Guys I found it! I…read morefound my favorite capital region eatery. Specifically, the "quick", easy, and cost effective food spot. I don't consider it "fast food" but sure, it's an assembly line bowl place, similar to the "chipotle" concept. I've now tried both the Albany (Stuyvesant plaza) location and the OG - Coxsackie one. Both were amazing. The big bowl at Coxsackie was ~$12 and it totally fills me up. Tastes delicious, and you can customize it, and I don't feel they nickel and dime ya, with up charges. Everything tastes fresh and the portion for price is on par and great for what you get. Pita is included with every bowl. Now, I can't wait to taste and try the entire menu and zero in on my favorite bowl, or do a make your own. Thanks Simones. You'll see me a bunch. If it was walking distance or closer, I'd go weekly!

My daughter and I go there pretty much once a week and order the same thing every time. My daughter…read moregoes in to order the food. she always tells me how friendly the staff is and how it makes the experience so much better than going to other places. Would definitely recommend.

I was so fortunate to find this amazing restaurant, about a mile off exit 8 on I84…read more The owners are so friendly, kind, and ready to share thier culture. The two times I've been in, they've brought out samples of thier menu items to try. I've ordered various things on the menu: hummus, lebneh, falafel wraps, falafel platters, baked kibbe platters, the green bean side, etc. All have been amongst the best Lebanese food I've tried. I want to expand and try more things, like the chicken and beef kafta. If you have questions just ask. Certain platters come with different items. Some rice, some salad, etc. Thier pita is fresh and delicious, and comes in different sizes. They have a decent sized dining area for dine-in, and the take-out area is right as you walk in the side door. Here you will also find a grocery area with Lebanese essentials. The selection is sizable, and offers items you won't find in a regular grocery store. I stocked up on spices, and coffee. Prices are reasonable, and portions are generous. I will return every opportunity I get.

Where do I start? As soon as I enter , it was like walking into a Lebanese grocery store with a…read morerestaurant inside. The owner Simon was very accommodating , lovely, and made me feel like family. As soon as I finished ordering , he offered me a free side. The spicy mushroom side was so delicious! I also noticed he greeted all people coming in with kindness, charisma and free samples, which I loved. I sat down and waited for my food to come out. I got up to ask if they have any hot tea, he said yes and recommended the cardamom tea . The tea was perfect beautiful delicious! Never had cardamom tea before. I came from New York on a day trip and stumbled upon a true gem. I never had Lebanese food before and I am so glad I came here. I was treated like an actual princess. Food was so flavorful , delicious, full of love and flavors!!! The falafel was crunchy and so so so so good. Everything on the table was fresh!!! Simon would come to my table and give me free samples of their desserts. I was just so overjoyed with the whole experience! I couldn't leave without buying hummus and a seven bean salad as well as some cookies. The restaurant was beautiful and filled with life and colors. Thank you Simon for having me , you are amazing and your team is too! I will definitely be back and I recommend everyone from all parts of the globe to come here.

The food was delicious and fresh! Our waitress Giul was amazingly friendly and so knowledgeable on…read morethe menu! Definitely recommend!!

We ordered takeout from Lebani and it was a decent experience. They were out of some of the items…read morewe ordered, which was a bit disappointing, but they did give us a call and offered substitute items. I had a mixture platter, and it was pretty good. My favorite of the three was the falafel. The cheese sticks were cold so it wasn't as good if they were hot. My coworkers enjoyed their selections, though they mentioned it could use more flavor since it was a little bland. I will definitely give it another try in person experience as I know sometimes takeout can take away from the experience and ambience of the restaurant.

The Chicken Tawook is the best sandwich in Western Massachusetts. Well worth any drive.read more

Truly authentic-lovely service but don't go if you're in a hurry…read more We ate the food so fast because it was so delicious. We forgot to get photos tabouli, hummus with meat, Kufta, kebab plate. You can't go wrong.

Noujaim's Bistro was fantastic!! It was my first time dining there and everything exceeded my…read moreexpectations. The mediterranean food was incredibly fresh and flavorful. The dining area was charming, and the staff was friendly and helpful. I had the steak kabob with chimichurri sauce, roasted potatoes, and green beans. The steak was cooked perfectly, and the beans were delicious. The homemade hummus was packed with flavor and the olives were out of this world. I cannot wait to go back.

