service this time was phenomenal. Way better than the last visit I had. I'd go there again. It's just not a place I think of when I think of places I love or have to go back to for a craving. Chalk it up to personal opinion or perhaps even price. While the lunch menu is great, it's limiting. The other entree's start at 16 dollars or more. Our server was amazing though. He had suggestions that we took him up on, which were really good. He was attentive and very nice. read more

Wow! This was our first visit after almost 7 years and the first thing I thought of was ..."why"? The food and service were very very good. Our party had 4 people in it so we "qualified" for the Feast...a melange of appetizers and grilled meat. Can I just say that there was enough food there to feed about 10 people! The cost is $25 per person and the table gets about 7 appetizers - tabbouleh, hummus, kibbeh, falafel, meat pies, spinach pies, spicy cheese. That was all followed with a huge platter chicken, lamb cubes, and kafta. Not to mention there was also another platter of vegetables and rice to go with the mixed meat platter. I mean, really.....this was such a great deal and the food was excellent. If you are hungry, this is the menu item to order. A nice variety of food which makes for an interesting dinner. We will be back and this time it wont be 7 years later. read more

I ate here for the first time last night, and it was a lovely experience overall. Was it amazing? No...but that's why it's not getting the coveted 5 star review. However, it did not disappoint. We had a fairly large group of about 7 people, so we needed tables pushed together, which didn't seem to be an issue. I think the fact that we made a reservation helped - they were prepared for our group. What I liked very much was how accommodating the staff was. Most of us hadn't eaten here before and all seemed to want smallish portions of the same thing (the mixed kabob platter). We talked to our server about this and he had the kitchen make a giant platter of mixed kabobs (including the sides) for our table. They made more than enough for our group and seemed willing to make more if we needed. I was expecting all of this to end up costing way more than the listed menu price, but we ended up spending way less! My advice? Discuss your needs with your server because there is a good chance he/she can help you get the exact meal you're after. The food was quite yummy. Seriously, the lamb (if you like that kind of stuff - I know it's not exactly for everyone) was so freaking tender (yes, I know - the non-lamb eaters are totally grossed out right now. Um...sorry about that). The house salad is tossed in a lemon-olive oil dressing which was nice and light - not greasy or overwhelming. The side veggies were a bit disappointing as they were just the standard mix of carrots, broccoli, and cauliflower. They were fine but about as exciting as what I typically make at home. The entertainment got a bit annoying. Early into the evening, the staff turned the music way, way up. However loud you're picturing? Turn it up a notch or seven. I couldn't hear the person sitting next to me. Out came a talented young belly dancer. She was lovely as was her dancing. However, it went on forever. On one hand, I guess she gave each table a five minute or so personal dance. On the other hand, it lasted for freaking ever. Belly dancers at restaurants are entertaining for a brief time...then it's time to move on! Overall, this was a nice experience and I can see a return visit in the future. read more

I stumbled upon this place as an out-of-towner and the service was amazeballs! These guys were on top of everything, friendly, and fast. I had a baked kibbee and a side of hummus. The kibbee was just a little bit dry, but that may be just me being used to the local kibbee. There was also so much that I couldn't eat it... I probably downed between 1/2 and 2/3 and was satisfied. The yogurt salad that came with it tasted incredible; it had a perfect texture and the veggies in it were obviously fresh. I ordered a side of hummus as I'm used to that coming with my entree and, while I'm glad I did, it proved to be too much food. The hummus was more traditional instead of soupy like many places, but they provide olive oil if you prefer to adjust the consistency. Finally, the bread... oh my God... the bread. It's like a perfect puffy pita bread that is delivered warm to your table. I'm still having dreams about the bread. The restaurant was a little dark inside, but seriously, the service makes up for everything. read more

Cedar's restaurant is an amazing Middle Eastern restaurant. The food is nothing less than stellar. They have brilliant little changes in their food to typical Lebanese dishes that makes their food clearly better than most Lebanese restaurants. For instance, when I got a lamb kabob, it came with a red paste (hard to describe, a little spicy). And it was very lemony and tasted magnificent. Not only that, the service there is extremely friendly. I have been here 4 times now and on every occassion the server has been extremely nice, attentive, and caring. They treat you with respect and don't assume that you don't know what's up as far as Middle Eastern culture/food. They have very good rice as a side dish to their items and I haven't had anything that's bad there yet. This place is extremely popular and successful and can get pretty busy so it may behoove you to consider coming at close to or after 9 PM. read more

