We love to come here!!!! They take a little while, but only bc they cook from scratch…read more The chicken is always so good, the falafel, everything! We love Leyla's !!!

plate portion size was pretty large. the gyro was better than the chicken shawarma. the chicken was…read morea little dry for our taste. really enjoyed the hummus and baba ghanoush!! the area is nice - there are a couple more food trucks, a coffee shop, and an ice cream shop. they also have a section where they play movies! parking is in the back, but it's a bit bumpy since it's not paved

Really love this gem! Portion is large (especially the sides!). It feels warm and welcoming. The…read morespace has a rustic vibe--lots of wood, stones, and a big mural on the wall. Fresh pita & dips (free) - 5/5 As soon as we sat down the waiter brought out pita and a special dip that I never tried in other restaurants, and the pita was still warm like it had just come out of the oven. Soft, fluffy, and really fresh. I used it to dip into the sides we ordered later--the Baba Ghanouj and Hummus. The baba ghanouj had that roasted eggplant smokiness, while the hummus was thick, creamy, and very sesame-forward. Both were solid. Flatbread Trio ($15) - 5/5 This comes with three pieces but you can order a plate of three in the same kinds: meat, za'atar spice, and cheese. The za'atar one had that unique flavor--thyme, sumac, sesame seeds. The cheese flatbread came out hot and stretchy with three cheeses melted together. The meat one had minced beef and vegetables on a thin crust with slightly crispy edges. This one really impressed me. Lamb Kabob Platter ($19) - 4/5 Ground lamb mixed with onion and spices and grilled. The texture was fairly firm and the seasoning was pretty strong--you mostly taste the spices rather than the lamb itself. It comes with grilled tomato and onion, which adds a nice bit of sweetness and balances things out. It also comes with 2 sides--we chose baba ghanouj and hummus. The sides portion is really generous. Mixed Grill Combination ($23) - 4.5/5 It includes beef tenderloin, kafta skewers, and chicken shish tawook. The beef had a nice smoky grill flavor and was quite tender. The kafta had the strongest seasoning, and the chicken ended up being the lightest and juiciest of the three. It also comes with 2 sides--we chose baba ghanouj and salad. House dessert (pistachio pastry, $6) - 4/5 Looks pretty simple, but inside there's pistachio filling that gives it a really nice nutty sweetness. Not overly sugary, which I liked. I hope it could improve its appearance a bit. The food felt comforting and homey rather than fancy, and the portions were generous for the price.

Such a good find! I was in town with family trying to find a place for 11 of us to get something to…read moreeat and as soon as we walked in we knew we had found the spot. Staff were super welcoming and happy to quickly seat us. No waiting right away we had glasses of ice water and full baskets of their fresh warm pita while we made looked over their light up menus with helpful explanations from our server to help guide us. So many delicious things came out just as fast. Meats were all juicy and seasoned to perfection the chicken, steak, and kafta Delicious! Baba ghanoush and hummus to top all of it yummy! You can really taste all the work they put into making all their food great!

We've been here a couple times now, on a Sunday and Saturday for lunch and it has yet to…read moredisappoint. It's one of those places that's reliable and feels pretty consistent, knowing you're going to leave happy and full after eating here. The two times we've been there, theres always plenty of seating and are able to walk right in. It's a walk in and seat yourself experience and then you pay upon leaving. The staff keeps the dining area and buffet line consistently stocked and clean. They even provide hand sanitizer and gloves for you. Even when foot traffic picked up while we were there, the food was replenished quickly and didn't look picked over. Now let's talk food...Everything tastes fresh, well-seasoned, and like it was made with care instead of just being "buffet food" an under seasoned. The variety is also amazing, and it's easy to build a plate for pretty much any type of diet whether you're keto, high protein, balanced, veggie-forward, vegan, etc... Some of our favorite dishes we keep coming back for: Shredded beef (SO good), Baked fish (tender and not fishy), Garlic baked chicken (wonderful crispy skin), Fried chicken, Baked kafta, Kafta kebab, Gyro meat, Roasted cauliflower, Eggplant, Greek salad, Fatoush, Kale Caesar salad, Zaatar pizza, Cheese pizza (pro tip: top it with shredded beef- a life changing buffet hack), Rice with lentils, Rice with mixed veggies. For the quality, variety and amount of food you get, this is easily one of the best deals in the city! It's rare to find a buffet that's both affordable and consistently this good! If I had one small wish, it would be for desserts to match how strong the rest of the food is. They're not bad, just a little more "fine" compared to how amazing everything else is. I've seen another Dimassi's (I think in Cali) that had a frozen yogurt machine and I'd LOVE to see that here because it would be the perfect finish! Make a cup and then crumble up some baklava on it! Overall we've LOVED it here and we'll absolutely keep coming back! Great food, clean, consistent, and worth it every time!

