Surprising discovery on our roadtrip, this hidden gem has delicious food and great service!

I wanted to absolutely love this place since it's a favorite of a dear friend. The best part of our meal was the cold sampler: a variety of dips with warm pita, falafel and dolmas. I could have (should have?) made a meal of that, but I saw the Moroccan stew on the menu and was very excited to try it. Full disclosure...I used to make a mean Moroccan stew myself so I was expecting it to taste similar to the recipe that I followed....but I found their version to be rather bland, unfortunately. I would go back sometime and try something different...or maybe just get that sampler platter again. read more

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This is a hidden gem in the Capital Region!!! The name is misleading as one would think Italian but it is Mediterranean. The owner is from Egypt and prepares some of the most amazing dishes. My husband love the Apricot Stew (not the correct name for this dish but it's stew and there are apricots) - I love their Eggplant Rolitini- Such a simple dish but the homemade sauce over it makes me want more pita bread to sop up what is left on the plate - eggplant is tender and cooked to perfection. Dolmas are fresh and have the perfect amount of mint! The restaurant is very spacious- Can accommodate a large group or a quiet table for two! If your looking for incredible home cooked authentic food Garlic Lovers Corner is your place read more

Met cousins here for lunch. She had the lamb kebab, which is apparently her favorite thing on the menu and she's had it before. Another cuz had the bedouin chicken on pita, w feta and hummus; I had the same. My husband had the falafel on pita. That was 3 falafel balls over a bit of greens on a flat pita rather than a sandwich. You have a choice of side, either a salad or fries. 2 of us had the salad, nice portion of basically mesclun, with a cucumber dressing which you can have on the salad or on the side. Two of us had the caloric splurge, lol, and those were some really crispy fries! Three of us had driven up from NJ to see the gal we met at the restaurant. If I'm in this neck of the woods again, I'd come back. If you're upstate, near Albany, give it a try! read more

You have to get the Hummus platter it's a must so creamy and fresh and enough for two or even three to start . We had the gyro's with French fries for lunch and the portion was large the meat was so tender & the fries were so tasty and seasoned perfectly , the gyro portion was so large I had to take it home . I have always loved it here . It's not crowed and the owner is so sweet and personable. The atmosphere is relaxing with soft music playing . Try it ! read more

Great food, I had it delivered over the weekend and everything was hot and delicious.

I have been to Garlic Lovers numerous times over the years and have always had a satisfying experience. Wonderful, tasty, well-presented meals, delicious desserts, great service in a comfortable atmosphere. Reasonably priced. Highly recommend. read more

Tried this place for the 1st time for dinner. The restaurant was not even a quarter full at 6pm. Ordered a glass of Malbec and it tasted like pure vinegar so we sent it back. My partner ordered steak kabobs and the meat was tough and I ordered the chicken kabobs and it tasted like the chicken was not fully cooked. We both enjoyed the hummus and falafel, but that's about it. Servers were pleasant also, but after a night of upset stomachs will not be back. read more

Great place tucked in the corner of the building. Food and service are always wonderful. Very authentic and there is something for everyone. Enjoy! read more

The food is great. I recommend trying the crabcakes or the calamari. For appetizers. The chicken Dijon is highly recommended . dinners are prepared to order. Don't be in a rush. Sit back and relax. read more

It's one of our favorite places to eat!! Food that you don't get anywhere else around here. I love the chicken kebobs and my husband gets something different each time and loves it all!! The atmosphere is cozy and the staff is very attentive. I'd recommend it highly to anyone!! read more

Delicious -- seriously delicious -- Mediterranean food prepared with care and attention and genuine hospitality in a casual, pleasant interior. Casual restaurant setting clean though a bit cavernous at lunch hours I want to shout to the masses eating at 1-2 star fast food places dotting route 4: Drive a couple miles north to Defreestville and eat well! I appreciate places that pay careful attention to food, even if casual. Also ordering from the owner meant I could ask to have a salad instead of fries. Of course, here are your choices of dressing including cucumber mint (!) My new ratings scale 1-5: From Scratch 4 Seasonal 1 Healthy options 3 Sophistication / flavor excitement 4 Hospitality 5 Deliciousness 4 read more

