I've been going to El Basha for over three decades. They have expanded to many locations now, but the Belmont Street location is still my favorite. The space had a huge upgrade over the years, but it's still a warm, family-run restaurant with great service and delicious food. The menu is extensive, but there are a few dishes I keep coming back to. The fassoulia is comforting and flavorful, the falafel is perfectly crisp on the outside and soft inside, and the chicken port saiid (sautéed with mushrooms in a bright garlic lemon sauce) is a standout. Everything tastes fresh and thoughtfully prepared; it has that homestyle touch you don't find elsewhere. Then there is the dessert... the pistachio baklava is truly something special. Knowing it's still made by the family's matriarch makes it even better, and you can taste the tradition in every bite. If you're looking for authentic, consistently great, Lebanese food with a personal touch, El Basha is a staple that never disappoints. read more

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Worcester Restaurant Week is wrapping up, so we headed to El Basha - Worcester, MA on Route 9. We began with hummus & lamb sambusik. He chose the $29.95 deal, featuring a Greek salad & beef port saiid, while I had a salad with kofta. The rice pudding dessert was delightful. Great food & service from Natalie! read more

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Absolutely the best around for consistency, service and excellent food. their fatouche is to die for, as is the shwarma dinners. I haven't found any better stuffed grape leaves anywhere. read more

Dependable food, vegetarian-friendly, attentive and helpful staff. Nice for either a casual lunch or a celebratory dinner. read more

We typically go to El Basha in Westboro - which we LOVE - and thought the Belmont Street would be the same. Not so. I ordered the Greek Salad - waitress brought a regular salad...told her the Greek Salad was ordered - she said no it wasn't. Everyone in the party said -- yes it was. Anyway, feta and olives were then brought to the table. Salad was good -- love the salad dressing but for 12.00 the salad was tiny! It didn't even fill up a sandwich plate! I wasn't finished 1/2 of my salad and she brought the dinners. Chicken was cold - I think it was precooked and left over. It was still tasty but nothing like Westboro. Would I go back. That is a HARD NO! Westboro Elbash it is!! read more

Attentive service, great ambience with lovely music , artistic flair to the interior space , and the food was absolutely delicious - tried the swordfish special and it was amazing ! read more

The restaurant is small, but clean, well-appointed, and surprisingly quiet given the location. The waitress was pleasant, but never refilled our water, even though there were few people dining on that Tuesday evening. The food was fresh and tasty. The most significant downside was the bar. After hearing "we're out of that" to his first three choices of beer, my brother resorted to asking what they DID have. Disappointing. I was delighted to see one of my favorite wines sold by the glass, but it was the shortest pour I've ever seen. Overall, it was a pleasant experience. read more

Stopped in for lunch and had quite a feast. After pita & hummus, falafel, and tomato/cucumber salad we ordered a sampler plate that came with grilled chicken, steak, kibbeh, rice, onion & grilled vegetables. Everything was fresh and delicious. Wish I lived closer, I'd surely be a regular! read more

El Basha Restaurant - Chicken, steak, kibbee, grilled vegetables, rice - Middle Eastern Near Me - Worcester, Massachusetts

We love everything about El Basha: the food, service, and the peaceful atmosphere allowed us to actually have conversations without struggling to hear one another. Definitely one of our go to places to celebrate life! read more

Decent ambience. Some of the items were really good like the grilled salmon with rice and veggies was exceptional. The chicken with salad was pathetic and chewy and cold, would never order that. The appetizers were also good, especially the Moushaka. The one thing that folks should be aware of is they add the gratuity on the bill even if it is for one / two people and they don't even mention that on the menu or anywhere else. I'm not against giving gratuity (understand if it's for a large group but not for a individuals or couples) but I want to decide how much I give and not be forced upon like this. One of the big reasons for a lower rating. Would I go again......Maybe not sure read more

Great food, great service, and great ambiance, I had chicken tenders and a moose chocolate cake. It was so good. You should try it out. Trust me. My parents had the most delicious middle eastern food ever. read more