I tried Cadar's on a recent trip to Orlando for a family vacation. In the morass of chain-style, over the top, overpriced restaurants in this area of town, Cedar's Restaurant was a breath of fresh air. Unique food that was deliciously prepared with care. I had the appetizer of fava beans, garlic, lemon juice and olive oil. The name of this dish is "foul" which is unfortunate as it may scare off a lot of blockhead American patrons. But this dish was darn tasty. Think of it as a thick soup, served hot, with parsley and seasonings on top. The favas were mostly pureed but still left a bit chunky, and I liked the texture of that a lot. I also tasted the lentil soup which my companion ordered. It was delicious and had an earthy flavor that was rich with cumin. If I were to return, I would definitely order both of these dishes again. For my main course, I had the Farrouj Musahab, which is a deboned cornish hen marinated in (most likely) yogurt, lemon and other seasonings, then grilled. It was quite good. The marinade gave it a tangy flavor that was mouth watering and it was, as the menu stated "grilled to perfection". This dish was juicy and not spicy at all for those who try to avoid those things or who may want to feed this to a child. It came with a very tasty and fragrant rice as well as some steamed veggies (broccoli and carrots). This dish was a definite keeper and something I would definitely order again. My dining partner had a couple of other appetizers instead of a main course, which included: grape leaves stuffed with veggies and rice and the Laban Salad, which was kind of like a yogurt soup with cucumbers, mint and garlic. I did not try either of these but they looked very good and all plates were left clean. In spite of the fact that many/most of the dishes had garlic in them, they did not do what many uninspired restaurants do and load their dishes up with garlic to the point of them being overpowered by it. The use of garlic in these dishes was a lot more nuanced, as it should be IMO. This place is a breath of fresh air. I would definitely go back and I would definitely recommend it to others. The waitstaff was super friendly and warm. Please note: if you sit outside, you will be in the smoking section. People will be smoking hookah pipes and cigars. I did not see one cigarette. That was kind of cool too, but in the end, we moved inside because we didn't want people blowing smoke over our food as we ate. read more

Hard to find good food in Orlando.. but Cedar's... Don't be fooled by its strip mall location. The food was fresh, authentic and delicious. The fatoush (salad) and Cornish hen are musts. The lentil soup and vegetarian platter were excellent. The hummus was outstanding. the kabob and shawarma were pretty darn good but not as good as the other dishes. The service was friendly and patient. No one seemed to mind that the kids were making a mess. Each time we made a request of the gentleman serving us and said thank you to him, he replied "any time." Everything was nice enough.. but the food was outstanding read more

I went to Cedars for Lunch on a weekday with a work associate. We immediate noticed it was almost dark inside the restaurant, we actually weren't sure if they were open. We were greeted by a server who sat us at a table close to the bar. we looked at the menu and decided to go with the Fried Kibbeh and Falafel as appetizers.They brought out a basket of warm pita bread with our appetizers. The warm pita bread was delicious and so were the apps when they finally arrived. We both ordered the Shawarma and really enjoyed it. The beef was seasoned very nicely and the tahini sauce was especially good. The food was good, the service was a little underwhelming. The process to order took longer than most restaurants and then the server returned infrequently to the table. My associate wanted a refill on the pita bread but apparently it wasn't meant to be as we never received it. Drink refills were also very slow. Now, I understand being in the weeds but there was five tables occupied in the restaurant. Its a little on the pricey side and would not recommend if your going for lunch or have a time restriction. read more