Garlic Lovers Corner makes great tasting food. I was a bit disappointed that the online menu didn't accurately reflect the prices (for take out), August 2020, but overall I was satisfied with great tasting food and plentiful portions on the entrees. Definitely order the Mediterranean appetizer - but also get extra pita! The Seafood diablo was delicious and filling and this place makes great go read more

Garlic Lovers Corner - Seafood Diablo - Greek Near Me - North Greenbush, New York

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I don't know how Garlic Lovers slipped off our radar for years, but my wife and I returned for dinner this evening and enjoyed it immensely. The owner was gracious & welcoming, service was excellent, and the food was amazing. The dolmas are the best I've had, and our entrees were beautifully prepared - generous portions full of great flavors and textures. We just left and are already looking forward to going back, read more

I was gifted a gift certificate here and the restaurant is always empty when we've ordered takeout. That being said, the food is decent! And the owner and waitstaff are friendly. We will continue to order when our gift certificate runs out! read more

One of the top meals of my life! I used to LOVE this place and had lunch there often. Then came Covid (which means "mess up your life" in Latin) which forced me to stop for over 2 years. I dined there last Tuesday June 28 with my wife and son. The place was really empty (only one other couple was there) and the owner took great care of us. I am a big fan of a good red wine and was concerned that if business was really slow, any wine sold by the glass might be a little corked. So I asked the owner for the freshest Cab or Merlot he had opened most recently, explaining my concern. He opened a new bottle of J Lohr just for me (it was great - I had 2 glasses). We shared a Med Plate for an app and it was as spectacular as I remember. The pita tasted fresh out of the oven (or off the grill or however the heck you make pita - I don't know) and the hummus, baba ghanoush, and tzatziki were fabulous. The falafel was the best I have ever had (it always is) and I have had falafel in Tel Aviv several times. So yeah... don't go to Israel for falafel, go to North Greenbush! My wife had the garlic shrimp florentine and my son had the moroccan chicken stew. Both were fabulous. I asked them to make a gyro pita for me (from the lunch menu, not available on the dinner menu), which they did. The meat was delectable, veggies were fresh, and it had a healthy smattering of that same to-die-for tzatziki. We tried all three of their desserts and argued about whose was best. The chocolate bomba won for best presentation (thus the photo). And both my wife and son took home leftover portions from their dinners which made a delicious lunch the next day. Service was at the right pace, always attentive, and always accurate. The bill was reasonable (in post Covid and Putin inflation scale). Everything was really perfect. We couldn't think of any way to improve it, even in a minor way. REALLY PERFECT. Hopefully they can find staff to open for lunch again soon. read more

Garlic Lovers Corner - Chocolate Bomba - Greek Near Me - North Greenbush, New York

Amazing food! One of my favorite restaurants. I've never had a bad meal here. Everything is super fresh and the food always comes out quick. They give warm pita bread and a salad with your meal. They pita bread is seasoned really well and they have numerous homemade salad dressings. read more

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I've been here a few times over the years but it's been a while. I came tonight with my mom and we were blown away. We shared the Mediterranean plate appetizer and the vegetable curry for dinner. The falafel was perfect. Nicely seasoned and crispy. The vegetable curry was delicious. Not too spicy, just right. Even the house made cucumber salad was so good. We were shocked there weren't more people dining. Also the waitress was great. Attentive and pleasant, never too much. read more

Our favorite place in town! Nabil really has a treasure- the food is sooo good. Mediterranean platter is a must have, dolmas, falafel, olives, babaganoush, !!! We get the pasta or steak or awesome vegetarian options. A good wine selection... read more