This is my favorite El Basha location. Easy parking. The interior is comfortable and inviting. The owner is friendly, helpful and welcoming. The food is consistently fresh & delicious - as is the case at all if the El Basha locations. We always leave with a full box of leftovers. They never last more than 24 hours in our fridge. We like to come for lunch and share a few things. You can never go wrong with the housemade hummus and/or babaganouj with warm pita to start. The pita is light and the dips so flavorful and creamy.... My husband loves their stuffed grape leaves. We both enjoy the mixed grill (chicken, kafta and beef kabobs over rice pilaf with grilled veggies) and the house salad. What is in that dressing? Lemon, olive oil, salt, pepper, and something else delicious that I can't put my finger on.... We are big El Basha fans in general and this one is the best! read more

Our first visit and it was my birthday to boot. My wife and I both love Middle Eastern cuisine and looked forward to finally visiting. We arrived shortly after the restaurant opened on a Thursday. We were the first customers. Decided to eat at the bar. First one waitress then another helped out the first with our drink order. Okay, bartender was running late. Okay second waitress was pleasant and helpful with our questions and her suggestions. She wished me a happy birthday. Ordered baba ganoush which was delicious. The felafel plate was pretty to look at but disappointing.2 felafel cut in half. Really? My wife had the baked kebbee plate that came with rice pilaf. Menu said grilled veggies but none were served. I had the raw kebbee plate that arrived with one and a half raw onions. WHAT??? Drinks were pricey. Will we return? Maybe. What a let down. This place should shine! read more

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If you are middle-eastern and expecting authentic quality/quantity and rice. Go to Jersey To the resturant. Please add food pictures in menu or enough ones online. read more

Haven't been for years and the quality has plummeted. To start dirty glasses served with water in them. I could see 2 lipstick marks on my glass. Sent back. Next fattoush was terrible because sprinkled on dried mint was used, no lemon taste, no feta cheese and diced green peppers don't belong in that dish. Sent back. Got beef kabobs they were cold and rice was dry. Lastly tried baklava which was dry no syrup or nuts. We had a Visa gift card that the restaurant could not apply the full amount for some reason. I had called concerning this before we went and woman said they would work it out if there was a problem. I will not return. read more

We ordered lunch for 25 people (chicken shawarma, vegetarian Port Saiid w/rice, fattoush salad). It was delivered on time, fresh and very tasty. I'm still hearing from happy meeting attendees about how delicious the food was! I hope to get back soon to try some other dishes. read more

We were in the mood for some Mediterranean food So, we decided on El Basha on Belmont Street. We've been there before but this time although the service was great but I was disappointed with my selection. I ordered chicken Kabob, which was cold as ice. I'm not sure how they prepare it, but the food shouldn't be cold. read more

El Basha Restaurant - Chicken Kabob - Middle Eastern Near Me - Worcester, Massachusetts

I've been to El Basha a few times and have only had the best of experiences. The food is incredible, the staff are attentive and the owners are welcoming. They set the bar for how a family run restaurant should operate. In the past I have gotten their baba ganoush (fun to say and so delicious), hummus (so much better than the commercially produced stuff), stuffed grape leaves, Kibbeh, and chicken port saiid. All I can say is, whenever it's been a while since I've gotten their food, I start to dream about it. Don't even get me started on the steak I had most recently...unreal. Do yourself a favor and give this place a try...you won't be disappointed. read more

El Basha Restaurant - Bone in Rib-eye with mushrooms and peppers (this piece was butterflied and cut off the bone after being cooked). - Middle Eastern Near Me - Worcester, Massachusetts

Visiting from out of town, I just wanted a quick bite to eat that was local, healthy, halal, and could be delivered. Because I had heard so many great things about this place, I didn't pay attention to the star rating. I'm glad I went with my gut and ordered from here because the food was delicious. I ended up going with salmon. One bite of it and I decided to write this review. It was grilled to perfection. Moist, deliciously marinated and really fresh. The marinated artichokes and even the salad had the perfect mix of olive oil, lemon and herbs. This all sounds simple, but you really have to taste it to appreciate what I'm talking about. Very grateful for this meal. read more

Had a fabulous lunch yesterday.. we started with hommos, babba ghannoush, fattush, grape leaves, andArabic bread. Everything was absolutely delicious. For our main course we had lamb kebabs accompanied with roasted vegetables and rice. The lamb was tender, juicy, and perfectly cooked to a medium rare. For dessert we had baklawa and coffee. My only complaint was that the coffee wasn't hot. The server remedied that for me. All in all it was an excellent meal. read more

A fantastic family owned and operated restaurant. Food is AMAZING super clean place and where do I begin about the bartender :) pure entertainment and BEST SERVICE. read more

Atmosphere, service, and food are all top notch! Staff is amazing and I look forward to my next visit.