While walking around Orlando we stopped to talk to a cop and asked his recommendation for dinner. He steered us here. (ummm, perhaps not the right terminology as he was in his car). Okay, okay. We made a reservation as it was Saturday night. When we arrived at 7:30 it was not too crowded and we had a choice of sitting inside, or on the outside patio. There was only one or two tables with Hookahs and it was noisy inside, so we sat on the patio. BIG MISTAKE!!!!!!!!!. As more people were seated on the patio, more hookahs came out. Ugh, not good. But to top it off, since it was a breezy night, the staff brought the wind shades down. It was a smoke filled chamber. By that time we were halfway through our meal. Our meal..... Chicken livers, spinach pie, and meat pie for apps. They were okay. The spinach pie is more like puffs. Nothing like the Greek variety. They were okay, I prefer mine with more feta. I ordered the Kibbeh Bi Laban based on reviews here on Yelp. That may have been my mistake. The lamb balls in yogurt were made of chopped lamb and reconstructed back. NOT what I expected. I ordered it because it was a lamb dish, it tasted more like lamb hamburger. My mistake. Our friends had the mixed grill, and it was a good size portion. You have to be able to eat a big meal for this dish. The belly dancer, sigh. I don't want to be negative as she was a lovely young woman. But as someone mentioned.... Um.. she needed to tone up her belly a little. It was cool to have a belly dancer to watch, but .... We had just been to Tu Tu Tango a few nights before and the belly dancer there was phenomenal. The wait staff was very helpful and friendly. We did not rushed. Perhaps because we were sitting outside in the smoking area? ONE MORE THING..................................all four of us slept horrible that night. We weren't sick or anything, we just COULD NOT SLEEP. One or two of us, chalk it up...........but all of us?? read more

My boyfriend and I made reservations for a late dinner on a weekend and upon our arrival we were seated immediately and throughout the entire night received AMAZING service! The food was very traditional and there wasn't anything on the menu that we didn't absolutely love. We loved the warm flatbread, tabbouleh and the baba ganoush with hot mint tea. The grape leaves and Bemi with rice were equally as fabulous and we had no room for a tantalizing selection of desserts. If you like authentic Lebanese..run don't walk to your next dinner at Cedar's Restaurant. read more

The last time I went to Cedars, I don't think Yelp had been invented. Had it been, I'd have given Cedars three stars -- things haven't changed much. What I most recall on the first visit were two things: that four of us dined there in the evening and we all had to use a flashlight to read the menu; and that our unanimous reaction was something like "Okay, we at least tried it." Service left a lot to be desired. After a brief period of time, my waiter asked me if I was ready to order. I replied that I was undecided between two appetizers. What I really wanted was some help in deciding. Instead, he walked away quickly after saying he'd give me more time. I didn't get a chance to say "But wait!" "Help me!". I decided to start with sauteed chicken livers and a glass of wine, with some puffy bread, and condiments of beet strips and olives. The chicken livers were good, and there was an ample amount of juice for dipping the bread into. My entree was Baked Kibbeh, "ground meat and cracked wheat, stuffed with meat, onions and pine nuts". That's how the menu described it -- meat stuffed with meat! It was a little bit like a quiche, but on the dry side. I chose the dish mainly because it was served with laban salad, consisting of yogurt, cucumbers and cilantro. It sounded better than it tasted. I had visions of Anatolia's cacik soup dancing on my taste buds, so the laban somewhat disappointed. My waiter passed by a couple of times and didn't ask how things were (eventually he did), nor did he seem to notice my wine glass was empty. I had to get his attention to ask for a second glass. On a positive note, the baklava was as good as it gets. However, again Cedars was a less-than-overwhelming dining experience. read more

Amazing food, taste real good, service is good, their bread is super tasty and always fresh, prices are a bit over average but it worth the taste... totally recommend it. read more