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How do you know a good restaurant? A, Its in a shady strip mall B. It sits within 20 feet of a tattoo parlor C. It's a BYOB and there is a liquor store across the street D. It's not another pizza place claiming to have the best pizza in NY Normally it would be C, hands down. But in the case of Garlic Lovers, I may have to go with....all of the above. I pre-read the yelp reviews and my expectations were pretty high. I went with two coworkers and we stopped and picked up a nice bottle of wine. We started with the Mediterranean platter which had hummus, baba ganoush, taziki, olives, grape leaves and falafel. It was certainly plenty for three people. The pita's that accompanied were fresh and warm. For entrees we got the: Chicken Kabob - nicely seasoned but paled in comparison to the other amazing dishes Lamb Stew - Out of this world. Amazing flavor, the lamb was falling apart it was cooked so perfectly and was in a flavorful tomato based sauce with orzo. Mmmmm..... Shrimp Remoulade - Shrimp were cooked nicely and the sauce was very tasty and hit you with a nice kick. It was flavorful spicy not hot spicy if you know what I mean. Each entree comes with a salad and I have to agree with another reviewer that it was fresh mixed greens versus other places that give you this limp attempt at a salad. It came with a cucumber vinaigrette. Odd but OK. We opted against dessert because we stuffed ourselves on entrees but would return in a heartbeat. Tattoo parlor and all. read more

Garlic Lovers Corner - Outside of the Restaurant - Greek Near Me - North Greenbush, New York

One of the best restaurants in the area! Excellent food and service with a relaxing and inviting atmosphere. Love all of their food so would be hard to describe all of the delicious items that I have had here! A great place to entertain friends and family! One of our family favorites for New Years Eve! read more

Absolutely delicious! We started with the Mediterranean plate which was so fresh and flavorful! Next we had the toscana chicken and the eggplant roulade! All very good and filling! Will go again! read more

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Tucked away in a strip plaza, garlic lovers is a hidden gem. The service is always great and the food is... well... filled with garlic. You HAVE to order a hummus for the table. The toast the pita bread perfectly. The hummus is the best I've ever had. The chicken kabob was delicious! The veggies are cooked in olive oil and garlic. You just can't go wrong. I've been here twice and I can't wait to go back! read more

Garlic Lovers Corner - Chicken kabob with no rice - Greek Near Me - North Greenbush, New York

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Dinner was excellent. Our first time visiting Garlic Lovers Corner. Servings are very generous and super tasty. We usually try to pick items we wouldn't make at home. We tried the tzatziki and hummus as apps. The house salad that come with the entrees was big. I ordered kabobs and my husband ordered the chorizo Alfredo. The servings were plentiful, enough for another meal. Prices were very reasonable I can say for sure we'll go back! read more