Haven't been there for years. Boy has the food gone down hill. Couldn't eat most of the food. Only thing going for it is a full bar. With so many middle eastern restaurants in the area, pass this one by. read more

Love the food here. Parking is limited (in the back) but it's worth the effort. Atmosphere is nice and 1st date worthy (glass chandeliers- pretty decor). The Babaganoush is amazing. Get the large! I ordered the kabob on my last two visits. Not a lot of food- 5 pieces of meat? Maybe 7oz of steak for $25? But cooked to perfection and absolutely delicious. It's not cheap, but always great. My one pet peeve? The bill doesn't match the menu. Harpoon beer. $5. Bill? $6 Babaganoush. $12. Bill? $14 Steak Kabobs. $25. Bill? $21. They'll fix it if you call them on it, but it's still frustrating. All in all, I'd recommend this place highly. The food and service are just awesome enough to offset any complaints! read more

My family loves this place. So authentic, so delicious. We usually each get some kind of kabob and their portion sizes are very generous, so we usually have leftovers to take home. My dad and I have taken to ordering the Azeeme lately, which is the best bang for your buck if you're into a kind of mixed grill meal and you'd like to do apps. The owner, Eli, is also so personable and makes everyone feel so welcome. read more

Eh. That's the best way to describe my experience here. The location can be tricky to find as it's in the back of a building on Belmont Street across from Sneeakerama. I love Middle Eastern food and was excited to check this place out as its so close to where I live. The bar area is nice. The bartender/server was eh. Not overly friendly by any means and didn't seem to know the menu at all even though it appeared she has worked there for a while. I was curious about wines and she didn't seem to know much about that either. I was hoping for a pour before committing to what she recommended but that didn't happen. The Hummus was ok. It comes with cold Pita Bread, which turned me off, as I'm used to it being served with warm Pita Bread. The Makanek (Sausage) wasn't very good. It's small sausage links that seem to be of the cheap variety in some weird Fall season tasting Fattoush. It was really odd. The links are very small and what it was served in just wasn't for me. The Fattoush also wasn't for me. Huge Pita Chips on top and it just didn't appeal to me at all. It's a Mezzeh restaurant but the portions are big. For one person, two Mezzeh is more than enough. They have Kibbeh Nayeh on the menu for dinner (can also get for lunch) but the pics don't look appealing. I was told it was $25. I almost felt like I was being treated like a peasant for being reminded of the price of something that I can easily afford. Also, I was thinking about getting a second glass of wine but was given the bill without even being asked. Big time one and done for me. I may have been spoiled living in DC for so long as this experience was in a different realm of what I'm used to. read more

Had this on UberEats twice now when in town for business and it's been incredible both times. Got the lamb lollipops along w a side of hummus, both super fresh. The lamb lollipops come w a great selection of grilled vegetables. read more

Food was authentic and delicious. We plan to eat and have a drink inside the restaurant next time!

I have been a patron of this restaurant for many years! It's a great staple to the Worcester restaurant scene. The staff and owners are phenomenal people and I look forward to many more years of going there! read more

UPDATE: I stayed away for a while and recently returned. I had pretty good experiences twice, and my faith was renewed. Then, yesterday, I ordered takeout. The food was bland, but what concerned me most was the pita bread. The attached photo is what they gave me inside my take-out bag. I have never in my life been given a store-bought item in its original packaging when ordering takeout from a restaurant. How unprofessional, Plus now I know they use pita from an unauthentic local generic bread company. Nah, I'm out. ORIGINAL REVIEW: I've gotten take-out twice. Both times I was satisfied. It just didn't blow me away. First time, I got a chicken schwarma wrap and a small hummus. The schwarma was kind of disappointing, as the flavor was blander than I had expected. I may not know much, but I know schwarma. It was fine, but it tasted like a run-of-the-mill chicken wrap. Wife and I both thought the hummus was better than fine but not quite spectacular. The second time I got the kibbeh, which was also bland but fine. I guess the issue is that I was expecting more flavor from the spices. The interior, from what I've seen, is modern and comfortable. If I had someone to eat here with, I'd gladly eat in. I'll keep getting food here for sure, but I'll try different stuff because I'm still waiting for something to blow me away. read more

El Basha Restaurant - Pita - Middle Eastern Near Me - Worcester, Massachusetts

Always love the food and the staff here. I highly recommend healthy tasty and friendly inviting wait staff.