They ruined my valentines night with my sister! On Friday night around 6:00 pm. We arrived and decided to sit outside. We go out side, they sat us at the first outside table on the right.( cool) Soddenly I get A call I had to answer. I was busy on my phone and the waiter kept asking me what I wanted to order, (like if we were on a time race), knowing I was on the phone. I told him to give us a few minutes nicely, but he kept asking 3 or 4 times while I was talking in Spanish on the phone. He got extremely possessive and territorial and kept pushing me to talk to him. my sister was getting uncomfortable ( valentines Friday dinner). He kept coming back and asking the same question on a agitated way, like if there was a time frame to answer. The restaurant was empty inside and only 3 tables busy on the outside. He, then proceeded to send a lady to ask the same question. By then I had finished with my important call. We ordered soft drinks and a vegetarian plate. When they delivered the vegetarian plate my sister got exited because that was exactly what she mentioned the whole week, and I proceeded to try to mention the names of the items on the plate, like tabule, keepe, knowing I wasn't an expert in libaneses food. To my surprise, the obnoxious waiter started speaking on a demanding, loud voice saying: YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY WRONG! and proceeded to mention each name of the items, pointing with his finger at each item, once again, 1-2 feet in front of our face on a uncommonly, unusual loud voice. ( he made me feel extremely uncomfortable.) My sister is looking at me embarrassed. Then he said: IM GOING TO TEACH YOU THE NAME OF EACH ITEM AND BY THE END OF THE NIGHT YOU'LL HAF TO TiLL ME EACH NAME!... and left! On a loud voice( once again, he was only 1 to 2 feet in front of our face) At that moment I was going to complain and leave the restaurant, but decided to stay and take the crab from this inconsiderate waiter because MY SISTER had been asking me to go there the whole week and had great expectations for that moment, so I desired to stay and take the crab ( I can handle it) But It does not end there. After ruining the beginning of my dinner with his grandioso demeanor, he just leaves for a while. I had to ask another waiter for refills on the sodas and more bread because he just didn't come back to take care of the table (for a while). TO MY SURPRISE! I see him walking in the parking LOT with a fast pase, outside and pases right in front of Us!, on the walkway. He seemed agitated looking at me ( I was seating looking outside like, what the heck is wrong with this guy? Then.... He walks inside From the outside, withhout cleaning his hands and handles The main dish and ( once again) starts explaining me the names of the items in a kinder-garden-demeanor way. After he finished teaching us what's a lamb meat and a chicken meat Cabob, I asked him, out of curiosity. Are you ok? I just saw you coming from walking outside. His reply was... I have to take care of the out side as well. My thoughts were... is this guy doing security and a waiterat the same time? Wich I didn't believe it at all. My questions are: Was He having a bad day? Did he feel offended because I took longer on my important call? Did he get mad because I was talking on the phone? Maybe a little louder? Perhaps, speaking Spanish? Did he leave the table and goes outside to prove me he is in control? Is He doing security and waiter job at the same time? Did he get annoyed because I couldn't pronounce well the items on the plate? Did I have to go out of my way to ask for soda refills? Was it fare for my sister to go trough this confusing, embarrassing and bizarre moment the night we desired to go out after a whole week of work? ( VALENTINES DAY?) Can someone please explain???? After we finished the meal, my sister suggested to take care of the bill and I exited the restaurant ASAP because it was extremely confusing and bizarre, how this man was acting . I picked up the car and picked her up at the main entrance to, at least, give her the honor she deserves. But thank God! There's plenty of middle eastern restaurants in central Florida. I will save money again and ask her for an opportunity to treat her the way she deserves. My sister is a nice person. She works hard. She didn't deserve this weird time. I hope nobody has to go though this situation. read more

Stopped by here with some friends for a few cocktails, a bite to eat, and to enjoy time smoking a hookah. I drank mostly vodka, tonic, and lime. Good drinks. We nibbled on a mixed grill of chicken, lamb, and beef with fries. Tasty! Mint grape in the hookah was so nice and complimented the drink well. The staff was very helpful and friendly. They did all they can to make sure we were happy and comfortable. Im looking forward to my next visit. read more

Very delicious and clean food & friendly staff. I recommend it to anyone who like Lebanese food