This place is utter garbage and they have airheads working the front. First impressions mean alot and I was turned off by the fact that they were out of ALL burgers!! at 5ppm!!! WTF?!?!?!? you know that something MIGHT be in demand, you should be sure to have it in stock. So I had to order a entree of something that was twice the price of any burger. ALSO, they charged me for a hibiscus tea they didnt include in my order!!! so basically they robbed us. We had to call back and make sure they take it off the bill. The girl who answered the phone was absolutely insufferable! she was talking like an airhead. She also had the nerve to tell us to come back to get the tea they EXCLUDED from the order. UMMMMM, will you be paying for my gas??? how dare you think its ok to tell someone to drive all the way back for a screw up that you caused. Put that $4.99 back into my account. This place is ridiculous. Now, Let's get to the actual food: It tastes like hospital food. Bland, tasteless,flavorless. It was absolutely disgusting. I can't believe for a second the chef is Egyptian. Can't and refuse to believe that. Maybe from the town of Cairo, NY but not anywhere near the middle east or north Africa. The food was beyond bland. It tasted like if you grilled chicken without any flavor! I felt like I was tasting raw meat.The vegetables had a weird taste to them, not fresh at all. They were soggy and mushy. The vegetables do not even have the natural flavor of vegetables! This place doesn't live up to its name..Garlic where? The bread was parchment paper dry and bland.It tasted like you put pita bread outside in humidity for 3 days and then left it for another 3 days. It didnt even taste like bread,it tasted and smelled like stale cookies. The only thing that was semi decent was the rice. I will also say the hummus was ok, and that's not saying much. I am only saying this because its the only thing that has any type of taste to it. You can taste the garlic in the hummus..that's about it. I dunno if these people are in anyway related to the "hidden cafe"in Delmar that recently closed. If they are, this is a SHAME!! The Hidden Cafe was a gem!!! These 2 places are nothing alike! one had great food, the other tastes like hospital leftovers. What threw me off was they both have the same menu!!! which made me beleive that they must be related in some kind of way. I was DEAD wrong! Never again. Even though we wasted over $100 in take out, I will never eat here or recommend this place. BLAND,BLAND BLAND AND MORE BLAND! I would of been better off eating dirt. At least it's free. ***Everyone here knows that it is AGAINST Yelp policy to use your account to contact/harass other users right? welp,The employee sent a harassing message. Actually,she was too much of a coward to send a message, so she misused the "compliment" feature. A hit dog will holler, and she is BARKING. Had I not notified the establishment that they left out an item..they would of never refunded me. That is the very definition of robbing someone. She lied as well about the refund. It was not automatically put back on my card when she was called. She tried to give me the run around. She paused throughout the phone call when asked a question. Why would you think it's ok to tell someone to waste gas to drive back up to Troy NY? She had no answer,she just paused. She had to call someone from the back to issue the refund. After it was REQUESTED! she didnt request it. So this whole garbage about "I was given a refund as soon as I called" is a LIE. Let's not even get into the horrible quality of food. She didnt even know how to do a refund! HOW ARE YOU A HOSTESS BUT CAN'T DO A REFUND?!?!?! a man from the back had to do it for her. She has all this time to spend on the internet yet can't even refund money back onto a card??? I've trained ppl in retail how to do refunds, and it's fairly easy. She can't do that..yet she can run her mouth online. This speaks volumes about the type of trash that works there. Where is the better business bureau? and doent this less than smart dingbat know that harassing people behind a fake profile isn't smart????? you're not anonymous! and unless you want Albany police dept knocking on your door, you better drop your childish games. I am glad the internet now gets to see what kind of employees work there. I am keeping a record of any more harassing messages, the BBB and the police dept will be notified. Keep playing around on the internet. Oh, and the person that went out to pickup the order said there was only one female there, the rest were guys. So you were caught in ANOTHER lie! there is only one female that works in the front! we know it's you and we can identify you, if need be. You are a disguting ugly person. You lied at least twice. Pathetic. I promise you, keep sending harassing messages and the police wil be notified. What you're not going to do is try and harass or guilt someone because the truth hit you where it hurts. read more

Garlic Lovers Corner - So, there is a saying: A hit dog will holler.The employee contacted me because I struck a nerve. She misused the "compliment" feature :) - Greek Near Me - North Greenbush, New York

This Greek/Mediterranean-American cafe seems to be a local secret....unless you check Yelp! I went with my coworkers for the annual holiday office lunch. I was pleasantly surprised at the tasteful decor, wine selection, and....wait for it....pewter-colored vinyl table cloths! What a classy way to spruce up the ol' vinyl tablecloth. Garlic Lovers Corner serves up very tasty American bistro food, but I wouldn't say the food is authentic Mediterranean based on the five weeks I spent in Greece and the month spent in Italy. This cafe offers a variety of foods that are Americanized stereotypes of Mediterranean food: baba ganoush, hummus, tzatzaki sauce, pitas, olive oil. You're not going to see steaming vertical rotisserie meats oozing juices on a spit until they are sliced in strips and served in foil-wrapped flat bread as gyros with tomatoes and fries spilling out. You won't be seeing lamb moussaka, or Greek salad with a huge slab of feta. I didn't see any cucumbers, tahini, or ouzo. This place is more the Greek-inspired American fantasy, where kebabs are not goat meat souvlaki in an oven-toasted pita but mild beef meatballs on a skewer with some warm white rice. My coworkers ordered pitas, the crab sandwich and the kebabs and all chose the bean salad as the side since they were out of fries (what?!). Their meals looked fabulous and everyone enjoyed themselves. My spicy chicken sandwich arrived on a delicious albeit small ciabatta roll with garlic aioli and some baby greens. I didn't want the bean salad and they didn't suggest other options (another what?!) so I went without. The dolmas on the appetizer platter seemed to be freshly handmade and not out of a tin in sour marinating juices so that was plus. My felafel appetizer was also freshly rolled and fried and not reheated from a frozen box, so I was happy about that. My little sandwich was good but without the side kinda spendy at $8. During the busy lunch hour, many patrons ordered wine and relaxed in the TV-free atmosphere. Coffee was freshly brewed and desserts were available. Garlic Lovers offers tasty Mediterranean-inspired bistro dishes in a casual dining atmosphere. read more