Amazing service! Staff was very friendly and attentive.Food was great and the restaurant was very clean we will be returning. Great place to bring family and friends read more

Recently ate here 11/3/23, the food was just ok! Although the hummus and el salad was very good! We were a party of 4 and our main concern was our waitress. She was a very miserable looking person who exhibited no personality what so ever! She never introduced herself first of all so we never knew her name. We were still eating and she brought us our to go boxes and we kind of just looked at each other like seriously! Right after that she brought us the check!! At this point I said to her, " 2 of us would like some coffee and we didn't ask you for the check yet!" She grabbed it back asked who wanted coffee and walked away! Brought the coffees walked away again. After a time she walked back and then asked does anyone want dessert? I said please bring the check!! You're out having dinner and where have you ever been that your waitress doesn't ask if anyone would like coffee and dessert!! Go to El Basha, that's where! She wasn't a very pleasant or attentive waitress! She absolutely didn't deserve the tip we left. I personally will never go back! read more

Great food! I love the chopped salad! Great service! Lovely ambiance! I have never been disappointed!

I am full. The food was delicious. I had a beer with dinner. My waitress was entertaining. And I spent $24, including 20% grat. I could get into detail, but, really. Do you need it? No. Just go. Yum. read more

Dined on a Saturday evening with reservations after a show at the DCU. A sibling had recommended this restaurant as she has been here before and joined us for our (friend and hubby) first experience. Surprisingly they were fairly quiet between 6 and 7 p but then picked up a bit a little after 7 but never full. The staff is very friendly and we were offered drinks immediately to which we opted for water. We ordered 3 appetizers (hummus, tabbouli and the yogurt with cucumbers) as we waited for 2 others to arrive. The hummus and pita were served first in a fairly short amount of time followed by the tabbouli and yogurt. Both the hummus and tabbouli were very good, the yogurt very watery and nothing to rave about. The pita was not warmed which is how we prefer it and is done in some of the other Mediterranean restaurants near us. When the other 2 in our party arrived, our server came over to take their drink orders and our dinner orders shortly after. It took about 10-15 minutes for our entrees to arrive: a Kafta dinner for the hubby which he enjoyed, the combination platter (Kibbee and stuffed grape leaves) for my sister) which she has had before and enjoyed, the shrimp platter for my BIL and his shrimp looked delicious (between 6-8 fairly large grilled shrimp). For me and my friend we usually order two different selections and share - the mixed grill (grilled chicken kabob, beef kabob and kafta both requested medium rare) and the mixed seafood (grilled salmon, swordfish and shrimp). The chicken and beef kabob's were not every tender and the chicken was a bit overcooked. The Kafta was excellent. The salmon was raw in the middle so we ate around it leaving some of the middle to take home to the dog. The swordfish was a very small piece ...like an end piece vs. the middle of a steak. Three shrimp were cooked perfectly. Most platters were served with about a cup of rice and grilled veggies (large pieces of onion, zucchini/summer squash and green peppers). The sides would have been excellent if they were piping hot, instead, they were just luke-warm. Overall, an "ok" dinner and I've had better. $168 including tip for 5 people, water for drinks and 2 ice teas. Glad we tried it but probably would choose another restaurant if we're in this neck of the woods again. read more