ORIGIN: The restaurant is named after owner and Chef, George…read moreNoujaim. The location of his business has changed since he started in 1988, but always served the Berkshire area. LOCATION: The present location is on Winsted's main thoroughfare. Ample parking is available in the lot behind the brick building that houses the restaurant. CONCEPT: Chef Noujaim brings the culinary traditions of his native Lebanon, as well as some dishes from other Mediterranean cultures. AMBIANCE: The restaurant is divided into two dining areas. Sunlight streams through the large exterior window, and mirrors placed along the brick walls of the interior dining room bounce light and make the space feel more expansive. SERVICE: Service is exceptional... Chef Noujaim is very active in all aspects of the restaurant, yet takes time to personally connect with customers. There is such a welcoming feeling when visiting Noujaim's Bistro -- one that is uncommonly experienced in Connecticut. FOOD: I haven't been able to match the Lebanese food I've had at Alladin Restaurant in Allentown, where there is a large Lebanese community. After decades I've finally found a match during my first visit to Noujaim's Bistro. I chose dishes to best compare my U.S.-based benchmark-- Hummus, Baba Ghanouj, Fattoush, Turkish coffee and Halvah. Portions were generous, inviting sharing. The Fattoush was far better than my benchmark in both presentation and preparation. Likewise the Halvah, which was served with candied orange. This dessert paired perfectly with the intense coffee. So good, I was eager to return the next day. Given it is an hour long drive from home, my solution will be to order additional dishes to take home! TIPS: The restaurant is open Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Catering is a popular option, and the business is able to cater in New York and Massachusetts as well. Consider coordinating a visit with the American Museum of Tort Law just down the street, founded by another community member of Lebanese descent, Ralph Nader. Portions are generous and invite sharing.

Best halal food in Albany! They are great, fast efficient and real ingredients. Extremely nice…read moreemployees.

We popped in to Ya Hala randomly after having to run a few errands in the area. There was ample…read morestreet parking so we were in no rush. The owner, Sal, came over to our table while we scanned the menus and introduced himself. He gave us a complimentary taco each and said "these are the best tacos you've ever had." I loved the confidence and I loved that he was right. It was love at first bite. We ordered a quesadilla, a chicken salad, a plate of fries, more tacos and a gyro (assuming we would be taking most of it home and eating it for dinner over the week) The quesadilla & gyro were delicious and fresh. They were still tasty as leftovers 2 days later. I wasn't crazy about the salad but that's probably my fault. Ya Hala does comfort junk food - this is not the time to be calorie-conscious. Sal checked in on us a number of times while we were eating. The restaurant is a small hole-in-the-wall with a few booths and a bathroom. I assume most of their business comes from people doing take out at the end of their work day. If I lived or worked closer, I would be a regular customer here. In the end, Sal packed our food in to-go boxes and gave us a free gyro as a surprise. At some point during dinner, my husband mentioned I was Yelp Elite. In the interest of full disclosure, at no point did Sal ask me to leave a favorable review or use his free food as a bargaining chip. This review is done without taking the free gyro into consideration.

My son had stopped here on the way to visit and based on some of the leftovers, we knew it had to…read morebe on the list. Traveling within about 5 minutes on the way to visit a good friend, and it happened to be right around lunch time, the opportunity finally came. It's a casual place, lots of 2 and 4 top tables, but what caught my eye when we went in was the cooler full of amazing side options. Then you look up and there's a beautiful oven and a dough station. This is looking great. We sat and ordered lamb kebab and doner kebab. A couple minutes later, a large (~11x17?) wooden tray appeared with a piping hot lavash bread and a plate of dill yogurt sauce. If the meal had stopped there, I would have been a happy camper. We had just had a few pieces when the kebab arrived, each with a pepper, tomato, some red cabbage, and onion. Both meats were authentic and delicious. My favorite way to eat my doner was with a bit of the bread, a bit of the dill sauce, some onion and cabbage, and a bunch of meat - a mini gyro, if you will. We took away about 1/3 of the generous portions and ordered a large mixed plate (all 10 of the sides) and baklava to take to our friend. It's a bit of a drive for us, but any time we're anywhere close, we're going to be back for sit down (if it's mealtime) or takeaway if it's not. I highly recommend you do the same.

Alibaba is probably the oldest Turkish restaurant in the Albany area, and it recently got a nice…read moreupgrade -- from the furniture to the serving plates and menus. The place feels much more modern and inviting now. Our family especially enjoys the beyti kebab, the güveç, and their pide. I haven't tried the pizza yet, but since their pide is very good, I imagine the pizza would also be solid. For me though, the real highlight at Alibaba is the mezze. In Turkish cuisine, grilled meats and kebabs are almost always enjoyed with a variety of mezze. They might technically be sides, but they're a big part of the whole experience. These days there are several Turkish kebab places in the area, but none of them offer a wide selection of fresh, house-made mezze like Alibaba does. At many places you're lucky if you find one or two options, often just a basic ezme. At Alibaba you'll find around ten different mezze and each one tastes distinct and freshly made. Every time I tell myself I'll just take a little... and somehow I end up filling a big mezze plate. Honestly, even when we grill at home, our motivation is picking up mezze from Alibaba to go with it. I'm not sure if it gets the credit it deserves, but don't skip the mezze here -- you'd be missing out. In fact, start with the mezze and figure out the rest later :))