Garlic Lovers Corner - Mediterranean plate with falafel, dolmas, olives, tzatziki, hummus, and garlic sauce - Greek Near Me - North Greenbush, New York

We had a wonderful dinner We shared a baba ganousch for an app which was served with a delicious, fresh pita. We both had the lamb kabobs. The meals are served with a lovely generous side salad , a veggie medley, which was fresh and tasty along with a serving of rice pilaf With two glasses of wine the bill came too $95.00. The prices are fair, the portions are generous and the service was perfect. read more

Definitely a 31/2 star visit. We were out running errands in the pouring rain so the husband suggested we stop here for lunch. We arrived just before noon and the dining only had one other table. The dining room is attractive but a little too open and the tables down the middle were too close together. We placed our orders, tzatiki for an appetizer, a hamburger and fries for my daughter, spicy chicken sandwich for my husband and a chicken pita for me. I also ordered a beer, when I asked the waiter (who I think also is the owner) what kind of Sam Adams seasonal he had he recited a list that sounded like he bought the summer variety pack from the store. I'm fine with that, I'd much rather have the choice of what I want to drink rather than a couple of run of the mill bottles (bud, coors lite). I took a look at the wine list and was underwhelmed - hoping for some Greek wines but instead it was a few overpriced run of the mill wines. The tzatiki came out fairly quickly with a basket of amazing, fresh, warm pitas - that could have been my entire lunch, it was so delicious. We inhaled the pitas and the waiter brought us another basket. Then we waited - hence the 3 instead of 4 stars. A couple more tables came in after us and they got their sandwiches while we waited, not sure what the holdup was. Eventually we got our lunches and they were outstanding, everything was perfectly cooked, hot and delicious. While our meal didn't go as smoothly as I wanted we will definitely go back. read more

This place is Great for Mediterranean Food and lots of other entrees. I really enjoy the Fresh Ingredients... I will never make a review for place if anything tastes old. We have come to Garlic Lovers from time to time for over 15 years... NEVER disappointed! read more

I went here for dinner tonight with some great friends. It is the 3rd time I have been here since Dec 09. Once again I was impressed! The food was excelent! The calamari & tziki (sp??) appetizers were delicious and so far are my favorite. The eggplant dinner w/ jasmine rice & veggies was also very tasty. Last time I had the beef kabobs and prior to that the steak with bleu cheese which were also great. Everyone in our group loved their food! The atmosphere is very relaxing. The owner came to our table to check and see how everything was. They don't serve alcohol but you can bring in your own drinks wine, beer... which is nice. Will definetly be going again! :) read more

Garlic Lovers Corner - GARLIC LOVERS CORNER AT NIGHT - Greek Near Me - North Greenbush, New York