On our last night in Orlando we decided to try this Lebanese food restaurant. When we arrived, there was only 1 table out of about 10 with customers inside... but the outside patio was almost full. So we decided to join the others outside. Everyone sitting in the heated outdoor patio were smoking. Smoking something that I know as "hookah". It smelled sweet but I didn't know if I wanted to try it. The menu was a little daunting since there were so many things to choose from and we had never had most of them before. But we chose a few things and these were our likes and dislikes. Dish#1: hummus with beef strips SPECTACULAR! The hummus was so smooth and the beef strips were marinated with something that made it extra tasty. Dish#1A: pita bread The pita bread is cool. It's puffy! Went very well with the hummus. Dish #2 meat pies These were only so-so. It was like a little meat patty stuffed into a doughy square of bread. It didn't tingle my taste buds. Dish #3 Meatballs in a yogurt sauce The yogurt sauce was kind of tangy and it's good for the first few minutes but then becomes a little overwhelming. The meatballs seemed like they were fried first and then drenched with the yogurt sauce. The meatballs had interesting contents, like pine nuts. It was served with rice and was okay. Dish #4 Combo kabobs This is a good dish to try all their kabobs (lamb, beef, and chicken). Lots of veggies on the plate but a little undercooked. We gave in and decided to try the "hookah" and also try Turkish coffee. The hookah smelled nice and had a nice light flavor. The curator of all the hookahs says it was sweet apple. With the bitter coffee, the taste of the smoke was even sweeter. It was fun playing with the smoke. But now I come to find out that the hookah is filled with tobacco, fruit pulp, and other herbs. Tobacco isn't good for you so no more of that for me. The service was okay. They tolerated our ignorance about the cuisine :) The hookah guy was especially attentive with refilling our hot coals and making sure everything was okay. I could go for that hummus again.. mmmhhmm... read more

We went here looking for Middle Eastern food and were not disappointed. The falafel, hummus, baba, and foul were as good as any that I have had to pay for. Not as good as Mom's except maybe the baba which was smokey and a little chunky yet smooth. The bab might be the best baba I've ever had. Bread was continuously being baked, much like the Lebanese Taverna in DC, and served warm and puffy. Even the beet-red pickles were enjoyable. The staff was very helpful and attentive. Our drinks and bread were constantly checked and filled as needed. The bartender/barista/breadmaking person even heated up milk for our baby. We focused on mezza, our one main course was the kabobs that tasted like kabobs. Nice, not thrilling, but nice. The rice was a bit out of place. Didn't taste bad, but unlike any I have been served in a Med restaurant. White and a bit sticky with no egg noodles. read more

Want to under line what a couple of the other reviewers said," don't be fooled by it's strip mall location", this place is authentic. You can't go wrong with a table of appetizers, I especially loved the yogurt with olive oil , the fatoush and the falalfal. read more

This is one of my favorite restaurants in Orlando and I always make a point to go here when I'm home. The menu offers a lot of options for every palate -- as a vegetarian, I know I can walk out of there completely stuffed from all the good eats. My parents and brother aren't veggie and they enjoy the lamb dishes and whatnot there. I think the food is really good here -- one of the better places to eat in Orlando. It's a family run restaurant, and on various occasions we've met the children of the owners as they help out. One of the owners will also read your Turkish coffee grounds (of course, that means you have to drink it.) I've partaken of the hookah there as well, making a delightful evening even more so. I will say they do get packed, but they also don't rush you out of the restaurant, which I appreciate. Service is so-so, depends on the night and how busy they are. Sitting outside is great -- even in summer they have ceiling fans and misters, making for a nice ambiance. In fact, I don't think I've ever eaten inside here. read more

Came here for Valentine's Day. I'm lebanese and I wanted to introduce my gf to the food. Our waiter Jean was so polite and hospitable. He did everything correct in fine dining (from the way he placed the protein facing customer to saying "my pleasure" after every request). We had the hummus and pita bread and falafel to start. Their hummus rivals my own. The bread is to die for. We both got chicken tawook. I wanted to keep things simple for my gf's first Lebanese meal. The chicken was superbly seasoned and grilled. I ordered some baklawa to go. It was buttery light fresh and delicious. For valentines they had rose petals on the tables and candle light and a rose was given to me at the end of our meal. Excellent. The waiter Jean looks like he might be related to my father lol but I didn't ask. My Aunt said family works at Cedars. I wonder if it's him. He has the Milham facial features. I definitely recommend ! read more

Cedar's Restaurant - Hummus. Falafel. Chicken tawook and Togo baklawa. - Middle Eastern Near Me - Orlando, Florida

Love this place. I come here every time I fly into Orlando, it's truly one of the best places to eat in the area. Food is great, service is even better. Best hummus I've ever had. read more