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I've been to El-Basha about 3 times in the past 3 years and while I've never felt the food was better than mediocre (not entirely fresh), some of the items are unique and, honestly, there aren't many formal restaurants in the area where you can sit down for a mazza plate. Tonight the service (and the MANAGER, especially!) left too much to be desired - including the rather disappointing moussaka. For the foodies out there, the hummus and baba ganoush was good, while the grape leaves (beef, not vegetarian) were blah. The trouble started when the waitress came to our table. I wanted the hummus/baba ganoush cold plate - which they had EITHER available for $14 (very expensive for this dish) and I kindly asked if I could have half hummus, half baba ganoush on the same plate. She said yes, they do offer "half-n-half" but it's not on the menu. She then said that the mazza plate comes with 4 items (from either the cold or the hot section). I saw that each of these items could be ordered ala carte (between $6-$8 ea) but the specific mazza plate she pointed towards included 4 - for the price of $26. Pricey, but if you consider that this is a semi-formal (not totally casual) restaurant, in the ballpark - IF the food is exceptional and IF the service is stellar - both of these NOT. Then I asked the waitress if they had American Coffee. She looked at me very confused - and so I asked if they had "regular coffee." Being that this is supposed to be an authentic Middle Eastern restaurant - one should hope that either they have Arabic Coffee or Turkish Coffee or something unique as standard in the restaurant - and so asking if they have American Coffee is par for the course. THAT was a sure sign something was to be amiss with our order, but we didn't leave as we were already seated, felt pretty committed, and hungry. Half-way through tasting our disappointing menu, I told my table that I was highly suspicious we were about to be overcharged - based on my interaction with the waitress who didn't even know what American Coffee was. Sure enough - the bill came, and I was charge for both the hummus - baba ganoush "half-n-half" $10 (less than the $14 hummus only or baba ganoush only plate) - PLUS $26 for the mazza plate with 4 items. I went up the front where I was very kind in approaching, trying my best manners in owning up to whatever my part of the confusion (lack of knowledge in their menu, perhaps) could have amounted to the misunderstanding and this bill - when the Manager jumped out from beside the bar and started waving his arms around and talking down to me quite rudely: "This is 5 items, including the 4 item Mazza Plate" so I can hardly take off the "half-n-half" for you - the best I can do is give you a 10% discount!" As IF - I am there to bargain or get a freebie on my dinner!!! I HONESTY had gone back and forth with the waitress several times about the half-n-half and was totally led to believe the 4 item mazza plate WAS half-n-half with these 4 items INCLUDED (for $26, you would expect so right?)... I was aghast at his rudeness - and had he kindly removed this item from our bill, would not be writing this review (however, I would NOT be back - for the lackluster food quality and overly high prices). Honestly - this was such a huge disappointment. And while we haven't been there often, I have been to MANY Middle Eastern restaurants (and even traveled to more than a few cities - and even countries - where this cuisine is served) so I am feeling sad mostly because certainly whomever the Owner is doesn't realize that the Staff are ruining the business. And reputation and word-of-mouth matters. My recommendation if the Owner reads this? Fire that dreadful Manager ASAP! And do more to train your Staff on the menu - and, perhaps, start with fresher ingredients. Your food savvy customers know the difference. Disappointed in Worcester, read more

Allergy friendly and delicious! I love the stuffed grape leaves. The manages is very nice and they're allergy friendly. If you like Mediterranean food I truly recommend this place! read more

Overall, a pretty expensive place. But it's definitely one of the higher quality Mediterranean restaurants in worcester. The steak And chicken kebob meat is soft and juicy which speaks to the expertise in cooking. The $25 "prix fixe" style meal is humongous and delicious (min 2 orders). We were full after just the apps and had full lunches the next day. Not sure I'd ever order the mezes/apps on their own. Portions walking by us / those we ordered on our first trip here during restaurant week (winter 2018) didn't seem to match up to the prices on the menu, but maybe they do. For now, I'm happy just ordering the meal all together. Only thing that ironically needs improvement is the chewy pita..... read more

Horrible horrible terrible went to Sudbury el bash's not bad much better than Worcester and the manager owner didn't have an aditude like Worcester don't go peopje yes I ate the soup I was starving but ask him what I did with the rest I asked him for salad dressing no salad lump of rice tine v shaped no taste kibble put it in a box left went home trashed it what ever happened to park ave el bash's the best theater owner has a rotten attitude don't go people all you get is a lump of dried tastes rice and a kibble tasteless he says 12 spices my mother said salt and pepper that was all abd she is a great Lebanese cook tge end done with that jerk and his establishment read more