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Had a craving for falafel so I ordered take-out from here on a Tuesday evening (after reading positive Yelp reviews). When I picked it up at about 7:30 pm, there was a table of six people and two tables of two in the dining room. I ordered the falafel pita ($8) and the hummus appetizer ($6). Total was $15.10, which I found to be a little on the expensive side. The falafel pita consisted of three pieces of falafel, field greens, a small smearing of hummus, some diced tomatoes, diced cucumbers, and a very small drizzle of what looked I believed to be a cucumber-tzatziki(ish) dressing. I had forgotten that the pita came with a side and was disappointed when I saw the fries that were given to me as a default. I was not asked over the phone whether I would like fries or salad as my side...I would have liked to have the salad. The pita itself was tasty and soft, but I found the sandwich as a whole to be very, very, very dry. There was only a very small amount of dressing/sauce (most of which had been absorbed into the falafel by the time I got to eat it) and a very small, nearly indetectable amount of hummus. I kept finding myself wishiing that I had a nice side of tzaziki or really any kind of moisture. The falafel itself had pretty good flavor, but (as another reviewer noted) I did not detect much garlic. I scooped off the tomatoes because they were very sad, mushy, and pale looking (perhaps canned?). I know it is far from tomato season, but I also know that you can still find a decent tomato in the grocery store. I also attempted the default fries. They were a little soggy but I fault that to the fact that they were in a syrafoam takeout container and subject to its condensation. They definitely appeared to be of the frozen variety and did not add anything to my dining experience. I think it would be nice if the pita sandwich itself (without a side) were offered as an option and so the pita could be offered for a dollar or so less. The highlight of the meal was the hummus. It was a generous portion and came with several warm slices of soft pita sprinkled with what appeared to be herb de provence. I found it to be tasty and it worked well with the pita. I would have loved to have some carrots served with it, in addition to the pita, but that's just my personal preference. I would try Garlic Lovers' Corner again because I enjoyed the hummus and would like to try the kebabs, but probably would not order falafel again.... read more

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Haven't eaten here in years but stopped tonight. So glad we did. First the waitress was solo and had at least 7 tables. She could not have been more efficient. My husband and I both had chicken dishes. They were great! Dinners include salads which were large and fresh. Owner/chef came out to check on tables which was pretty awesome. Will definitely stop here again! read more

Ordered take out last night. Spent over $100.00 and after getting home found out that they forgot the pita. We ordered a kids chicken kabob and asked for fries and got rice. What child eats rice and vegetables. As you may expect, a 2 year old was now crying. I called to complain and got no sympathy. Asked for the owner and was told they were not there. I would have expected them to take my name and say we'll make it up to you next time you come in, but nothing but a weak "I'm sorry". Not going back, ever. read more

Nice Mediterranean place. Minor issues with wait service. Go for the sampler platter with hummus, couscous, filafahl and FRESH hot pita. The house salad dressing is refreshing. The lamb kabobs were tender and tasty and done to order. Decent wine list. Rice was perfect. Don't miss this if you like middle eastern-Mediterranean fare, it's hidden away in a small plaza! read more

Absolutely delicious! I had the crab cakes they are huge and taste like crab! Mediterranean plate was delicious the falafel was beautifully seasoned, grape leaves were yummy and all dips were truly fantastic! read more

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Service was amazing just like the food. Even though there was staffing issues, we received food quickly with amazing service. The food was refreshing and excellent. It's safe to say I'll be going back as a regular from now on. If you go in be patient once you're seated service is quick and the staff is very helpful. If I could rate 6 stars I would!!! read more

Good food, nice atmosphere, friendly service. Nice selection of food options. Not very busy on a Saturday night. Seemed to have a strong takeout service. I am restricted on eating carbs. They readily substituted vegetables for the pasta. read more

Food was ok. A little too Americanized Greek preparation. The falafel did not have enough garlic. Grape leaves were decent.

The food was excellent as was the service. A nice assortment of Mediterranean staples and Aiken twists on them. The crab cakes were outstanding and a generous portion. The chicken kebabs were also lovely: moist and flavorful. Everything was delivered hot and quickly. Don't get hooked on their pitas! read more

Love this place. Another hidden gem in North Greenbush. Nabil and his staff make you feel welcomed every time you come. Their menu is really interesting and diverse. Every meal I have had has been delicious. Love their Mediterranean Plater to start. The ribeye special is one of the best around. During this time you can order to go! You will not disappointed. read more