Great atmosphere to relax and smoke sheesha and sip Turkish coffee. Live music on the weekends. Can be loud on the weekends so not the best date place. Also...if you make a reservation on the weekend be careful - there is a fixed price menu for indoor seating so check before you dine. read more

Fantastic restaurant. Great patio and service. Make sure you try the sujouk and chicken cedars. Amazing. Full of flavor and very tender. Great place to get some small bites and share them with a group. Bread with the hummus is great too. Made in house (at least it appears). Hookah offerings are small unfortunately. Only a few flavors to choose from. However, the staff are that serve the hookah are extremely attentive and they use real coals instead of the charcoal ones with all the chemicals. Nice touch. Have been multiple times and will return again! read more

Me and a friend came here for the sole reason of ordering hookah. We arrived at around 5pm, and unfortunately, the person in charge of preparing the hookah did not yet arrive. We decided to order a few appetizers, and if the guy wasn't back by the time we finished eating, we would leave. The staff was incredibly nice an courteous. The falafel wasn't half bad (how can one go wrong with falafel?), though what my friend and I really enjoyed (hence the three stars) were their cheese rolls. I don't know the proper name of the dish, but it is essentially white cheese wrapped in spring roll wrapper and deep fried. Cheese lumpia, cheese spring roll, call it whatever you like, but it was divine (assuming you like cheese...and fried things). Alas, we downed the delicious nibbles, but the hookah man was nowhere to be found. We paid the bill (eleven bucks) and continued our search for the elusive hookah establishment. read more

Closer to 4.5, and far superior in flavor, quality, and service than 90pct of what we experienced in our week in Orlando. As a second generation Arab American, i can tell you that Cedar' s cold mezze ( starters) were as good as anything ive had in Beirut, Amman, Syria or the West Bank. The hummos, baba ghanoug, lebneh, and fattoush were authentic and impeccable. Did i mention their pita is made fresh to order in a brick oven behind the bar? Amazing. I could have eaten that as a meal. We passed on kabobs n entrees because its played out for us. We order 4 hot mezze as entrees. These were good, not great, and no match to the cold mezze. Fried Kibbeh was the best of 4. They all could have used a little more seasoning and the dough mezzes could have been browned a little more. Desserts of knafeh and baklva were authentic and solid. Warm, friendly, and fast service by Fuad. Is it pricey? Compared to most of the tourist trap trash served around town, not really. This is good food my friends. 8 appetizers. Tons of fresh bread. 2 desserts. 4 sodas. Tax. 18pct gratuity...$102 Odds of me returning on subsequent trip to Orlando= 100%. Eat here. read more

Best Lebanese food I've had outside of Beirut. Put me back to sitting in Jounieh or Tripoli by the sea eating FRESH. Loved hearing the Arabic from both wait staff and customers. We sat on the porch and although I didn't order shisha I could smell lovely drifts from people who had. Memory lane for me!! Clearly they take pride in their food and service. We shared the vegetarian platter, and also order Foul and mohamara sides which were delicious. Grateful for our waiter who also brought my husband the best margarita he's ever had (and he's Mexican so you know he's picky). We were just passing through and I so wish I could take Cedar's with me! Shukran!! I'll be back in shallah! read more

Went with my small service dog. Roco I believe in the open area insisted on a license or proof . I explained nicely that you can ask but no proof is required. He was in violation of the Disability act and should know that if he holds a food license . We left as it became uncomfortable. A lot of smoking of cigarettes read more

What do I know about Lebanese food. Probably as much as Obama knows about world affairs . The one thing I know to me that Mediterranean/middle eastern countries love the hell out of some lamb, stereotypical maybe. So I always order the most obvious choice . Don't bother with anything else on the menu L-A-M-B is the way to go. A Shish Kabob with a warm slice of pita bread is a as good as it gets. a bit pricey, ok service. lamb and you won't be disappointed. read more

The food was good terrible service the waiter John was not good at all and made the experience not even worth it didn't take my plate when I was done eating for 45 minutes and I had to ask him three times to bring out bread and never did definitely need better service good food though John was just a really bad waiter read more

This restaurant is a staple of Central FL. I took my friends here and the owner picked out the best wine for us and gave us a hug. We felt so welcomed and our bellies are full. We love Cedars. read more