In my family, we really like Demassi's. Not necessarily because everything there is amazing, but…read morebecause there is genuinely something to please everyone. Between me, my husband, and my mom, we have a lot of overlap in what we like to eat, but we also have some pretty distinct preferences, and Demassi's is one of those places where that works. My husband really loves Middle Eastern / Mediterranean food. I generally do not. I tend to find the meats too dry, I don't particularly like the spice profile, and I also find a lot of dishes in that category to be overly sour. It's hard to explain, but there's often a sharp, tangy acidity that I don't enjoy. For whatever reason, I don't have that issue at Demassi's at all. Here my husband can get his fix of dry, spiced meats, while I'm happy eating from the huge selection of rice dishes, cooked veggies, and soups. As far as protein goes, I actually really like the fish here, so I almost never eat the meat and still leave satisfied. It usually feels like a healthy pescatarian day for me, which I like. Then there's my mom, who just loves the abundance and variety of a buffet. She's happiest when she can sample a little bit of everything, build plates with lots of small bites, and then go back for more. Demassi's is perfect for that. On top of all of this, it's very reasonably priced, especially for lunch or on weeknights. It's always clean, the staff is consistently courteous, and they are really on top of bussing tables, which matters a lot to me at a buffet. Dirty dishes piling up are never an issue here. Overall, it's a solid, reliable spot for us and a place we're always happy to suggest when we're trying to please multiple people with different tastes.

Updating my review after giving Aba a second chance about nine months later…read more I'm honestly really glad I came back. This time we went in knowing exactly what we liked from our first visit and focused on sharing appetizers, which ended up being the move. We ordered several dishes for the table and left completely full and happy. The whipped feta is still a must-order and every bit as good as I remembered. The Greek village salad was fresh and delicious, and the hummus was also great. The biggest surprise for me was the falafel. As an Arab, I'm usually pretty skeptical when restaurants outside of Middle Eastern spots serve falafel because it rarely lives up to expectations. Aba absolutely nailed it. It was flavorful, perfectly cooked, and one of my favorite dishes of the meal. We sat outside this time, which made for a really nice atmosphere. The service was also a huge improvement from my first experience. Even though the restaurant was busy, our waitress was incredibly kind, attentive, and made us feel well taken care of throughout the meal. I'm happy to say my opinion has completely changed since my first visit. Giving Aba another chance was definitely worth it, and it has officially earned a spot on my Austin rotation whenever I'm in town.

4/5 Stars Overall,…read morewe had a great experience at Aba. The atmosphere is beautiful and makes for a great night out. The beef tenderloin kebab and steak frites were both excellent, and the whipped feta was easily our favorite dish--definitely a must-order. My only complaint is that some of the portions felt small for the price. The Greek Village Salad wasn't worth it in my opinion; for about $20, it was mostly large chunks of tomatoes, cucumber, onion, and feta. Parking on South Congress can also be a bit of a hassle. Overall, the food and ambiance were great. I'd come back, but I wouldn't be rushing to do so.

Rayan Lebanese Cuisine is parked just off East Riverside in a small lot with a cozy little seating…read morearea. It's shaded and decorated with wisteria garlands, and there's a TV playing a chill mix of old and new music--not too loud, just enough to set a good vibe. We ordered two dinner platters--one beef, one lamb--and they were stacked. Each came with rice, salad, baba ghanoush, and hummus. Everything tasted fresh and flavorful, and the portions were huge--I easily got a second meal out of mine. We also tried the moussaka and it was yummmaay! Lebanese food doesn't appear to be super common around Austin, so it's awesome to have a spot like this. I was really appreciative of how welcoming the staff were--they checked in with us and made us feel like we were guests in their home. Just really warm, genuine people. Great food, great people, and a chill spot to hang out for a bit

Rayan is a food truck with an enclosed eating area onsite (outdoor but enclosed)…read more The food reminds me of the meals I would have at an ex-boyfriend's house as his family is Syrian and the food and flavors are quite similar. The tabbouleh is my favorite. I dislike when too much lemon is used causing it to have a strong, bitter taste. All of the flavorings are perfectly balanced. The chicken kebab is perfectly marinated allowing the meat to remain tender and juicy without being dry or overcooked. Service is always super friendly and fast.

The food, everything, was very good. I had the Shish Tawook (chicken) with tabbouleh and hummus…read more The tabbouleh was fantastic! I don't know if it was authentic or not, but it was so good! The staff member that I dealt with was personable, pleasant, etc. Only one negative--I wish I could give the place a 4.5, but I don't think a 4 is fair--After I indicated that I was finished eating and ready for the bill (maybe I didn't communicate it so clearly?), it seemed to take quite a while before they came with the check. Otherwise, great food! (I did not try the hookah at all.) Oh, I forgot to mention: I was served a bottle of spring water rather than a bottle of "purified" water. That was fairly impressive.

I gave 4 stars to give them the benefit of the doubt, but my actual experience felt closer to 2…read morestars. The main problem was the noise. The acoustics were very bad. The hardwood ceiling and the glass window in front of me seemed to amplify sound from every direction. I was with a group of six men, and none of us could hear each other. As the noise increased, every table seemed to raise its volume just to communicate, and it became painful. The food had a BBQ flavor, which was different for Mexican food. Some people may like that, but it was not what I expected. It was 4 star food. I think sitting outside would probably be much better.

Best Shawarma I've had in a long time. Lebanese places always make them the best. I'll be back the…read morenext time I'm in town.

Me and my boyfriend got dinner here this weekend and are already very excited to come back. I was…read moresuper impressed by everything we tried! I got the shish tawook plate with baba ganouj and taboulleh. The chicken was incredible and their baba ganouj is great! We also got a side order of fries and hummus, both were great as well. My boyfriend got the chicken shawarma wrap and it was good but probably our least favorite item that we tried. I think it could've used more chicken and less fries. The employees were so nice and service was pretty fast. So excited to come back again soon!